When it comes to sending people to prison (per population) very few countries in the world can hold a candle to the United Kingdom (as of 30th May 2008 there were roughly 82,000 inmates in the prison population). Unfortunately one of the reasons for this that most politicians believe that the more people sent to prison (tough on crime) helps them pick up more votes – hence the prisons in the UK are now full to bursting!
Veterans In Prison (VIP) discovered whilst doing our survey on the ‘Violence begets Violence’ article (extremely high numbers of ex-soldiers in the prison system) that caught up in this mayhem of ‘prison works’ policy of politicians are thousands of psychological war damaged ex-soldiers (unknowingly suffering from combat related PTSD is violent behaviour (which usually occurs when troops/veterans return back to Garrison or Civilian life), and this violent behaviour if not properly treated or diagnosed as combat related PTSD at the time of their trials – will without doubt lead to a very long prison sentences for a great number of these vulnerable ex-soldiers!
A recent TV BBC News night programme (21/05/08) showed that the American authorities are admitting that nearly half of their troops who have served in Afghanistan are suffering from combat related PTSD and a third of them (20,000) have committed very serious crimes on their return home – around 200 of them have actually murdered members of their families!
Not only do these American figures back up VIP’s accuracy of exceptional high numbers of ex soldiers in the UK prison population, but the numbers also show that British soldiers are no different from American soldiers – in that we are all human beings and all vulnerable to combat related PTSD whilst serving in wars/conflicts! However the difference between the American and British authorities is that the Americans respect their troops/veterans and are open about this problem and are genuinely trying to do something about it – whereas the British authorities are in denial and are knowingly sacrificing their troops/veterans by trying to conceal these high numbers of ex-soldiers in the prison population!
Example: on the prison wing where the writer is serving a life sentence there are 11 ex-servicemen out of 120 inmates and 10 of the 11 ex-servicemen are ex-soldiers (8.3% of the wing population). All 10 of these ex-soldiers have served in wars/conflicts and all 10 are serving Life sentences – yet not one of them was ever checked for combat related PTSD at the time of their trials! The frightening difference which stands out between British and American troops/veterans – is that in America all troops/veterans who have served in wars/conflicts are automatically checked for combat related PTSD at the time of their trials (its their right as veterans). Because quite rightly combat related PTSD will make a huge difference in what happens to troops/veterans who are charged with a crime and found to be suffering from this disorder – this includes charging them with lesser crimes and also placing them on treatment programmes (as combat related PTSD can be cured).
Shockingly in Britain it seems that the opposite is being done and British troops/veterans crimes are being deliberately mischaracterised by a Justice system that does not want he numbers of innocent victims of violence (especially those murdered by combat related PTSD) added to the cost of wars/conflicts – in fact the Government must be terrified of the public learning the true consequences of soldiers bringing home the violence of wars/conflicts!
VIP wrote to the Justice Minister Mr Jack Straw MP about this problem – explaining about the hidden high numbers of ex-soldiers in the prison population and how thousands of ex-soldiers had unbelievably never even been checked for combat related PTSD at the time of their trials and therefore not had the luxury of a fair trial!
Mr Straw replied stating: ‘if following conviction and sentencing a defendant is found to be suffering from a PTSD disorder and it is believed that this had a significant impact on why they committed the offence for which they were convicted, it is of course always open to that defendant to submit an appeal. However it is always necessary to obtain specialist legal advice on whether such an appeal is possible and the likely impact of an appeal. For instance, the existence of a PTSD disorder may not necessarily relieve that person of the responsibility of committing the crime, but it may have an impact upon the sentence they received’.
Ironically the Justice Minister Mr Straw, is also a cabinet minister who actually committed some of these ex-soldiers in the prison system into the war/conflict of Iraq and Afghanistan and now shamelessly ‘treats them with contempt’ by regarding their non-existent fair trials (unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD) as a triviality which can easily be rectified! Clearly the Justice Minister needs a reality check – because instead of admitting that’s something was seriously wrong and that he was going to look into the matter to make sure that this will not happen again when he comes out with hollow rhetoric!
As for instance Mr Straw states: “It is of course always open to the defendant to submit an appeal.” (As if an appeal is a simple matter). So will Mr Straw please tell VIP’s; “Where the hell are all these ex-soldiers in the prison population (who have served in wars/conflicts and don’t know whether they are suffering combat related PTSD – because they have never been checked for combat related PTSD) going to get around £2,000 or £3,000 for a psychiatrist to diagnose their combat related PTSD”? the legal-aid services certainly wont give them any money for an appeal just on the ex-soldiers ‘say-so’, and if they cant get legal aid ‘then they cant get any specialist legal advice!’ plus neither can the ex-soldiers ask the Prison authorities for help on legal matters – as they are paid by the Home Office to keep people in the prison system because they are part and parcel of the Crown Services!
So what is Mr Straw going to do about the thousands of ex-soldiers ‘who do not know or realise’ that they are suffering from this disorder – yet have been unjustly sentenced to many years of imprisonment’ by an ignorance is bliss British Justice system?
Furthermore under article 6 of the European Human Rights Act ‘everyone is entitled to a fair trial’. Although seemingly in the UK troops/veterans suffering mental illnesses such as combat related PTSD are only entitled to a fair trial – if they themselves know that they are suffering from combat related PTSD at the time of their trials, but in reality the last person in the world to ‘know or realise’ that they are suffering a mental disorder is the person suffering the mental disorder themselves – ask any doctor!
VIP’s conclusion is that if only 8% of the current prison population (a conservative estimate) are ex-soldiers – this would equate to around 6,560 prisoners. The Governments latest figures show that the annual cost per prisoner was £32,888 in 2005/06; this would mean that the Government is paying around £215 million each year to keep ex-soldiers in prison. Incredible as it may seem these extraordinary amounts of taxpayer’s money are spent on rehabilitating ex-soldiers in the prison system – but no-one bothers to check whether there is a direct connection between their behavioural (violence) problems and their military service experiences.
Unfortunately this connection is also missed or not considered in terms of providing rehabilitation on the veteran’s behalf by the probation service when they leave prison and return back to Civvy Street – still (unknowingly) suffering combat related PTSD! However this lack of knowledge by the probation service is understandable especially when you consider that the justice system has created this problem by burying this information right from the beginning (when ex-soldiers wee first charged with their crimes and never checked for combat related PTSD), this is not justice – it’s a travesty of justice by a justice system that cant even spell the word justice!
Footnote: quite rightly the Prime Minister leads and pays tributes to soldiers killed during wars/.conflicts – because every death of a soldier is a tragedy. However the tragedy of what the Government are not doing to help its troops/veterans (unknowingly) suffering combat related PTSD on their return home from wars/conflicts, very much contradicts his tributes and whilst soldiers are dying – this is not only deceitful and inexcusable it also means the Prime Minister is only ‘paying lip service’ to the dead soldiers!
