ENDORSEMENTS

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“Let us rededicate ourselves to serving and caring for America’s veterans with the same love and devotion with which they have served the country. Among the most important ways we can fulfill this mission is by continuing the hard work of expanding and strengthening veterans restorative justice measures across the land. Restorative justice ensures that veterans whose offense is related to service-related conditions receive the professional treatment and support services they have earned, and the second chance they are owed. Done right, the special guidelines and diversion procedures for handling these cases will not only benefit our deserving veterans, but it will also strengthen our communities. Thank you to all those in Minnesota leading this effort and to the advocates and partners of this vital mission across the country.”

- General James L. Jones, USMC (Ret.)

32nd Commandant U.S. Marine Corps

Commander

U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe

21st U. S. National Security Advisor

“As a former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice and a trial court judge, I have seen first hand the good and bad impact our justice system can have on our military veterans. Importantly, if the criminal offense is used as a therapeutic intervention, the courts can deliver a positive impact by directing the veteran to rehabilitative treatment and restoring them to the community they once served so honorably. I strongly support the Veterans Defense Project because they promote a restorative approach for veterans involved in our justice system by offering practical and concrete solutions to return these men and women to the life they deserve. I look forward to Wisconsin and other states passing legislation like the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. That effort is deserving of our full support.”

- Justice Janine P. Geske (Ret.)

Director of Marquette Law School Andrew Center of Restorative Justice

“My grandfather, father, brother, and son served our Country in combat. I served for 15 years in the Pentagon, first as an active duty Army lawyer in the 1980s, then as the General Counsel of the Department of the Army, and finally as the General Counsel of the Department of Defense. My familiarity and appreciation for those who wear the uniform is compelling. We should all feel great pride and gratitude for the courage, dedication, and sacrifices of military members serving our Country, often in distant lands facing constant danger. Too many of those heroes have returned home with injuries visible and invisible, such as PTSD and traumatic brain injury, and are ending up in the criminal justice system. The Veterans Defense Project exists to help those veterans heal and bring them all the way home through proven court-supervised treatment programs. Minnesota’s Veterans Restorative Justice Act, enacted thru the VDP’s efforts, is landmark legislation and a major step forward. Every state should be adopting something similar for its veterans.”

- William J. (Jim) Haynes II

Former General Counsel of the Department of Defense (2001 – 2008)

Former General Counsel of the Department of the Army (1990 – 1993)

“Supporting the Veterans Defense Project and the Veterans Restorative Justice Act are among the most important actions we Americans can take. The debt we owe our veterans is immeasurable. Throughout our history, they have done hard things in hard places to protect us and our freedom. Immediately after the 9/11 attacks, I served alongside the most elite forces in the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In the Balkans in the late 1990s, I saw firsthand how our soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen and women brought an end to despicable ethnic cleansing and delivered war criminals to justice. Our veterans have served in the harshest and most dangerous places in the world. The tragedies our veterans have witnessed can cause deep trauma. Some veterans, upon their return to civilian life, have had difficulty coping with the psychic and emotional pain that they bear. This can lead to self-destructive, sometimes criminal behavior, and in turn involvement in the criminal justice system. The VDP and VRJA recognize that these veterans who have done so much to protect our country and have so much talent and experience to offer their communities in the future, deserve a second chance. I’ve seen countries where the rule of law doesn’t exist, where individual lives are not valued. Our veterans have sacrificed so much for us. I’m profoundly thankful for our freedom, and I know that our veterans are the main reason why we have it. I encourage all Americans to support and contribute to the Veterans Defense Project and expansion of Minnesota’s Veterans Restorative Justice Act throughout this nation."

- Michael Hurley, Attorney at Law

9/11 Commission and co-author of The 9/11 Commission Report, and retired CIA officer who during his career deployed to conflict and war zones in Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan.

“As a former DOJ and Watergate prosecutor, the first female to serve as the General Counsel of the U.S. Army, and a former high-ranking member of Illinois state government and the American Bar Association, I have seen the huge challenges that our veterans have faced following their service on behalf of all of us. Too many continue to battle demons and end up in the criminal justice system. Thankfully, the Veterans Defense Project has succeeded in getting the Veterans Restorative Justice Act enacted in Minnesota to give those veterans a second chance to get the treatment they need to rejoin society. I hope that the VDP is successful in getting Illinois and other states to do the same.”

- Jill Wine-Banks

Former DOJ Organized Crime Prosecutor

Former Assistant Watergate Special Prosecutor

Former Army General Counsel

Former Illinois Solicitor General and Deputy Attorney General

Former Executive Vice President of the American Bar Association

“In April 2010, I created the first federal veterans treatment court in the country. I did so because I saw a real need to help our returning veterans who were coming home suffering not only physical wounds, but serious mental and emotional wounds stemming from traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, and other associated problems. I retired from the federal bench in Utah in May of 2020, having seen hundreds of veterans come through our court and benefit from the treatment they received. I am convinced, both as a retired federal judge, as well as a retired Army Colonel, that we need to do everything in our power to help our veterans who sacrificed for us, and who now carry the wounds of war. The Veterans Defense Project is a great way for us to support and assist our veterans. It represents the best approach to helping our veterans. Rather than taking a punitive approach focusing on punishment, the VDP provides a proven alternative approach that focuses on treatment and rehabilitation. I whole heartedly support the Veterans Defense Project.”

- Paul M. Warner

Chief Magistrate Judge (Ret.), District of Utah

Colonel, JA, UTARNG (Ret.)

United States Attorney, District of Utah (1998 – 2006)

“The Veterans Restorative Justice Act is terrific. We owe our veterans an opportunity at rehabilitation to restore them as productive members of our communities. I hope this effort spreads to other states, including Maryland.”

- Susan J. Crawford,

Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (1991 – Present)

Senior Judge (2006 – Present)

Chief Judge (1999 – 2004)

Judge (1991 – 2006)

Former Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense (1989 – 1991)

Former Army General Counsel (1983 – 1989)