BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — Veterans Court has been a topic of discussion for Brazos County Commissioners for the past two and a half years. A committee of 14 was made in March, and now advocates are one step closer to having this implemented in Brazos County.
Retired Brigadier General Bentley Nettles leads the committee looking into Veterans Court. He says their findings have been in their favor locally.
“The overall recommendation is that this would benefit our community if these two specialty courts were created,” Nettles said.
Mental health and Veterans Courts would provide rehabilitation and support with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for those who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Lonny Masterson is the Veteran Peer Support Director for the Not an Option to Wait (N.O.W.) Foundation, and says he found nearly 30 veterans behind bars currently that this could serve.
“These veterans could benefit from it instead of costing taxpayer money with their symptoms getting worse and them not getting the treatment that they need,” Masterson said.
Commissioners said Tuesday they want to seek additional opinions from judges and prosecutors on Tuesday before moving forward.