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Veterans who commit crimes in Hawaii could be eligible for mental health and medical treatment programs instead of prison, under a bill before the Hawaii Legislature.

would establish a temporary veterans court — Hawaii’s first — within the state judiciary system. The conference committee hearing for the measure has yet to be scheduled.

The court would serve veterans who have committed crimes and who have suffered psychological or mental disorders as a result of serving in the military.

Supporters say a veterans treatment court can relieve pressure on Hawaii’s maxed-out prison system while giving vets an opportunity to get proper treatment and become productive members of the community. But Honolulu’s prosecutor says the cost is too great and other programs exist to serve the same purpose.

have been established across the nation since 2008. Veterans courts provide medical and mental health treatment, housing, transportation and even help vets find jobs.

Charles Ota, vice president of military affairs at the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce testified in support of the bill.

He said: “Establishing a veteran’s treatment court system with the use of veterans to serve as mentors has proven to be highly successful in providing assistance to disoriented veterans who otherwise can be rehabilitated into society and become productive citizens in the community.”

Studies by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs show 31 percent of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, anxiety disorders and other psychological disorders, according to the Rand Corporation, a nonprofit think tank.

Hawaii has more than 101,500 veterans, according to the . The islands are home to nearly 40,000 active duty military personnel.

Civil Beat has previously written about the unique challenges National Guard and Reserve Troops face when returning home to Hawaii. In addition, the University of Hawaii is leading a national effort to study the post-deployment experience of National Guard families.

Ronald P. Han, director of Hawaii’s Office of Veterans Services, also testified in support of a veterans court:

“States which have instituted these programs have very low recidivism rates, have garnered successes in dealing with veterans for various issues, have established viable monitoring links towards rehabilitation, and reduced the number of incarcerated veterans.”

But Honolulu’s prosecutor disagrees.

Keith Kaneshiro argued that veterans can already access drug and mental health treatment through Drug Court. He also said there’s a lack of funding for an additional court.

Kaneshiro testified:

“The department strongly believes that valuable state resources should be invested in existing programs that need support especially in areas where there is a high volume of cases that face possible dismissal due to congestion of the courts such as the family court of the First Judicial Circuit, which conducts jury trials for misdemeanor domestic violence and domestic violence-related cases.”

Kaneshiro points out that he’s already short-staffed and can’t spare the resources to field prosecutors in another court setting.

“We are currently struggling financially to place deputy prosecuting attorneys in the existing courts,” he said in testimony.

But other than Kaneshiro, the bill has seen relatively little opposition.