2024-11-12T08:35:29-08:00 2023-12-31 273968596 Petersen Professionals PC 4915 West 35th St Suite 201 St Louis Park MN 55416 990EZ 2023-01-01 463292694 VETERANS DEFENSE PROJECT VETE 6128741625 3201 HENNEPIN AVE S MINNEAPOLIS MN 55408 HANK SHEA Chairman 2024-11-12 true true STACEY R PETERSEN CPA P00270858 9527673212 2023 2024-10-15 13:58:12Z X WWW.VETERANSDEFENSEPROJECT.ORG X X 75281 X 73875 900 506 0 0 0 0 75281 17117 2968 288 24019 44392 30889 199179 230068 X 199179 240177 199179 240177 10109 199179 230068 The purpose of the Veterans Defense Project is to conduct & support educational training, research & informational activities to educate criminal justice stakeholders as well as raise public awareness of issues affecting veterans involved with the criminal justice system & to expand Veterans Treatment Courts (VTSs) & veterans sentencing statutes throughout the United States, working towards a model that will make VTCs more consistent across jurisdictions. Veterans Defense Project (VDP) advocates point to Minnesota law as a pioneering model for treatment over penalties. Since August 2021, when Gov. Tim Walz signed the Veterans Restorative Justice Act, or VRJA, allowing veterans to avoid jail time for certain crimes by instead taking intensive steps to treat the underlying trauma related to their service.We became frustrated with the way the courts were dealing or failing to deal with them, said Brock Hunter, a criminal defense attorney in Minneapolis & co-founder of the Veterans Defense Project. Hunter has worked on cases involving veterans for decades.In 2023, VDP co-founders Brock Hunter & Ryan Else worked with the Veterans Justice Commission, a national project chaired by former U.S. Defense Secretary & U.S. Senator Charles Hagel & includes former Defense Secretary & White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta to assess & make recommendations around policies that can improve outcomes for justice-involved veterans & their communities. That work led to the adoption of the Veterans Justice Act by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in August 2023. Nebraska became the first state to pass the Veterans Justice Act in early 2024.On November 9, 2023, the VDP hosted a large event at the University of St. Thomas School of Law to draw national attention to how the restorative justice approach is working in Minnesota & to highlight how it is being used as a model for veterans sentencing legislation in other states through the work of the Veterans Justice Commission. Senior Distinguished Fellow & law professor Hank Shea & Ryan Else, a St. Thomas School of Law alum & co-founder of the VDP, both played pivotal roles in making this law a reality along with many other VDP members.The VDP has also been working to collect & analyze data related to justice-involved veterans & the outcomes from their involvement in veterans treatment courts. At the request of lawmakers, the VDP helped craft a Minnesota statute directing the Courts & the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission to collect & report on the number of veterans sentenced under the VRJA & whether or not they succeeded on probation. The VDP has applied for grant funding to study directly the improved life outcomes of veterans in the Twin Cities Metro Area veterans treatment courts.In late 2023, the VDP began a project to recruit mentors from Minnesota corporations to serve as mentors to justice-involved veterans. 21414 21414 EVAN TSAI CHAIR 3.00 0 HANK SHEA VICE CHAIR 6.00 0 BRUCE RICHARDSON Treasurer 4.00 0 LAWTON NUSS Secretary 4.00 0 DAVID HOLEWINSKI PAST CHAIR 1.00 0 JOHN KINGREY Director 1.00 0 BERLYNN FLEURY Director 1.00 0 MIKE HURLEY Director 1.00 0 ANDERS FOLK Director 1.00 0 NONI KARKOSKA Director 1.00 0 JUDY TILSEN Director 1.00 0 RAY WILSON Director 1.00 0 SAM VERDEJA Director 1.00 0 LINDSEY ERDMANN Director 1.00 0 LYNDSEY OLSON Director 1.00 0 CARI LEMACK Director 1.00 0 BRYAN CUNNINGHAM Director 1.00 0 CHITRA RAGAVAN Director 1.00 0 TRAVIS KOWITZ Director 1.00 0 KEITH LEBLANC Director 1.00 0 false false false false false false true 10109 0 0 0 false 0 0 false MN HANK SHEA 3201 HENNEPIN AVE S MINNEAPOLIS MN 55408 6128741625 false false false false false false false false false false false NONE NONE true X 170048 4688 95162 136876 73875 480649 0 0 170048 4688 95162 136876 73875 480649 143200 337449 8 24 85 506 623 0 0 481272 150148 0.70120 0.86440 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED HANK SHEA DIRECTOR EXPENSE PMT X 10109 10109 false false false 10109 Other Expenses.1002 Office Expenses $2121 Other Expenses.1003 Information Technology $2592 Other Expenses.1005 Travel $9745 Other Expenses.1012 Insurance $860 Other Expenses.1 PROGRAM EXPENSES $8701 Total Liabilities.1006 Payable to Officers, Directors, Etc. - Beginning $0 Payable to Officers, Directors, Etc. - Ending $10109