(Washington, D.C) — As hundreds of Vietnam War veteran leaders come together at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, to attend Vietnam Veterans of America’s National Leadership Conference, August 20-24, Dominick Yezzo, Esq., chair of VVA’s Committee on Veterans Incarcerated & in the Justice System (VINJUS), will be raising awareness about Nevada’s 600 veterans in the justice system.
“Statistics demonstrate that three years after being released from incarceration, veteran offenders are no more likely to commit a crime than anyone who has never been to prison. We must recognize the special needs of incarcerated veterans. Most are not career criminals and do not have depraved thoughts and actions—they served honorably but witnessed wartime events that caused lasting emotional stresses,” Yezzo commented.
Yezzo will be a guest on Las Vegas’s KXNT-AM 840’s “Veterans Talk Radio Show,” with host R.J. Dough, on August 17, at 11 am (PT), where he will discuss some of the pressing issues facing veterans in the justice system. The show will be broadcast live on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VTRC.USA. In addition to the radio interview, Yezzo will visit Northern Nevada Correctional Center, which numbers 151 veterans within its 1619 inmate population, where he will meet with Warden John Henley, as well as the inmate members of VVA Chapter #719.
Yezzo will also attend the Court Assisting Military Offenders in Reno (CAMO-RNO) Veteran’s Treatment Court, presided over by Municipal Court Judge Shelly O’Neill, on August 20 at 1:30 pm. Established in 2018, CAMO-RNO has been a beacon of hope for veterans and active-duty military personnel facing misdemeanor charges. To date, 67 veterans have successfully graduated from the problem-solving treatment court.
The VINJUS Committee will host a 90-minute seminar – open to the public – at the VVA Leadership Conference, on Wednesday, August 21, at 2 pm in Silver Baron D/E at the Silver Legacy. It will focus on critical issues such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, Veteran Treatment Courts, service to incarcerated veterans, and “Getting Ahead While Getting Out,” a guide on community support for veterans approaching release.
