Three veterans graduating from drug and alcohol diversion court

Three veterans are graduating from a drug and alcohol prevention program. It’s a special drug diversion court focused on helping veterans adjust back into the community, while also aiding them in addiction recovery.

At noon on Wednesday, three individuals will be recognized at the Bannock County Courthouse for their completion of the program.

The timing of this ceremony couldn’t be any better.

May is National Drug Court Month which celebrates the work that prevention courts do help people live better lives.

Judge Rick Carnaroli oversees the drug diversion court for the 6th District. He says he’s excited and wants to show the community how successful this program can be.

“It’s an alternative to standard probation. Sometimes it’s an alternative to going to prison or spending long stints in the county jail. We work on the route of the problem which is often substance abuse,” Carnaroli said.

The court treatment program hosts veterans who are diagnosed with a drug abuse problem as well as a criminal charge.

Over the past seven years, the program has treated 24 veterans with a two-thirds success rate.

“I feel tremendous,” treatment graduate, Kurt Warren Gower said. For Gower, an army veteran and recovering alcoholic say the program was life-changing.

“It strengthened my resolve give up alcohol and face the fact that I do have a problem,” Gower said.