Summit County, Ohio: Summit County Valor Court, developed and led by Presiding Judge Amy Corrigall Jones, was established based on the recognition that many of our veterans return to civilian life with serious trauma both physical and mental, which has led to their involvement with the criminal justice system. By providing this court, veterans receive access to programs, treatment and interaction with mentors in a collaborative initiative to enhance chances of success.

In furtherance of the Valor Court mission and in conjunction with the upcoming Father’s Day holiday, Judge Amy Corrigall Jones is pleased to announce the Summit County Fatherhood Initiative (SCFI) and Summit County Valor Court are coming together to educate participants on the resources and tools available, generally free of charge.

“I’m excited to collaborate with the Summit County Fatherhood Initiative to provide this critical information and support to our veteran fathers, who are dealing with many personal issues, but still strive to be better at parenting,” stated Corrigall Jones.

The mission of the Summit County Fatherhood Initiative is to help men become better fathers through education and resources, equipping them with the skills and resources needed to become involved, responsible, and committed parents.

Valor Court participants are largely men, many of whom are fathers. Ranging in age from 22-68, participants are in different stages of fatherhood. For this reason, topics from child support enforcement issues and visitation to court navigation and coaching are topics to be covered. Valor Court Program staff hope to encourage participants this Father’s Day in developing and enhancing their parenting skills in order to be better fathers. The event is being held on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at the Summit County Courthouse.

The Summit County Fatherhood Initiative includes organizations such as Man2Man, under the direction of Frank Williams, Charisma/Community Connections and Fame Fathers, Pastor Eugene Norris II, CEO, and Fathers’ and Sons of Northeast Ohio, Don Lee Lykes, Executive Director and Valor Court mentor. Each of these men will provide education based on their expertise and experience in a specific area of fatherhood and will provide information specific to the organization they represent. Valor Court participants, Valor Court Program staff and Summit County Adult Probation Officers will be in attendance.

“Hosting this event shows our Valor Court participants that their role as a father matters to this court. Many of our participants tell us they want to be better fathers and our hope is this event shows them how to succeed,” concluded Corrigall Jones.