Many veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder may find themselves in trouble with the authorities for a variety of reasons, and experts say that simply sending them to jail can set them back in their recovery process. Now, a U.S. lawmaker is looking to help deal with that issue.
The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, introduced by U.S. Senator Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican, would help set up Veterans Treatment Courts that would put former service members through an intensive recovery program after they are convicted, rather than sending them to jail, according to a report from the Columbus Dispatch. The bill recently passed committee hearings with unanimous support, and is now on its way to passing Congress.
"I think we should get it on the House floor relatively soon and with the support it has from both sides, I think we can get it on the president's desk," Portman told the newspaper.
This is one of many things that can be done at the local, state, or federal level to help veterans deal with the often invisible scars they carry after returning from service.