Westmoreland County court program helps struggling veterans turn their lives around

Gary Manges knew he was in trouble after he returned home from serving oversees as a Marine.

“I knew I needed help, but I didn’t realize how bad I really was. Drugs and alcohol wasn’t my thing. It was rage and depression. Looking back, I didn’t realize I had all of those classic symptoms,” said Manges, 41, of Greensburg.

It wasn’t until he was arrested on charges of simple assault and harassment in 2019 that Manges had no choice but to face his demons and was prompted to enter a newly created program in Westmoreland County for veterans who were charged with crimes.

The county’s Veterans Court program had been launched a year earlier to offer former service members charged with minor crimes an opportunity to participate in a six- to 12-month program that mixes treatment for addiction and mental health issues along with other counseling and probation supervision.

This week, just days before Veterans Day, the court conducted its most recent graduation ceremony for one former serviceman who had recently completed the program.

Program coordinator Stacy Long said that since its inception, 24 veterans have completed the program. Ten veterans are enrolled.

Felicia Akins, 36, formerly of Derry Township, entered the program two weeks ago after she pleaded guilty to drunken driving and other offenses related to an incident in 2019.

Akins, a single mother served a four-year stint in the Marines with an overseas deployment to Iraq — where she worked as a refrigeration mechanic — said she struggled with addiction ever since she returned home in 2008 and was was grateful for the help provided by the court program.

“This is the first time I’ve been sober ever since I got home. I’m doing this for myself. I want to be there for my children. I was completely alone and didn’t know this existed or the resources that are there,” Akins said.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger, a retired Navy lieutenant, presides over Veterans Court.

He said the program is vital to help veterans.

“When you’re in the service there’s a sense of camaraderie, you always have someone covering your back and when you get out you feel you never have that again We’re trying to reinstate a little of that in the court,” Krieger said. “We’ve had some success and hopefully there’ll be a lot more in the future.”

The Veterans Court model started in Buffalo in the late 2000s and there are now more than 600 throughout the country and about 25 in Pennsylvania, according to Pat Michaels, the original coordinator of the local program.

In addition to court oversight, officials work to link veterans with social services and other programs to enrich their lives and ease the transition back into civilian life.

Antonio Avila-Campos, 37, of Greensburg entered the program this summer. The Navy veteran said his life was in a spiral after he left the military in 2012 and ultimately ended up in court after he was charged with a crime.

“I slipped through the cracks. It’s a new start not just for myself but for my family,” Avila-Campos said. “The judge is a veteran and it helps that it is somebody who has been in our shoes. It’s refreshing.”

For veterans such as Manges, who graduated from the program in 2021, he said the veterans court changed his life.

“It gives you steps to succeed in life. This program is to get better. Don’t use it to get off of something. These people are there to help,” Manges said.