Hamilton County veterans court gets recertification

Hamilton County’s veterans court program will continue to help military veterans, after earning recertification from the Ohio Supreme Court.

The Felony Veterans Treatment Court is a comprehensive program that helps address the kinds of issues veterans in the criminal justice system face, such as addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder. It employs services and other tools to treat and rehabilitate an offender, holding them accountable while also addressing the underlying causes of the criminal behavior.

Common Pleas Judge Ethna Cooper has presided over the court since it started in 2011. It includes a treatment team made up of licensed providers, law enforcement and court personnel.

The program “gives the citizens of Hamilton County the ability to serve veterans who put their lives on the line to protect our country,” Cooper said in a statement.

To be recertified, it had to undergo a site visit and provide specific materials responding to certification standards that became effective in 2014.