According to research published in September 2009 by the National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO) armed forces veterans now account for up to ten per cent of the prison population, as many as 8,500 former soldiers, sailors and airmen and women they claim are now in jail - in addition to this NAPO state as many as 12,500 other veterans are on parole or subject to probation supervision - meaning that in excess of 20,000 veterans are now under correctional services control. NAPO state that their offences are dominated by drug and alcohol misuse, they have a propensity to violence, particularly domestic violence, and many suffer from depression and other mental health disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Recent research and follow-up study carried out by DASA Health Information in the Ministry of Defence, in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, this was developed to update the estimate of the proportion of prisoners in England and Wales who are ex-Service personnel.
The updated estimate of the proportion of prisoners who are veterans is 3.5%. This report released on Wednesday 15th September 2010 also describes the characteristics of veterans in prison, in terms of age, gender, Service, and offence group, and compares the proportion of veterans in prison with the proportion of the general population in prison.
At VIPA we believe that whatever the truth in the numbers, either set of figures produces a rate of offending so high among veterans that it can no longer be ignored - for the sake of victims and veterans alike, we have to do something to reduce it.
Rehabilitation and the Reduction of Re offending by Veterans is at the heart of everything we want to achieve here at VIPA. The Military Covenant requires us to recognise the hard work and sacrifices that have been made by those who leave the armed forces, they have heroically fought for the freedoms we enjoy today – and we all have a duty to help them readjust not only to civilian life but to cope with traumas relating to battlefield operations and experiences.
VIPA is not about making excuses or justifying former veterans offending, every crime has a victim and those responsible must answer for their offending.
VIPA`s future goals are all about the expectations and aspirations for the future reintegration of all former armed forces veterans released from the `Criminal Justice System`, by making their transition from the CJS back into society stress free and bearable, utilising a system of service providers equipped to meet the specific needs of each and every individual.
Failure of the Nation: Ex Service Personnel Experience of Returning to Civilian Street
In recent years the Government has been criticised for failing to uphold the commitment of the Nation in respect of the Military Covenant. Since the Strategic Defence Review (1998) the defence budget has failed to keep abreast of military spending. This has resulted in the armed forces being critically overstretched and under manned. At the same time the tempo of military operations has increased, resulting in repeated tours in conflict. There has subsequently been an increase in the number of personnel suffering from psychological difficulties and mental health issues.
In recent years media attention has focused on the minority of veterans that “fair badly” following discharge. These ex-service personnel are particularly vulnerable, often drifting into social exclusion, which may include becoming homeless or unemployed.
Recent reports have suggested that as many as 20,000 ex-servicemen are currently involved with the Criminal Justice System, the majority of which have been convicted of a range of alcohol related violent offences.
In an attempt to develop an understanding of the experiences and issues that affect the lives of servicemen, when they return to civilian life, this research looks at the connections between alcohol consumption, offending behaviour and mental health issues. Read full Dissertation >>
VIPAConference 2011 - London
For details go to our Events page - CLICK HERE
Leave No Veteran Behind
The Inquiry into Former Armed Service
Personnel in Prison visits the United
States of America.
The high numbers of veterans appearing in the criminal justice system have
been a matter of concern in both the UK and in the USA in recent years. This paper examines the American experience of the issue and its response to it,
following a visit to the US by the Howard League for Penal Reform’s inquiry
into former armed service personnel in prison. Read full report >>
Life
Force
A practical
guide for
working with
Scotland's
Veterans.
The word “Veteran” might conjure
up images of older soldiers who
served in the conflicts of the last
century, but in fact it includes
everyone who has been in the
armed forces. In Scotland, there
are over one million Veterans
ranging from those who have
served in campaigns in Northern
Ireland, the Falkland Islands,
the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq and
many other places, in addition to
those whose service took place
in a supporting role within the UK
and Germany.
There are already some excellent
support services aimed specifically
at Veterans and their families,
but this guide seeks to help
non-specialist community services
to support the ex-service personnel
who may already be using their
services, or may be referred to
them in the future.
To support an inclusive approach
to engagement with Veterans
The Scottish Government has
taken measures to give Forces
personnel (and those who have
left the Forces within the past year)
priority access to the Low-cost
Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT)
shared equity schemes. This will
help Forces personnel on low to
moderate incomes to get a foot
on the housing ladder, where that
is sustainable for them. Read full report >>
Across The Wire
Veterans, Mental Health
and Vulnerability
The mental health of veterans of the armed
forces and its link to offending has been a
subject of considerable concern in recent years.
This paper reviews the available evidence
and suggests ways of tackling the issues that
emerge. Read full report >>
King's Centre for Military Health Research
A fifteen year report-
September 2010
What has been achieved by fifteen years of research into the health of the UK Armed Forces?
AT THE TIME OF WRITING (2010), it remains the case that the mental health of the UK Armed Forces has by and large survived both the war in Iraq (Op TELIC) and the continuing war in Afghanistan (Op HERRICK). By that we mean that there is no evidence to support a significant decline in morale or well being, nor of a significant increase in mental health problems such as, but not restricted to, post traumatic stress disorder. Nevertheless, our research has highlighted certain problems that continue to need to be addressed. First, alcohol misuse remains, and whilst the primary determinants of this are not related to deployments, for the first time we have documented that deployment to either Iraq or Afghanistan has resulted in still higher levels of alcohol misuse. Second, whilst these two major deployments have yet to be associated with a particular adverse impact on the overall mental health of those
who served there (compared with all other contemporaneous campaigns or deployments), it is the case that there has been an increase in mental health problems in certain sub-groups – namely those in combat roles and those in the reserve forces. Read full report >>
NAPO WEB SITE NAPO VETS REPORT: read more »
NAPO - Tackling Crime After combat: read more >>
NAPO Coordinated National Action Plan: read more>>
DASA WEB SITE DASA VETS REPORT: read more » Latest Report >>
Tackling Crime after Combat:
At VIPA we believe that whatever the truth in the numbers either set of figures produces a rate of offending so high among veterans that it can no longer be ignored - for the sake of victims and veterans alike, we have to do something to reduce it. |
