Johnson County’s Veterans Treatment Court celebrates 10th anniversary

Johnson County's Veterans Treatment Court recently celebrated 10 years of serving veterans in the criminal justice system and helping to place eligible service members into treatment and court supervision as an alternative to incarceration.

Johnson County founded the first treatment court for veterans in the state of Kansas in January 2016 and celebrated its first graduate a year later. It then added a Behavioral Health Court and an Adult Treatment Court in 2023 to serve people experiencing mental health issues and substance use disorders.

"We've had a lot of success with this treatment court, and that's due to the great team that has come together to help these veterans succeed," said Judge Timothy P. McCarthy, who spearheaded the effort to bring Veterans Treatment Court to the county. "From law enforcement to court staff to volunteer mentors and many more, seeing everyone working together to help our veterans turn their lives around is truly remarkable."

Some highlights of the court during the last 10 years include:

• 88 veterans have graduated from the Veterans Treatment Court in Johnson County, with another 13 currently enrolled.
• Veterans from each branch of the U.S. military except the Space Force have graduated from the program.
• The program has served veterans of the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• When the program was founded in Johnson County, it was the 287th Veterans Treatment Court in America. Today, there are more than 530, including six in Kansas.

Staff members and others involved with the program gathered Friday afternoon at the Johnson County Courthouse for an event to celebrate the program's 10th anniversary.

Learn more about Johnson County's Veterans Treatment Court.