Ohio courts are working as part of a statewide mission to prevent active and retired military members from entering and getting deeper into the criminal justice system.

Judges and court staff were joined by law enforcement, treatment providers, and leaders in the veterans community for a recent summit in Columbus dedicated to aiding those who served. The Lean Forward initiative is based on building connections between the courts and their community partners to share new approaches that address legal troubles, mental health and substance use issues, and living essentials, such as housing and employment.

“This is the goal of the lean forward initiative, so that all service members and veterans can come wholly home without ever touching the judicial system,” said Supreme Court of Ohio Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy.

This year’s theme focused on deflection and examining how police officers, court personnel, and agencies that serve veterans can intervene as early as possible to help struggling military members. When possible, law enforcement works to avoid an arrest to prevent someone from appearing in court and getting further entangled in the justice system.

“It's about connecting people with resources, looking at the warning signs, developing relationships with police officers, folks that can intervene before that arrest happens,” said retired Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, a pioneer in mental health treatment programs and the judiciary.

Stratton founded the Lean Forward program when she realized her work to expand mental health courts could be easily replicated to benefit active and retired military personnel.

One of the challenges for treatment courts is that judges and court personnel typically aren’t aware of an issue with a veteran until they are already involved in the system. But according to Stratton, judges are respected and influential people in their communities who can initiate a more proactive and connected network looking after service members.

The goal is to keep veterans and active military personnel out of the justice system. But when that’s not possible, veterans treatment courts can help address mental health and substance use disorders along with housing, employment, and other needs to provide stability.

“Courts are in a way a deflector because they can put someone into a diversion program and potentially dismiss charges,” said Stratton. “And those programs also can help provide a structure and community that’s so important to people who’ve been in the military.”

Not all courts have a veterans treatment program, and not all counties have the same level of services. The summit provides information, resources, and connections so attendees can share what’s valuable to them with their communities to provide layers of support to service members, veterans, and their families.

“These conferences motivate me to be more aware of the veterans in our community, to learn what’s available to them, and how we can overcome some of the barriers to them or their struggles,” said Aliesha Boonie, a probation officer in Huron County.