LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that members of the
Armed Services from the State of New York merit the recognition, respect
and appreciation and, when needed, the assistance of the people of New
York State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and fully in accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
the Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court and to applaud its service to and
on behalf of the veterans of Western New York; and
WHEREAS, The Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court is a hybrid drug and
mental health court which serves veterans who are struggling with
addiction and/or mental illness by diverting them from the traditional
criminal justice system into a specialized veterans court; and
WHEREAS, In January 2008, Judge Robert Russell created and began
presiding over the United States' first Veterans Treatment Court in
collaboration with the Western New York Health Care Network, the Western
New York Veterans Project, the Buffalo Police Department, the Buffalo
Veteran's Administration Health Care System, the Buffalo Criminal
Courts, the Buffalo Drug and Mental Health Treatment Courts, Erie County
Pre-trial Services and the C.O.U.R.T.S Program (Court Outreach Unit
Referral and Treatment Service) and a host of volunteer veterans who
serve as mentors; and
WHEREAS, Judge Russell continues to preside over the court with the
assistance of Court Coordinator Marine Vietnam Veteran Hank Pirowski;
and
WHEREAS, In his courtroom Judge Russell conducts an open dialogue with
the defendant which is less adversarial than that of many other court-
room conversations and hopes that when a veteran enters his courtroom it
will be for the last time; and
WHEREAS, The treatment court has received extraordinary support from
the federal Veterans Administration (VA); it staffs each session with
several VA employees who are there to ensure that veterans are enrolled
in the VA Health Network and to facilitate claim status inquiries and
other needs the veterans may have; and
WHEREAS, The Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court has a robust network of
volunteer mentors who help guide the veterans through the Court process
and to gain access to services and support to help them overcome chemi-
cal dependency or mental health issues stemming from their service to
our country such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Jack
O'Connor, Army Vietnam Veteran and former Erie County Department of
Social Services Director of Medicaid, was instrumental in the creation
of the court's mentorship program; and
WHEREAS, Studies have shown that 30 to 40 percent of the 1.6 million
troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan will face serious invisi-
ble wounds such as PTSD or traumatic brain injury; when they return home
with these injuries, adjusting to life can be difficult and in some
cases can lead to chemical dependency or mental health issues which, in
turn, can lead to problems with the law; and
WHEREAS, By giving defendants the opportunity of being guided by some-
one with whom they can relate, the veteran mentors serve an essential
function in the treatment court; the program's success is, in fact,
often attributed to the contributions of these volunteers; and
WHEREAS, In 2010, the National Drug Court Institute (NDCI) and the
United States Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) announced the launch of
the 2010 Veterans Treatment Court Planning Initiative (VTCPI), the first
Veterans Treatment Court training program in the nation, its VTCPI

curriculum is a collaborative effort of NDCI, BJA, the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs, the GAINS Center, the Battered Women's Justice
Project, and numerous Veterans Treatment Court professionals; and
WHEREAS, Together, under Judge Russell's leadership, and with the VA's
participation and the contributions of volunteer veteran mentors, the
Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court Program has successfully graduated
dozens of veterans who have steered their lives away from traps many
others before them fell into in the absence of such a program; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court and to applaud its service
to and on behalf of the veterans of Western New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Honorable Robert Russell and to the Buffalo Veterans
Treatment Court.