Howard County Veterans Treatment Court graduates 6

Nov. 10—A few years ago, Kokomo resident Wyatt Lowe was serving overseas in the U.S. Army as a Human Intelligence Collector, specifically working in the field of interrogations.

Lowe knew his role while in the military, and he told the Tribune he served that role well.

But when he came back home, the proverbial wheels began to fall off, he noted.

"I started drinking heavily," Lowe said. "Long story short, I ended up getting a couple OWIs (operating while intoxicated) very close to one another. ... I was drinking bad. If I kept up with that pace, it was probably just a matter of time before I ended up killing myself or somebody else."

But then Lowe said he found a lifeline.

It came in the form of the Howard County Veterans Treatment Court, which Lowe and five others graduated from Monday during a special ceremony held inside a conference room at the Kokomo Family YMCA.

Other graduates included John Braun, Richard "Travis" Kitts, William Kuss, Derek McKay and Mark McNew.

"I'm proud of the path I'm on now," he said. "I'm back in school now, going for my bachelor's. This has helped me get my license back. Right now, I'm working at the post office, and the journey has been really good. It's helped me out so much."

The Veterans Court — one of the county's seven problem-solving courts — is an application-based program that began in 2018 and meets once a week in Howard Superior Court 2, Judge Brant Parry's courtroom, essentially offering offenders who have served in the military the opportunity to enter the program rather than go to jail.

And if those individuals successfully complete the program, their criminal charges are dismissed, though the court doesn't allow certain charges, such as battery or other crimes that inflict harm against other people or animals.

There are several phases to Veterans Court, labeled with the military monikers Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. Each phase lasts a minimum of 90 days, and participants are given incentives or sanctions depending on their progression through each phase.

And throughout their time in Veterans Court, the participants are also given access to several counseling opportunities and in-patient treatment plans.

Participants are also required to meet with a case manager and other providers on a regular basis and are paired with a mentor — also a military veteran — who works with the participant throughout the entire program.

And it's that accountability factor that Kitts said is so important.

Kitts served in the Army from 1987-1991, and he served overseas during Operation Desert Storm.

"I struggled with addiction and got in trouble," he said, "but I was given a chance with this program. Through this program, I was able to get the resources I needed to get straightened out."

Kitts added that he's now a resident coordinator with a local addiction recovery house in Kokomo, and he said he owes where he is now to Veterans Court.

"It's changed my whole life," he said. "It's saved my life. There's no other way around it. I have a driver's license. My bills are paid. I have a bank account, and I can actually look people in the eyes when I talk to them. People respect me. I didn't care if I lived or died at one point when I was struggling with heroin. But this program and these people have given me everything."

And it's those success stories that ultimately bring a smile to Parry's face, as it did Monday while the graduates stood in front of a packed room and headed down their new paths.

But Parry admitted that Monday's ceremony was also a little bittersweet, because it was his last as presiding judge.

At the end of the year, Parry is stepping down from the bench and back into private practice, but he said he will always be a strong advocate for problem-solving courts like Veterans Court.

"These are the favorite parts of my job," he told the Tribune, referring to his work with Veterans Court and the county's Mental Health Court. "Just watching the transformation that people have in their lives through these programs, it's amazing. You get to watch it up close and personal, and I love doing that.

"But it's also satisfying and gratifying because these courts are well-established and well-thought of in the state," Parry added. "So they're going to be here for a long time after I leave. I'm excited for that. I'm excited to sit back over the course of my life and just watch these programs just continue to grow and transform people's lives."

Parry also noted the court is in very qualified hands with Rebecca Vent set to take over for him in a few weeks.

"There may be a change in commander or judge, but nothing in this program changes because they (participants) are the ones that need to push forward and do the hard work," he said. "If they do that, I have no doubt they'll be successful. And though I won't be there to see it in this capacity, I'll be watching and rooting them on the whole way."