After five years without one, Cuyahoga County officials unveiled a new housing unit on Friday for veterans facing criminal charges in the Downtown Cleveland jail.
The specialized pod of cells within the county’s corrections center will cater to the needs of veterans facing criminal charges. Staff will address mental health challenges and trauma related to service through counseling, peer support and re-entry tools.
"I know firsthand and my team knows firsthand how important it is for veteran-only spaces for their rehabilitation and their treatment," said Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Andrew Santoli. "We know that veterans do better when they're surrounded by other veterans."
Santoli said the county's Veterans Treatment Court is the largest in the state and among the largest in the country.
"We know the invisible wounds of service run deep: trauma, mental health challenges, and instability too often lead to crises that bring veterans into contact with the justice system," said County Council Member Meredith Turner. "This new unit is designed to meet them at that crossroads. It is a place where accountability is paired with compassion. A place where healing can begin."
Veterans make up nearly 8% of the state prison population and about 6% of the federal prison population, according to data from the Justice Department. Those with post-traumatic stress disorder are 61% more likely to be criminally involved.
"And if one day this unit sits empty, if no veteran ever needs to be here, that will be our greatest success," Turner said.
The jail’s previous veterans' pod, which opened in 2016, closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The county is currently moving forward with plans to construct a new jail campus in Garfield Heights.
