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Gardner celebrates first graduate of new veterans treatment court serving Worcester County
Summary
Mayor announced the first graduation from the Gardner Veterans Treatment Court, a state-authorized specialty court intended to emphasize treatment and rehabilitation for veterans charged with certain offenses; city and court officials worked to open the court to improve local access to services.
Gardner City officials marked the first graduation from the Gardner Veterans Treatment Court, a specialty court the mayor said was created to offer treatment and supervision instead of traditional sentencing for eligible veterans. The mayor described the program as an 18-month rehabilitation plan that pairs participants with volunteer veteran mentors, caseworker and probation check-ins, and testing as needed.
Why this matters: The mayor said this is the only veterans treatment court in Worcester County, closing an access gap for veterans who previously needed to travel to Brockton or Holyoke for similar services.
According to the mayor, representatives from the state and local court helped bring the program to Gardner: Representative Lotnick and the mayor met with Judge Goldstein about establishing the court, and Chief Justice Fortz of the trial court division ultimately approved it. The mayor thanked chief probation officer Masue, clerk magistrate Sheila Harrington and others who worked on the program and attended the graduation ceremony.
The mayor described the court’s approach: rather than jail time or conventional sentencing, eligible defendants are placed on an individual treatment plan that may include substance testing, family check-ins, probation supervision, and veteran-mentor support. The mayor said participants work on a rehabilitation plan over about 18 months.
Officials and the mayor framed the court as a local service and regional resource; the mayor thanked volunteers and court staff who supported the first graduate’s ceremony.
