GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Days feel a little brighter for Lee Lemirand, an Iraq veteran from Green Bay, since he's been sober.
Lemirand served in the United States Army for four years and was stationed in Iraq for 15 months.
Returning home wasn't easy.
"I got back and started feeling some anxiety, which I had never felt before," Lemirand said. "So initially when I got back, I saw a therapist and got some help with it. But eventually alcohol was the answer to my problems."
Lemirand said he struggled with alcohol misuse for about 10 years. After he received his 4th OWI in 2019, Lemirand said he had enough.
With the help of his attorney, Lemirand enrolled in the Brown County Veterans Treatment Court, an alternative to incarceration program. Lemirand graduated from the program about three weeks ago after fulfilling the necessary requirements.
"It completely changed my life. I have relationships with people that I never thought I could have," Lemirand said. "I've got my whole life ahead of me now. So it's only up from here."
Lemirand works as a cook at Chives Restaurant. His employer was honored Friday during treatment court at the Brown County Courthouse for giving Lemirand the help and necessary time to complete the program.
The Brown County Veterans Treatment Court is a rigorous program that includes monitoring, alcohol and drug testing, visits with mentors and potential counseling. Participants report to a team of probation officers, a case manager, a mentor and other community veteran resources. They must attend weekly meetings in court and are accountable if they violate the rules.
"There are a lot of demands on the veterans when they go through veterans treatment court. It's not just the easier path as some would think," said John Nusbaum, a mentor. "Your entire life is scripted with an accent on rehabilitation instead of just punishment, which involves just incarceration.
Nusbaum has been a mentor with the Brown County Veterans Treatment Court since its inception in 2012. Lemirand is the sixth veteran Nusbaum has mentored through the program.
As a Vietnam veteran and former combat medic, Nusbaum said he struggled with PTSD when he returned home. He said he still suffers physical damages from the effects of Agent Orange.
"We all have conditions - mental conditions as well as physical conditions - and we all benefit from being helped," Nusbaum said. "I strongly believe in the veteran treatment court systems as a pilot for the entire criminal justice court system."
The Brown County Veterans Treatment Court is seeing a decrease in participation numbers and has room to help more veterans who are struggling.
Brown County Circuit Court Judge Beau Liegeois served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard for eight years and now presides over veterans treatment court. He said there are currently seven participants enrolled in the program. In the past, Liegeois said they've had up to 25 veterans at a time.
"We have asked other treatment courts in the state what their numbers are like and it is a statewide trend that there are less individuals in the criminal justice system," Liegeois said. "One reason for that, I think, is because we're now about 10 years since the last intense combat operations. I think the farther we get from intense combat where there are hundreds of thousands of troops in combat zones, I think that is going to be a gradual less and less people qualifying for the program."
Liegeois said they've also seen a reduced recidivism rate with graduates of the program, meaning there are less repeat offenders going through the system.
According to county data, the 5-year recidivism rate for those who participate in the program is 14.8%. That's less than half of the state's 3-year recidivism rate of 31.2%, according to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
But as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Liegeois said they're seeing a continued need for mental health services among veterans.
"There are a lot of individuals who need help," Liegeois said. "It is a strength to ask for help with your mental health. The stigma of mental health being a negative thing, I think our society is past that. It's a strength to ask for help and not a weakness."
The Brown County Veterans Treatment Court is available to individuals who've served in any branch of the United States Armed Forces, including the Coast Guard. The District Attorney's Office conducts legal and treatment screenings to verify the person is a non-violent offender and has a need the court can address.
Liegeois said they'll accept cases from all over Wisconsin as long as the participant lives in Brown County. He added participants can move to Brown County to qualify.
Veterans in the criminal justice system can contact their attorneys or the Brown County District Attorney's office to apply for the program.
