After years of advocacy from local veterans groups, the Central Maryland Regional Veterans Treatment Court is expanding from Baltimore City to Carroll, Harford and Howard counties.

Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker made the announcement on Wednesday.

“The brave men and women who put on the uniform and served to keep us safe deserve consideration after the uniform comes off, even when they run afoul of the law,” he said in a news release. “Providing the guidance and resources to (ensure) they become productive members of our communities should be one of our highest priorities.”

The Maryland Judiciary’s Veterans Treatment Courts are for those who served in the military and have conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder, mental health issues or substance use disorders. Veterans can resolve criminal offenses and are connected with services including through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and local resources. These courts are part of a system of problem-solving courts in the state, including adult and juvenile drug courts, mental health court and truancy court.

Aside from the Central Maryland court, based in the District Court in Baltimore City, dockets specifically for veterans are offered in locations statewide, including veterans treatment courts at the District Court in Anne Arundel County; the Dorchester County District Regional Veterans Court (located in Dorchester and also serving Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties); the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County; and the Frederick and Washington County Regional Veterans Treatment Court.

The Frederick and Washington counties’ court was launched earlier this year.

The expansion of the veterans treatment court in Carroll County will “not cost the Carroll County taxpayer one thin dime,” Shoemaker said.

Veterans and mental health advocates have been pushing for expansion of veterans treatment courts in the state for years. Mount Airy native Joshua Marks, a member of the Life Independent Veterans Advocate group, began speaking out about the need for the courts in 2017.

“The best part of the court is that these guys feel so good when they graduate,” Marks said. “They come back and mentor the guys coming up behind them. It’s a life changing thing because their criminal records are thrown out and they start life again.”

Jason Sidock, executive director of the Carroll County Veterans Independence Project, told the Times in 2022 that veterans treatment courts allow veterans to access the resources they need to improve while working with people who understand them.

“It’s similar to drug treatment court … the judges and prosecutors are a little more compassionate because they’ve been in similar situations,” Sidock said in 2022. “We send soldiers off to fight, they defend our country and then we bring them back home and expect them to go back into society.”

The Central Maryland Regional Veterans Treatment Court began operating Tuesday , according to the news release. Veterans eligible for the program will be referred at the discretion of participating district courts. To be eligible, they must be a U.S. military veteran (regardless of eligibility for VA benefits) and a defendant charged with misdemeanor offenses or concurrent jurisdiction felonies.

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