ST. PAUL — A new court in Ramsey County is focused on helping veterans charged with nonviolent crimes get their lives back on track.

St. Paul City Attorney Sara Grewing said one goal is to keep veterans from returning to jail. It also connects vets with a number of resources, including counseling, health care and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. The county launches the court Thursday.

The court will serve 25 veterans at a time. Applicants will be screened to gauge whether they would be successful in the program, depending in part on their criminal record and the crime of which they’re accused.