A unique problem-solving court is celebrating the graduation of an Army veteran from Chatsworth.
Livingston County judge Randy Yedinak said April Meier is the just latest example that the 11th Judicial Circuit’s Veterans Treatment Court works. He now presides over Illinois' only circuitwide problem-solving court, following McLean and Logan County judge Bill Workman’s retirement.
Yedinak, who was previously Workman’s alternate for the Veterans Treatment Court, said he did not hesitate to step up. He also presides over Livingston County’s Drug Court, but the former state’s attorney wasn’t always so enthusiastic about problem-solving courts.
“I was a prosecutor and somebody who just thought these programs were a joke,” he said. “I’ve come a complete 180 on them, because I’ve seen the transformative power they have with these individuals.”
“I told the judge, I think we’ve got an awesome program here,” said VTC coordinator Del Saam, a 27-year Army veteran who deployed three times to Afghanistan.
Last month, Saam gave a presentation in East Peoria at the statewide conference for problem-solving courts. He described his firsthand experience with the criminal justice system to a room full of judges, probation officers and treatment providers.
“In 2018, I was arrested for a felony,” he said. “Learned a lot from it. I don’t recommend going through that process to learn about it, but you take your lemons and make some lemonade.”
Saam said most veterans enrolled in the Veterans Treatment Court don’t have extensive criminal histories. The program typically has between 20 and 30 participants at a time, ranging in age from their 20s to their 80s. About two-thirds are from McLean County, with participants also coming from Ford, Livingston, Woodford and Logan County.
“The cases that bring them in are pretty wide, but these are non-violent crimes,” said Saam.
Most struggle with mental health issues such as PTSD, anxiety and depression stemming from their military service and reentry to civilian life. Charges typically include DUIs, domestic violence [excluding battery] or criminal damage to property.
Yedinak said he encounters two types of offenders within the criminal justice system: "Those that we’re scared of and those that we’re mad at. The ones that we’re scared of, that’s where our prison system comes into play. But the ones that we’re mad at, we’ve got to come up with better ways than just warehousing them in our county jails.”
Substance abuse is also an issue among veterans. Saam said because today's veterans are continually drug tested during active duty, alcohol use is far more likely than harder drugs—particularly when social activities among veterans often involve alcohol.
Saam said healthy ways to cope, such as affinity groups like sporting activities or service dog programs, are more readily available compared to when he came home.
"Your mental health was, you go to the VFW, you drink beer and you talk to the other veterans there," Saam said.
Graduation Day
Recent graduate April Meier enlisted in the Army in 2004. For nearly three years, she was a patient administration specialist serving in medical units in Korea and across the U.S.
“You’re with your friends and your battle buddies all the time. You always have someone holding you accountable. You’re always accountable for someone else,” she said. “And when you get out, you have nothing. You don’t have that closeness anymore.”
A major goal of the VTC is connecting participants with healthier ways to be in community with other vets—which experts say is vital for improving mental health and connecting them with resources and benefits available to military service members.
Meier struggled, and had brushes with the criminal legal system. She met Judge Yedinak for the first time in 2013, when he was a Livingston County prosecutor. And last week, he presided over her graduation ceremony for Veterans Treatment Court alongside the head of Livingston County's Veterans Assistance Commission and Meier's probation officer.
“What these programs show is when you get rid of the root of the problem, we’re restoring these individuals to productive individuals,” Yedinak said. “Ms. Meier is now a better mom. She’s a better citizen.”
She’s also less likely to reoffend.
“They’re able to complete treatment and get back into the community safely,” said Saam. “There are a lot of veterans that get back out there and are connecting better with their families, getting better jobs, things like that. When you see that success, it makes it worth it to stand up some of these veterans instead of putting them in jail or prison.”
Getting in the groove
Veterans Treatment Court is a voluntary alternative to traditional probation. And it’s rigorous. Some participants noted the adjustment period in having so many new obligations on their schedule. There are appointments, mentor sessions, drug screenings and essays. Accountability is high, but so is the support.
Court meets as a group on Tuesdays at 3 p.m. The first question Judge Yedinak usually asks is, “How are things going?” Then comes a direct, honest conversation with each defendant, checking in on required appointments, employment and any recent setbacks. Saam sits at one table, a few lawyers at another. Various law enforcement are seated in the jury box.
On Nov. 3, an attorney chimed in exactly once, requesting one person receive a commendation for telling his peers about a vocational rehab program that could benefit them, too. Every defendant gets a round of applause.
“Once you get into the groove, everything starts taking hold, starts to make sense, and it’s not as difficult to stay on task,” Meier said. “That makes it so much easier when you have a support group. This program has been the best program for me.”
Another incentive: Those who successfully complete VTC have their cases dismissed and can immediately apply to have their arrests expunged.
Saam said approximately 88% of those who enter the program graduate; a few had to go through the program twice to get it to stick.
“You just become a better version of yourself,” said Meier. “Now that you’re on the right path you’re like, oh, this is easier, not being in trouble. It makes your life so much better.”
Meier plans to volunteer with veterans’ groups and hopes to become Livingston County’s first female mentor for the Veterans Treatment Court.
“I’ll put my name in the hat, for sure,” she said.
