About Us
The Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court was established in January 2008. The Court diverts eligible veteran-defendants with substance dependency and/or mental illness, who are charged with felony or misdemeanor non-violent criminal offense, to a specialized criminal court docket. Veterans are identified through evidence-based screening and assessments. They voluntarily participate in a judicially supervised treatment plan that a team of court staff, veteran health care professionals, veteran peer mentors, health care professionals and mental health professionals develop with the veteran.
Our Model
The treatment court team, the Buffalo Veteran Mentor Group, Inc., and a coalition of community health care providers are all vital to the success of the Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court. The Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court has adopted, with slight modifications, the essential tenets of the U.S. Department of Justice publication, Defining Drug Court.
Unique aspects of a Veterans Treatment Court include the following:
Court composed entirely of veterans
Veterans health care worker(s) present in court
Veteran connected with volunteer veteran mentor (provided through Buffalo Veteran Mentor Group, Inc., a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization);
Therapeutic environment
Hybrid drug and mental health court
Meet the Mentor Coordinator
Alan Davidson is the Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court mentor coordinator. Alan has more than 34 years of total military service, time served in active duty United States Air Force and two reserve components including the United States Air Force Air National Guard and the United States Air Force Reserve. The highest military grade he achieved during military service is E-8 Senior Master Sergeant. Alan also has 38 years of accredited faithful and devoted civilian service at the state and federal level on the occasion of retirement from employment with the United States Air Force.
In The News
New law expands access to Buffalo-founded Veterans Treatment Court (Spectrum News, 2021)
Veterans treatment courts seek to rehabilitate veterans in lieu of punishment after an arrest (Military Times, 2021)
Russell to retire from City Court bench in 2021 (Buffalo News, 2020)
Hon. Robert Russell reflects on the founding and future of Veterans Treatment Courts (Harvard Law Today, 2016)
Buffalo's 'Veterans Court' wins praise in Congress (Buffalo News, 2009)
'Today' to showcase local court for veterans; Advocacy program is first in the nation (Buffalo News, 2008)