Union County Veterans Diversion Program

The county's page. "Consistent with N.J.S.A. 2C:43-24, the Union County Veterans Diversion Program (VDP) provides certain eligible veterans who are charged with specific non-violent crimes the opportunity to obtain rehabilitative treatment in lieu of participating in the traditional criminal justice process. The program involves supervision and monitoring of a veteran's treatment by an approved treatment provider, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Union County Prosecutor's Office, other partner agencies, and in some instances, the court. The goals are to protect the public; reduce veteran contacts with the criminal justice system; reduce the number of incarcerated veterans; reduce costs to the public; and provide services and support for veterans." Eligibility. "Participants must meet the statutory requirements set forth in N.J.S.A. 2C:43-25 and N.J.S.A. 2C:43-26... the applicant must be an active or former member of the United States Armed Forces and meet the eligibility requirements for VA or military benefits." After service verification, "an applicant must have a mental illness or condition that may have caused or contributed to the commission of the charged offense." "Only non-violent third- or fourth-degree crimes, disorderly persons offenses, or petty disorderly persons offenses are eligible for diversion under this program." "The decision to accept the defendant into the program is at the sole discretion of the Union County Prosecutor's Office." Treatment and dismissal. "If defendant is not participating in appropriate VA services and these services are not available within 30 days of application, the applicant must meet the requirements of the Union County Prosecutor's Office Jail Diversion Program (JDP) to be admitted into the VDP." "A veteran who successfully completes the terms and conditions of this program to the satisfaction of the prosecutor... shall have his or her charges dismissed." How to apply. "Attorneys who believe their clients may qualify for this program should complete the Union County Prosecutor's Office Jail Diversion/Veteran Diversion Referral Form available here and in all Union County criminal courtrooms. The completed form can be emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 908-558-2594, Attn: Special Offenders Unit." The page adds: "To obtain additional information regarding veterans services and programs in Union County go online to ucnj.org/uc-hero/." Prosecutor William Daniel's office publishes the program on its own site (an application read through the platform's own API). New Jersey has no per-county veterans treatment court list on njcourts.gov; the prosecutor-run diversion program is the state's veteran criminal-justice mechanism.