The Douglas County Veterans Treatment Court marked a decade of service to justice‑involved veterans with a graduation ceremony held in the Legislative Chambers of the Omaha Civic Center. The program, launched in 2016, was created to honor the service of veterans who have encountered the criminal justice system and to provide them with a path to rehabilitation and reintegration.
Program purpose and impact
According to the court’s website, the treatment court’s mission is to recognize the sacrifices of veterans and help them turn their lives around through structured support, counseling, and accountability. Rob Owens, the problem‑solving court coordinator, explained that the court’s approach equips participants with skills they can apply after graduation, enabling them to become upstanding members of society.
“Everything they are learning in Veterans Treatment Court, they are taking it after they graduate and utilizing it in their lives and becoming upstanding members of society,” Owens said.
Graduates honored
Four veterans received diplomas during the ceremony and were told that their “honor has been restored.” One of the graduates, Johnny Love, shared his personal journey. “I wanted to change before I got accepted to the program; I didn’t know how,” Love said. He credited the court’s structure with helping him realize his own capabilities.
“At some point I started to get a grip on the program and trust the process, and once I began trusting the process, what I thought was hard actually became easy,” Love added. “The storm doesn’t last forever,” he concluded, echoing the court’s hopeful motto.
How to get involved
The court continues to rely on community volunteers and partners to sustain its mission. Those interested in supporting the program can visit the court’s website for information on volunteer opportunities, mentorship, and donations.
As the Douglas County Veterans Treatment Court looks ahead to its next decade, officials remain committed to expanding its reach and helping more veterans find stability, purpose, and restored honor.
Original reporting: KMTV 3 News Now (Scripps) – local — read the source article.
