The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office is seeking veterans who would like to volunteer to help other veterans charged with nonviolent offenses in the criminal justice system.

The mentor program, which was started in 2011, currently has 20 veteran mentors, some of whom were in combat, in the program. Some of the mentors have worked with four or more veterans who were charged with misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies.

The mentors, who receive four hours of training, help mentees to find jobs, further their educations, obtain stable housing, stay drug and alcohol free, comply with conditions of bail, house arrest, and probation or parole and access veterans' benefits.

They also work with veterans' families to help them to support their loved ones, and they sometimes accompany mentees to court.

"The program has been a tremendous success because of the dedication and compassion of veterans who volunteer their time and talents to help other veterans," said District Attorney James B. Martin. "The mentors have helped veterans' entire families because when a veteran who is a defendant is helped, that aids the spouse, children, parents and siblings of the veteran."

The total number of mentors since the program started is 29.

Some of the mentors left because they changed jobs that prevented them from continuing in the program, moved out of the area or had health issues that prevented them from continuing.

"Because of the popularity of the program and the fact that it is making a difference in the lives of veterans and their families, we now need more mentors to meet the needs of veterans who want help," Martin said.

Another training for mentors will be scheduled in the near future.

Veterans interested in becoming a mentor can obtain an application by doing the following: Go to www.lehighcounty.org and click on the Elected Officials tab to go to the drop-down menu for the District Attorney's Office. An application for the program and a brochure are on the left.

After applications are received, the program's steering committee schedules interviews with applicants in the courthouse.

All applicants are asked for proof of honorable discharge by providing a copy of their DD 214.