Charity warns 75% in jail have mental issues
AS many as 500 soldiers suffering post-traumatic stress disorder are in jail, the Sunday People can reveal.
Figures from a military charity show that in all some 4,000 former armed forces personnel are doing time across England and Wales.
And Care After Combat found up to 75% are suffering other serious mental health issues after seeing action in combat zones, meaning as many as 3,000 jailed veterans could have been hit by mental illness.
Some 1,200 vets have reported alcohol or substance abuse and up to 43 per cent had been convicted for violence-related crime.
The charity also said the age range of vets in jail is 18 to 84, most are from the Army and more than half have combat experience.
Dr Nicholas Murdoch, head of research at Care After Combat, said: “Veterans are the biggest occupational group in prisons.
“There could be up to 4,000, possibly a lot more. The convictions are quite broad.
“Violence is common and we are seeing more individuals who served in recent conflicts. Figures also show a large number of veterans are reporting mental health issues and PTSD.” The Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Justice keep no figures on vets in jail. Former Army Staff Sergeant Trevor Coult, who won the Military Cross in Iraq and now fights for better treatment for veterans suffering mental illness, said the Mod’s attitude was appalling.
He added: “Who knows how many of those imprisoned veterans would have not committed crimes if they had the right treatment.”
Many vets who developed PTSD or other mental illnesses have taken their own lives. Last week, we revealed four ex-royal Marines have committed suicide in the past four weeks.