Hunt County Woodturners, Inc.
Veteran's Pens for North Texas Veteran's Court
Veterans Court is a diversion program for Justice-Involved Veterans (JIV) who are facing prosecution for one or more criminal cases. Their mission is to provide support and rehabilitation to qualified JIV criminal defendants whose crimes were materially connected to injuries suffered as a result of honorable service in the United States Armed Forces.
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The program offers offenders a treatment option that is judicially supervised. It is designed to divert JIV out of the traditional criminal justice process and into appropriate treatment/rehabilitative alternatives.
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Once the JIV has been screened, assessed, and approved for participation in the program, he/she will promptly begin a treatment regimen that is specific to his/her needs.
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At graduation, the judge uses a turned pen to sign the order dismissing each case, then presents it to the veteran as a reminder of the progress they made to earn it and as a token of appreciation from the nation grateful for his/her service.
Project details:
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Pens are typically higher quality and patriotic-themed.
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However, design and materials are completely up to the turner.
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Note: Every Purple Heart recipient gets a pen made with purpleheart wood.
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Pen kit examples:
30 Caliber Bolt Action Chrome Bullet Cartridge Pen Kit at Penn State Industries
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Turners pay for pen kits out of pocket (ranges from $15 to $25 each for higher quality pens).
When/how to contribute:
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This program is ongoing; veteran graduations are held quarterly. Completed pens can be given to Lee Craft or Chris Cohen at any time. Chris will make sure the pens are delivered to the Veteran's Court.
HCW Collection Coordinator: Chris Cohen
General information:
Home | North Texas Veterans Court
Mark Ledbetter, North Texas Veteran's Court Pen Program Coordinator 469-215-1216
Additional Comments:​
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Former U.S. Marine Judge John Roach presides over the program.
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HCW contributed about 20 pens to this effort over the past several years.
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The North Texas Regional Veterans Court currently serves the following counties: Collin, Rockwall, Grayson, Kaufman, and Fannin.