YOUNGSTOWN — The U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance has awarded the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court’s Honor Court a $750,000 grant that can be used over four years to provide peer support for military veterans.

The purpose of the veterans felony court, which is run by Judge Anthony D’Apolito, is to rehabilitate military veterans who have been charged with low-level felony, nonviolent crimes that are eligible for probation. The program provides counseling, mentoring, supervision and mental health services.

Individuals in the court must meet certain requirements, such as having a clinical diagnosis of substance dependence, mental illness, traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder or co-occurring disorders, according to the application for the grant.

The program diverts military veterans from the traditional criminal justice system “by providing them with the tools they need to lead a productive and law- abiding lifestyle while holding them accountable for their actions,” the application states.

The court aims to increase the number of offenders accessing services provided through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Mahoning County Veterans Services, the grant states.

Other goals are to increase the number of offenders who participate in the court, to increase the rate at which offenders complete it and to reduce recidivism among military veterans charged with felonies.

The grant will be used to pay for a peer support coordinator / case manager, D’Apolito said. Additionally, the funding will enable the court to pay part-time peer-support team members who already provide such services.

Former Mahoning County