April 14, 2012 09:05 PM UTC

My rant to the Senate Military & Vet Affairs Committe on the proposed Vet lottery scratcher

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• by: SSG_Dan

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

Good afternoon Mr Chairman, honorable members of the Committee, and those from the opposition still in attendance. My name is SSG Dan, and I am an Army veteran, a service-connected disabled veteran, and a proud member of DAV Colorado Chapter 7. I am also the Denver Metro area chair of the state advisory committee for the Jail Diversion & Trauma Recovery  – Priority to Veterans program for Colorado. (sorry about the long title – it’s a Federal Program.) Colorado is one of 13 states enrolled in the program, which is a funded from a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) that reduces veterans time in jail.



This grant started the nationally-recognized Veterans Trauma Court in Colorado Springs, and will start another soon in the 18th Judicial District. Since we launched the court a little less than two years ago, we’ve screened thousands of veterans involved in the justice system and at least matched them with some community & government services. And we’ve enrolled over 70 veterans in the court program. All of our clients are combat veterans, have been diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Injuries, and had no criminal record prior to deployment. Our re-offense rate is less than 10%, and I’m happy to report all of our recent graduates are back in the community as healthy, productive citizens.  

In March at at our annual meeting with SAMSHA in Washington DC, we were given the highest praise possible by the veteran peers in the Florida program who stated “All of our programs need to be like Colorado.”

But, it wasn’t all good. As part of this conference, we met to discuss the sustainability of our programs. As my 12 other peers discussed the commitment their states made toward their programs, I was asked what specific programs Colorado had for veterans. I replied “maybe license plates….and a hunting and fishing license. And 300 days of sunshine.”

In the veteran community in Colorado, this is an old joke. So old that it has lost it’s humor, and is now just a sad statement of affairs.

I bring this up because the Veteran Trauma Court in Colorado Springs could not function without our community partners involved in veteran’s issues. While the Department of Veterans Affairs is an important resource for our court, it is far from the only one. Let me describe one of our client’s in the court.

A former Army Sergeant was arrested for Domestic Violence.  He was screened by the program, and allowed to participate in the court.  He was virtually homeless at that point, as there was a permanent restraining order in place. He also lost his job as a result of being incarcerated.  Through Denver Options, he was able to reside in a sober living home while completing the requirements of the Court.  Additionally, he was referred to Aspenpointe’s Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program for job-seeking assistance.  He was able to find employment on a part-time basis and he was given bus passes in order to assist with job search and sustainment.  After going thru a waiting list, he was admitted to the PTSD Program at the Denver VA Hospital and spent 45 days in the program. He was sanctioned once (jail) for missing a probation appointment, and failing to call. After his release from jail, he self-enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. All in all, after a few minor bumps in the road, he completed the requirements of the Court, and was one of our first graduates. 

Our other community partners include The Home Front Cares, a faith-based non-profit in the Springs, VFW Foundation, Crawford House, Homes for all Veterans and Sober Living Homes, the Pikes Peak Work Force center and Jim Tackett and the El Paso County Veteran Service Office. We also have important partnerships with Phoenix Multisport and Vet Expeditions.

I would like the members of the committee to consider that list. Again, it does not start and end with the V-A.  This is a shared responsibility with the entire community. 

Because of this shared responsibility, these 70+ veterans, all facing felony charges, are not incarcerated at the expense of El Paso County. Instead, they have been diverted to treatment, held accountable for their actions, and have made their transition back to the community. And, by the way, we managed to save the county somewhere between $1.5 and $1.7 million dollars, depending on the details of their possible sentences.

As good as that number sounds, it could be more. We are getting these veterans after they’ve screwed up and gotten arrested. Imagine how much more money and time we could’ve saved if there were services to help them with their transition back home…and prevented them from being arrested in the first place?



And why don’t we do this? Because Colorado ranks consistently near the bottom on spending on veterans…it doesn’t matter what study you choose to cite. Considering that our Governor in January stated (and I quote) “We owe a special debt of gratitude to those Americans who wear – or have worn – the nation’s uniform,” this is especially shameful.

The “we” is not generic….Gov. Hickenlooper was talking specifically about the people of Colorado.

Today, you are considering a bill that will ask the people of Colorado to approve a special lottery game that will benefit veterans programs. To paraphrase my old First Sergeant, this should be a no-brainer. All of these programs I’ve mentioned need additional funds to step in where the State has failed to do so.



And these programs are stretched thin. Secretary Shinseki of the V-A recently stated that of the 3.3 million men and women who have served since 9/11, slightly more than a third have gotten out and returned home.

That one third has swamped the V-A – right now, the soonest a veteran with PTSD can get an appointment is 5 weeks, unless he’s in immediate danger of harming himself. Some other types of appointments can take up two to three months to open up. If this is already bad now, what happens when the drawdown of our military starts in earnest?

The flood of veterans seeking community services won’t be a tidal wave, it will be a tsunami.


And what does the vet do in the meantime? They either suffer in silence, or uses those veteran-focused services that are available. Members of the committee, there is no debate whether our veterans are using community services instead of the V-A…the question is how much.

Our state has shared in the victories of our military, and it has grieved for their losses. It is also time to step up and share in the responsibility we owe our returning warriors. I need you to take the first step toward taking care of ALL of our veterans in Colorado. Vote yes on this bill, and let the people of Colorado vote on adopting the veterans lottery ticket.  

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