Wisconsin Veterans Intervention Program (WI-VIP) helps veterans
March 11, 2009 –Last month, 3,200 Wisconsin soldiers from the 32nd Infantry Brigade mobilized for active duty in Iraq – the largest operational deployment of Wisconsin National Guard forces since World War II.
As we honor these troops heading to Iraq to serve our country, it is equally important that soldiers returning from tours of duty receive proper benefits and services.
According to the latest Pentagon study, published in 2004, about one in six veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression or anxiety. Post-traumatic stress disorder often leads to unemployment, broken families, homelessness, alcohol and other drug addictions, and for some, entry into the criminal justice system.
To address the unique needs of combat veterans and help them get through the court system, the State Public Defender’s Office and the Lt. Governor facilitated the development of the Wisconsin Veterans Intervention Program (WI-VIP). The program has a multi-faceted approach, utilizing the following three components: a holistic outreach program at the UW Law School’s Remington Center that will assist veterans with civil legal needs; Department of Correction’s institutional accounting and programming for veterans currently in an institution or on probation/parole; and Veterans Treatment Courts for those facing charges in Wisconsin’s justice system.
The treatment courts are aimed at nonviolent offenders whose violations stem from issues including mental illness, substance abuse, and PTSD. Instead of incarceration, they offer treatment programs to tackle the underlying causes of criminal behavior.
New York Judge Robert Russell created the nation’s first veterans’ treatment court in Buffalo, New York in 2008. The court has successfully helped veterans turn their lives away from crime and saved New York state 12 million dollars in Medicaid and social services costs.
Judge Russell outlined his court first-hand in an October 2008 meeting in Madison attended by justice system representatives from throughout the state. As a follow-up, several WI-VIP participants visited Judge Russell’s Veterans Treatment Court in January 2009. Among the participants was Rock County Presiding Judge James Daley who is scheduled to start Wisconsin’s first Veterans’ Treatment Court in July 2009 in Janesville.
The State Public Defender’s Office is working with groups including the courts, federal and state veterans’ agencies, law enforcement, Department of Corrections, and prosecutors, as well as mental health professionals and UW Law School’s Remington Center. Many activities are underway, including a website design, joint training programs and statewide outreach initiatives, as the group works to move the project forward and provide veterans with services worthy of their sacrifice.
For more information and updates on WI-VIP, please contact Peter Anderson, liaison for WI-VIP in the Wisconsin’s State Public Defender’s Office, at (608) 267-0581.
Additionally, the American Bar Association has a program that assists deployed service members who need legal assistance they cannot afford. The ABA Military Pro Bono Project connects active-duty military personnel to free legal assistance for civil legal issues beyond the scope of services provided by a military legal assistance office.
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© 2009, State Bar of Wisconsin
