Harnett County hears request for multijurisdiction funding to sustain Veterans Treatment Court

Zane Campbell, a representative of the Veterans Treatment Court, told the Harnett County Board of Commissioners that the court needs a multijurisdiction funding plan to remain operational after federal grants end.

Campbell said the program has operated since February 2013 with federal grants and that Harnett County’s court was among the earliest in North Carolina. He said the court currently serves veterans from Harnett, Johnston, Lee and Wake counties and has helped establish other veterans courts in the state.

Campbell outlined costs and outcomes as part of an argument for sustained local funding. He said the program operates at about $475,000 per year to meet minimum standards. Campbell gave daily incarceration-cost figures from the North Carolina Department of Corrections and the Harnett County Jail and used those figures to estimate taxpayer costs if participants were incarcerated instead of enrolled in treatment court. He said Harnett has five veterans active in the court whose combined potential incarceration time totals a minimum of 90 months and a maximum of 129 months. Program-wide, Campbell said 12 veterans are currently active with a combined minimum of 143 months and a maximum of 221 months.

"According to the North Carolina Department of Corrections, it costs a $148.67 per day for minimum security prison," Campbell said. Using a $120-per-day figure for the county jail as a conservative estimate, he calculated potential annual incarceration costs of roughly $43,800 per person. He estimated total incarceration costs for the five active Harnett participants at between $328,500 and $470,850 if jailed, and between about $406,000 and $407,583 if they served time in prison.

Campbell contrasted recidivism rates for general court with outcomes for veterans treatment courts. He said general court recidivism is roughly two-thirds within three years and that veterans processed through regular court reoffend at rates reported between 23 percent and 46 percent, depending on the source. He said veterans treatment court nationwide averages about 14 percent recidivism and that Harnett’s program has graduated 132 veterans with 13 reoffending — "a little less than 10% recidivism," he said.

To secure continuity, Campbell proposed asking each of the four counties served — Harnett, Johnston, Lee and Wake — to contribute $150,000 per year. "My plan is we have 4 main counties that we serve with Harnett being the flagship, Johnston, Lee, and Wake. My plan is to ask each county to give a $150,000 per year to the Veterans Treatment Court," he said.

Commissioners asked about the program’s current funding horizon. Campbell said, "Currently, we are fully funded until October, October '26." A commissioner noted that the county could consider the request during next year’s budget process; Campbell said he wanted to present the request early so it could be included in budget discussions.

When asked whether he planned to present the proposal to the other counties, Campbell said, "I do, but I have to start here. I can't go into these other counties and make a proposal." There was no vote or formal direction recorded on the request during the meeting.

Why it matters: Campbell framed the funding request as an alternative to incarceration that he said would reduce recidivism and save taxpayer dollars. Commissioners signaled support for the program’s work and noted the timing aligned with upcoming budget planning.

Next steps: Campbell said he will seek support from the partner counties; the board did not take formal action at the meeting.