VETERANS ACCESS TO JUSTICE

Dear Veteran Community, Families and Friends of Veterans:

Hi, my name is Gary R. Walp, a proud veteran of the United States Army. In 1976, my buddy, PFC Elliott, a Vietnam combat soldier, committed suicide. Following therapy, I now know that I am not responsible for Elliott’s death, although for many years I blamed myself because I failed to recognize his signs of PTSD.

Today, I find purpose in giving back by being of service to veterans -- veteran-centric, veteran-focused. I am a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), “Big D” Chapter 57, Dallas, Texas; a former member of the Greater Dallas Veterans Council and the Dallas Mental Health Veterans Advocacy Council; also, a former employee of the Dallas VA Medical Center. Helping others helps me in my spiritual progression.

From 2023 to 2024, I was a “justice-involved veteran” (JIV) in the Tarrant County jail in Fort Worth, Texas, where I participated in the jail's “Military Veterans Program” (MVP). A show case established in 2017 by the patriotic, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn, the MVP houses twenty-four inmate-veterans who volunteer to participate in a military-discipline-like and programmatic environment. The majority of MVP veterans are awaiting the final disposition of their misdemeanor or felony case. In theory, those who have not been convicted of any crime, who are simply waiting for their “day in court”, are “presumed innocent” by the criminal justice system.

Not to be confused or associated with the Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) program, established by the Texas legislature in 2009, the MVP offers community resources and classes facilitated by local volunteers from Pathfinders, Tarrant County MHMR, One CommunityUSA, Turnkey Ministries Inc., and the VA’s Veterans Justice Outreach. The quality and amount of support given MVP veterans helps with refocusing on and recovering what was lost as a result of our mistakes and involvement with the criminal justice system: Duty, Honor, and Country.

During my 1-year “tour” in the MVP, I had the honor to meet many great veterans who proudly served in the military, many in combat during the OIF/OEF/OND campaigns. As their advocate, I started the “Rashawn Williams Initiative”; a grassroots project to bring awareness to the Veterans Justice Outreach Improvement Act of 2021, by addressing legal “barriers that exist to increasing access” to the VTC program by JIV's. Rashawn is a highly decorated combat veteran whom I met in the MVP, who was denied access to the VTC program in 2018, despite being a poster-child candidate.

As part of the initiative in honor of Rashawn, I prepared a first-rate legal motion (I have over 20 years experience in criminal law) for MVP veterans wanting to participate in the Tarrant County VTC program; there were many. Our efforts were fruitless primarily because defense attorneys would not adopt their "pro se" motion, thus preventing a formal hearing of any kind on the matter. Based on my study of scholarly law reviews, I am convinced that this is a systemic and intentional strategy of the courtroom community (i.e., judges, district attorneys, and defense attorneys) to avoid trials and appeals challenging the denial of a JIV's participate in the VTC program.

Sadly, this problem has real and costly consequences. I mentored a MVP veteran, who was suffering depression from the recent death of wife. I convinced the veteran to not bond out of jail, to stay in the MVP and get help by participating in the VTC program. He agreed and I prepared a motion for him to give to his attorney. The veteran then waited, and waited and waited and waited. Eventually, he gave up hope, bonded out, and died only six days later from a drug overdose. Had the statutory guidelines for VTC programs been followed or applied that veteran could still be living.

After conducting extensive and exhaustive research and interviewing nearly 100 MVP JIV’s that came and went through the MVP during my confinement, there is much to be said about the participation, or absence thereof, of MVP JIV’s in the Tarrant County VTC program. One of several surprising observations about the Tarrant County criminal justice system and the VTC program in particular is that not a single MVP JIV entered the VTC program during the entire year that I was there. Not one JIV with PTSD, addiction, homelessness or other mental health problems that more than likely contributed to their involvement with the criminal justice system was accepted despite their need for help and expressed desire to participate.

To put it plainly, too many JIV's are being wrongfully denied the help they need and deserve. The reasons for this disservice are many. At the forefront is a the lack of effective advocacy by criminal defense attorneys representing JIV’s.

Moreover, I am confident that the Tarrant County VTC program is not the only program in Texas where JIV’s are being wrongfully denied participation; denied for all the wrong reasons. It's the Roe's we don't hear about that is troubling, to say the least.

I am in the process of passionately pursuing my “reentry” goal to create an organization called Veterans Access to Justice or VA2JUSTICE. I have thoroughly researched the idea, written white papers, and I have developed a model based on social justice or public interest law. However, I know from past experience that pursing a project like this requires my full attention and commitment.

Situationally, I am an unemployed 66-year-old homeless veteran (currently staying, temporarily, in the VA’ 6-months homeless veterans grant per diem housing program), and I have a criminal background. The good news is I discharge my parole on July 19, 2024, freeing me of further hindrance from associated restrictions and expanding my abilities to speak at Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) and, importantly, to travel to VTC programs in order to more efficiently and effectively observe and document my findings, while building supportive networks.

Financially, I am blessed to receive a minimal monthly income from Social Security benefits, both retirement and age SSI, totaling $960, but it is not enough to sustain me in my worthy endeavors.

I am asking for your financial support to assist with my monthly living and organizational expenses, which will in turn help me to achieve my goals to help other veterans who need and deserve to participate in the VTC programs. This is a systemic problem that we, veterans, our community, families and friends, need to address and solve. I’m confident that I am the right person for the mission, to create the necessary and right platform, with my passion for helping veterans and organizational skills.

Please make a small donation of $5, $10, or more for the causes Veterans Helping Veterans and Veterans Access to Justice.

Thank you and God bless you!