Centre for Mental Health

Centre comments on The Howard League for Penal Reform's report on former armed forces personel in prison

23 June 2011

“Armed forces veterans are less likely to go to prison that the general population,” Centre for Mental Health joint chief executive Sean Duggan said today, commenting on the release of the report following The Howard League for Penal Reform’s Inquiry into Former Armed Service Personnel in Prison. The Howard League’s “myth busting”  report found that the numbers of ex-servicemen in prison had not increased and that there was no evidence to justify the theory that recent action in Iraq and Afghanistan has contributed to the rise of ex-servicemen in prison.  The report also found that while post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition which does affect  a significant number of service leavers, there is no evidence that PTSD can be directly linked to offending behaviour. 

The inquiry found that the issues that lead ex-service personnel to offend appear to be much the same as most adult male prisoners, with social exclusion, alcohol misuse and financial problems afflicting both groups.  Many of the ex-servicemen in prison surveyed were not aware of the help available,  having offended many years after discharge. The report urged that criminal justice system continue to work to identify ex-servicemen and help them access the specialist support available. 

Commenting on the inquiry’s findings Sean Duggan said:

“Armed forces veterans face a range of mental health problems, including depression and alcohol misuse, but this report backs up findings from similar studies that suggest ex- service personel are  in fact less likely to go to prison than the general population.

“The links between mental ill health and offending among veterans of the armed forces remains unclear. We don’t know to what extent mental ill health and offending result from a person's life experience before joining the armed forces and what, if any, influence their military experience has on their chances of becoming unwell or offending. But we do know that people who leave the services early are especially vulnerable to mental ill health and social exclusion.

“The mental health of veterans has become a major cause of concern in recent years and it is vital that the armed forces, health services and the criminal justice system are able to respond to the specific needs of service personnel and veterans.

"However, there remain significant gaps in the research evidence, particularly in relation to understanding how early life experiences, military culture (especially the relationship with alcohol) and support upon transition out of the armed services may impact on veterans re-entry back into civilian life. These issues have been highlighted in the recent Centre for Mental Health publication, Across the Wire”