Marietta, GA, September 13, 2023 --- Cobb Veterans Treatment and Accountability Court Coordinator Katelyn Parker was awarded the prestigious Tommy Day Wilcox Award at the Accountability Court training conference held in Athens, GA, Sep. 10-13.  The Georgia Council of Accountability Court Judges (CACJ) gives the award to an individual who has contributed outstanding service to Accountability Courts and is recognized as a leader among their peers. The award is named after retired Bibb County Superior Court Judge Tommy Day Wilcox, who created the state’s first Drug Court in 1994.

Katelyn Parker has served with Veterans Court in Cobb County for over six years and was among the first coordinators in the state to become a Certified Court Coordinator. She works tirelessly with passion to help veterans find hope and healing in the face of criminal justice involvement and get their lives back on the right track. This, along with her attention to detail and work ethic, are why Katelyn was selected. Katelyn works alongside Superior Court Judge Robert Leonard to lead a multidisciplinary team to accomplish the bold work.

Cobb County’s Veterans Accountability and Treatment Court (VATC) is an accountability court for veterans who find themselves involved in the criminal justice system due in part to substance use or mental health issues related to their military service and who need treatment rather than incarceration. The VATC mission is to increase public safety by reducing recidivism, alleviate the tax burden of incarcerating law-breaking veterans by assisting participants to become productive taxpayers versus inmates, provide intensive case management to address mental health issues, and offer the familiarity of structure and accountability, like what they encountered during military service.