RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — More than 60 veterans have gone through the Randolph County Detention center facing some kind of charges.
But a new program in Randolph County is set to give a second chance to these veterans.
“We owe it to themm,” Randolph County Sheriff Gregory Seabolt said.
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the district attorney to launch a local veteran’s treatment court.
It is the first of its sort in the area and could benefit veterans with mental health issues.
“There was nothing available, no treatment, no help out there for the veterans. I wanted to do it. I wanted to start it for the veterans. Veterans mean a lot to me,” Seabolt said.
This year, law enforcement officials in the county arrested 67 veterans.
The new program is designed to help this veteran demographic in order to provide them with the assistance they require.
“They went overseas one person and came back another totally different, and I would maybe charge with DWI, and and it actually was the beginning of a path of destruction for them,” Seabolt said.
These veterans will go to court, therapy and substance abuse treatment for a little over a year.
“Hopefully, we can restore them to law abiding citizens and help these citizens and productive members of society … That’s really what the court is designed to do,” District Attorney for Randolph County Andrew Gregson said.
After completing the program, a veteran’s charges may be reduced, depending on the gravity of the offenses and what the court decides.
“I think we owe them a little bit of return on their investment in the country,” Gregson said.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance will fund the program for three years.
The program is currently in its early phases of development.
Seabolt anticipates that this program will begin in February of next year.
