An estimated 1,540 veterans could receive services that detour a path through the criminal justice system in the next five years under a $2 million program announced today by the Colorado Department of Human Services.
The federally funded program takes aim at trauma-related disorders that contribute to the number of veterans in jails and prisons.
“This grant will allow Colorado to make a serious and sustained effort to identify and treat these disorders in veterans, finally getting them the services they deserve and reducing unwarranted pressure on the state’s criminal justice system, as well,” Karen L. Beye, executive director of the state agency said in a statement.
The program is called the Colorado Diversion of Veterans with Co-occurring and Trauma Disorders. The agency expects to begin offering services to veterans next summer.
