LAKE CHARLES - A new Veterans Treatment Court in Calcasieu Parish will offer mentoring and services instead of jail time for military veterans who are facing some criminal charges.

The American Press reports the purpose of the court will be to divert veterans with service-connected substance abuse or mental health disorders out of the court system and toward possible treatment solutions.

The Department of Veterans Affairs says nearly 12 out of every 100 Gulf War veterans and as many as 20 out of every 100 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have post-traumatic stress disorder, a common issue tied to criminal activity among veterans.

Calcasieu Parish is home to roughly 16,000 veterans, with nearly 5,000 in Lake Charles.