MSP calls for more support for war veterans who fall foul of the law

Mar 25 2010 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

LIVINGSTON MSP Angela Constance is calling for more support for war veterans who fall foul of the law.

The SNP politician held a summit in the Scottish Parliament last week to discuss war veterans who become involved in the criminal justice system due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and alcohol misuse.

The summit took place in Parliament on Friday and was well attended by academics, criminal justice and social work organisations, veteran and mental health charities.

Ms Constance, a former social worker and mental health officer at Carstairs State Hospital, says more needs to be done to identify those veterans who are already in the criminal justice system so they can be offered the specialised help they may need.

The nationalist politician has already asked a series of parliamentary questions to establish how many veterans are currently in the criminal justice system and how many have PTSD and/or substance misuse problems.

Official figures report that there are 121 veterans in prison (1.6 per cent of the prison population) which Ms Constance claims is an under estimate and that there are no figures for veterans serving community service or probation orders.

The SNP MSP is calling on more to be done to identify and support veterans who have served their country but end up on the wrong side of the law often due to the trauma they have endured in the front line.

The contributing factors as to why Scottish veterans end up in prison are varied. According to Poppy Scotland, veterans are 10 per cent more likely to become homeless, eight per cent more likely to suffer from mental health problems, and three per cent more likely to suffer alcohol problems.

Talking to the Courier Ms Constance said: “I am grateful to those charities and organisations who attended and shared their expertise.

“I am deeply concerned that official figures underestimate the number of veterans in Scottish prisons. 121 veterans out of a prison population in excess of 8000 does not ring true, particularly when you compare this to studies under taken in England and Wales which have varied between three to 16 per cent of veterans behind bars.

“No-one is above the law but we do have a moral responsibility to those men and women that have seen active service and may be traumatised as a result.

“I believe that we can be doing a lot more to support veterans who find themselves on the wrong side of the law but first and foremost we need to know who these veterans are.”