John Arias of Grand Island got involved in the Central Nebraska Veterans Treatment Court because he likes to look out for his fellow vets.
Veterans like to support each other, said Arias, who is a mentor coordinator in the program.
Veterans who enroll in the program have the ability to have criminal charges removed from their record.
Arias served in the Marines for four years, from 1988 to 1992.
Arias said he made poor choices when he got home from the Gulf War. Those bad decisions eventually landed him in prison.
He is now trying to help other vets avoid making the same mistakes he did.
Veterans have a bond, he said. When a veteran stumbles, fellow vets try to pick him up and get him moving forward.
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The Central Nebraska Veterans Treatment Court program, which is administered by the state’s judicial system, is meant for people who have pleaded guilty to a criminal charge. For those who enter the program, the sentencing is stayed, which means if veterans successfully complete the program the plea is withdrawn and charges are dismissed. In the case of driving under the influence, the charge is reduced.
The Central Nebraska program is a collaboration between the Ninth and Tenth Judicial Districts, covering Hall, Buffalo and Adams Counties.
Some of the people in Veterans Treatment Court suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
A combat veteran, Arias suffered from the same problem.
When he and his fellow soldiers got back from the war, “we did a lot of drinking, trying to self-medicate,” he said.
That drinking cost him his marriage and led to other problems.
Arias started working with other veterans when he was in prison.
“They’re not bad people. They just make poor choices,” he said.
Arias is mentoring two veterans right now.
He spends a lot of time letting veterans vent. Occasionally, he makes a suggestion. “But ultimately it’s up to them to decide what course they want to take,” he said.
People in the Veterans Treatment Court program must adhere to requirements. They must stay employed. They have to take classes and receive counseling. Many go to Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. So between their jobs, family life and classes, they stay busy.
Arias supervises five or six mentors, one of whom is Julie Schnitzler.
Schnitzler serves as a mentor to another veteran.
Schnitzler, who lives in Kenesaw, was in the Army Reserves for 26 years, retiring in 2012. She is the principal of Howard Elementary School in Grand Island.
As a mentor, she “walks shoulder to shoulder” with another veteran, Schnitzler said.
She provides friendship and “a listening ear” to that woman.
She tries to use her knowledge and experience to support her in whatever way is possible.
She might share parenting tips as she listens to her talk about the frustrations of being a parent.
Whenever possible, she tries to put a positive spin on the issues the woman faces.
It’s good for people in the program to have someone on their side, she said.
Schnitzler said she is “there to support her unconditionally.”
Mentors and veterans are separated by gender.
Veterans and mentors have to follow rules, “like I can’t loan her or give her money,” Schnitzler said.
Veterans Treatment Court leaders want to make sure the program isn’t being used for purposes other than getting a veteran’s life back on track.
One reason Schnitzler got involved in the program is she’s frustrated with a legal system that punishes people for a lifetime.
Many people don’t realize the lifelong punitive effects of breaking a law. Those people think, “Well, they serve their time and they’re done,” Schnitzler said.
But the lawbreakers are left with a stigma and a record. They can’t get certain jobs or are reluctant to apply for certain jobs because there’ll be a background check.
Many people judge and don’t forgive, Schnitzler said.
Some neighbors might fear living near a felon, she said. But breaking the law might have been a onetime situation and “now you’re getting judged for the rest of your life,” she said.
It’s important for people to have felonies removed from their records, she said. “That’s important to me — that people get second chances,” Schnitzler said.
If those people are truly trying and want to overcome their mistakes, “then you know what? Let’s give them a chance and let’s let them overcome it. “
Arias says the Veterans Treatment Court is the best way for struggling veterans to find themselves again “and find that dignity and honor that they once had in the military.”
People in the program are “trying to correct their errors and basically become law-abiding citizens again,” he said.