Thread: How does your country treat their Veterans?

Originally Posted by dave lukins

Indifferent. Nobody bats an eyelid these days. Many years ago an ex serviceman was valued by an employer because they were getting someone reliable and punctual. Sadly that is not the same today. In fact, just this morning it was reported that 10% of all prisoners in England are ex servicemen:(

Here ya go Nuts .


Ministers and military chiefs have been urged to provide more support for veterans after it emerged that more than 20,000 have been caught up in the criminal justice system.
Research revealed that around 12,000 ex-Army, Navy and Air Force personnel with criminal convictions are on the books of the Probation Service.

In addition there are an estimated 8,500 veterans in prisons in England and Wales.

That means there are more than twice as many veterans in jail, on probation or on parole than there are currently serving in Afghanistan. Nearly one prisoner in 10 is an Armed Forces veteran.

The numbers were published in a study by the probation officers' union, Napo. Its members reported that the "vast majority" of veterans did not receive adequate support or counselling when they left the forces. Analysis of 90 individuals on probation or parole showed that one in three suffered from chronic alcohol abuse and one in 10 was a drug abuser.

Domestic violence was by for the most common conviction, accounting for one in three cases. Other violent crimes accounted for around one conviction in five. One person in four said they suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, but many went undiagnosed. Others reported depression and behavioural problems.

Among the cases were veterans of conflicts in Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia. Although the sample is small, the figures give the best indication to date about the sheer scale of the problem facing former veterans struggling to adapt to civilian life.

Neither the Ministry of Defence nor the Ministry of Justice currently publish figures on veterans in custody or on probation. The figures do not include veterans in prisons, on probation or parole in Northern Ireland or Scotland so the true figure is likely to be much higher. The study will also reignite the debate over the level of protection and support offered to former military personnel.

Shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve said it was a "disgrace" that so many veterans were "languishing" in prison. Harry Fletcher, Napo assistant general secretary, said: "It is of grave concern that over 20,000 former military personnel are now in the criminal justice system. There is overwhelming evidence that support is not available of sufficient calibre when soldiers leave the service."