Support Through Veterans CourtSupport Through Veterans Court
Beyond Substance
Overview In this episode of Beyond Substance, hosts Dean Babcock and Jodi Miller explore how problem-solving courts can support recovery while maintaining accountability. Dean speaks with Zachary Miller, a deputy prosecutor with the Marion County...
1:17:15•2 Aug 2026
Support Through Veterans Court: Justice, Recovery and People Who Keep Showing Up
Episode Overview
- Problem-solving courts focus on treatment, structure and accountability rather than punishment alone.
- Veterans Treatment Courts address specific barriers for veterans, including trauma, PTSD and access to services.
- Collaboration between prosecutors, defence, judges and treatment providers helps people access support quickly.
- Aaron Shaw’s story shows how consistent support and clear structure can turn repeated relapse into long-term recovery and service to others.
- Funding and staffing limits mean many courts have waitlists, making public support and awareness crucial for expanding these programmes.
“You are not alone… there are others out there that would be happy to walk along the path with you while you’re finding your way.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This episode of Beyond Substance looks at how Veterans Treatment Courts and other problem-solving courts can offer structure, care and accountability all at once. The conversation starts with deputy prosecutor Zachary Miller, who works in Marion County’s diversion, re-entry and treatment courts. He explains how these courts swap the usual “us versus them” courtroom mindset for a collaborative team approach.
Instead of only asking what law was broken, they ask, “What supports, treatment, structures, and other resources may help someone move towards stability?” Zachary breaks down how people enter these programmes, what weekly court, drug testing and treatment look like, and why jail alone doesn’t fix substance use. He also highlights unique barriers for veterans, from missing military paperwork to the difficulty of being honest about PTSD and trauma.
His role, as he puts it, is closer to “a social worker that is a prosecutor,” focused on safety, fairness and linking people with real help. Then comes Aaron Shaw’s story, bringing all that policy talk firmly back to real life. A combat veteran from Indiana, Aaron describes sliding from daily drinking in the barracks into heroin use, multiple felonies and a high-speed police chase.
Court had always meant punishment, so walking into Veterans Treatment Court felt surreal: “The judge basically… was, you know, how can I help you? What can I do for you today?” Aaron talks honestly about wanting to quit the programme, juggling buses, work and constant drug screens, and how a probation officer’s simple message, “Just keep showing up,” kept him going.
Today he mentors other veterans and reminds anyone struggling, “You are not alone… there are others out there that would be happy to walk along the path with you while you’re finding your way.” If you’ve ever wondered whether justice, treatment and human kindness can share the same room, this conversation might give you plenty to think about.
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