The huge difference between troops/veterans and normal inmates in the prison population is that troops/veterans may unknowingly be suffering combat related PTSD- which should have been picked up when they first appeared before the courts and also fully explained to the courts but was shamefully ignored.
Therefore justice, recognition and the correct treatment for troops/veterans unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD in prisons and throughout the Criminal Justice system – are some of the reasons ‘why’ Veterans In Prison (VIP) write and will continue to write these articles. And besides ‘if we did not inform the public at large on what’s happening at ground level’ (Veterans inside the prison system) – then no-one would know or realise whether they are being ‘hoodwinked or misled’ by ‘the establishment’ or by organisations simply kowtowing to ‘establishment’ policies!
VIP know that there are lots of people in the UK who are genuinely concerned about the serious issues of injustice which have been happening to troops/veterans unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD on their return home from wars/conflicts – with their (and their families) lives being destroyed and many ending up untreated and forgotten in the prison population. Subsequently VIP will expose any organisation who are making out that they are addressing this problem – but in truth are really only doing ‘the establishments’ bidding of going through the motions of ‘seeing to be doing something’. Unfortunately there are such organisations that claim they are dealing with this serious issue of high numbers of ex-soldiers unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD in the prison population – but in reality are not achieving anything other than repeating the same mistakes over and over again which tragically got these troops/veterans in this situation in the first place!
As for instance, only recently a flier advertisement was sent to VIP – the flier promoted a conference run by the Veterans In Prison Association (VIPA) held in London (16.04.2010) under the title ‘Dealing with the Demons’. VIPA claimed that this conference would bring together people who know most about this subject – yet regrettably no member of VIP was asked to attend this conference? VIP found this ‘mind boggling’ as because when VIP read the contents of the VIPA flier we discovered that VIPA was blatantly using much of VIP’s work to get people to attend their conference – and using ‘establishment’ Keynote speakers (who’s only interest is to cover up ‘the establishments’ incompetence - a damage limitation agenda) to address the conference!
VIP thought this to be underhanded and devious and for that reason we will expose this sham in more detail by doing a ‘reality check’ on each one of VIPA’s ‘Fact’ claim headlines published on their flier advertisement – showing and explaining how this is not VIPA’s handiwork and how in fact very little of their own work or substance (if any) has gone into these ‘Fact claim headlines they used to entice the public to attend their conference.
For example:
· Fact: There are up to 20,000 Vets in the Criminal Justice System.
· Reality: these are the National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO) and Veterans In Prison (VIP) figures combined – not VIPA’s.
· Fact: 12,000 Veterans are currently on Probation or Parole.
· Reality: these are NAPO’s figures.
· Fact: Up to 8,500 Veterans are currently serving Prison sentences.
· Reality: these are VIP’s statistics – which are to date the most accurate and factual figures of ex-soldiers in the prison population.
· Fact: they have a high prevalence of alcohol and/or drug use.
· Reality: these represent NAPO’s findings of their troops/veterans on Probation and Parole. These figures do not represent the findings of troops/veterans in prison – no-one knows the details of the troops/veterans in the prison population as we still don’t officially exist!
· Fact: nearly half suffer from PTSD or depression.
· Reality: again another misleading statement – no-one as yet bothered to diagnose these numbers of troops/veterans in the Prison population.
VIP strongly believe that VIPA has been created by a group of people in ‘the establishment’ jumping on the bandwagon – trying to divert attention away from VIP’s work with veterans in prison (who have been established since 1990). Obviously it doesn’t take too much gumption to realise that by adding the word Association onto Veterans In Prison – is a very convenient and opportune way of attaching themselves to Veterans In Prison (deluding people into believing that they are Veterans In Prison) when not one of the founders or executives have ever served a day in a prison cell! Astonishingly VIPA have the gall to claim to be a ‘non establishment organisation’ yet use ‘establishment’ Keynote Speakers to address their conference – accordingly VIP are very sceptical about the record and genuineness of VIPA along with their ‘establishment’ Keynote Speakers and consequently remain unconvinced of their sincerity.
For instance:
Keynote Speakers
· General, The Lord Ramsbotham: When Lord Ramsbotham was the Government’s Chief Inspectorate of Prisons (1995-2001) and in a position to help veterans in prison – he did absolutely nothing! General Ramsbotham sees the way forward as having a minister responsible for veterans affairs?
VIP say; Surely an ‘establishment’ ministers first duty is to ‘toe the Party Whip line and not the veterans welfare line’? And hasn’t there been enough ‘carpet bagger’ ministers (Veterans Ministers) – who’s same tried and tested ‘keep doing nothing programmes will carry on doing nothing’ at addressing this ongoing catastrophe of high numbers of troops/veterans unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD in the prison population”.
· Mr Simon Weston: Farcical – the only thing Mr Weston knows about Prisons is how to spell the word!
· Mr Michael Brookes (Director of Therapy HMP Grendon): in 2009 Mr Andy McNab (author and former Special Air Service (SAS) Officer) took to task and denounced the way in which the National Health Service (NHS) were treating veterans of wars/conflicts – by placing them on therapeutic programmes with ordinary civilian ‘drug addicts and alcoholics’ to deal with their combat related PTSD. Mr McNab quite rightly stated: “that this was no way for our troops to be treated “!
Outrageously HMP Grendon have paid no attention to Mr McNabs words and have in fact gone one further – categorising and placing troops/veterans on therapeutic programmes not only with ‘drug addict and alcoholic prisoners but also with paedophiles and rapists’!
VIP say: “sadly its no wonder troops/veterans have learnt to automatically ‘shut down’ in these types of situations – only relating and reverting back to their own made up ‘in and out’ escape routes in dealing with therapists/psychologists/psychiatrists who ask ridiculous questions about wars/conflicts and who incidentally are missing the aftermath and problems of combat related PTSD with troops/veterans by a mile”.
· Lt Col Ian Palmer (Professor of Military Psychiatry): Dr Palmer believes ‘that it is a soldiers past that needs analysing when considering any case of post traumatic stress – a difficult childhood or early exposure to trauma makes them vulnerable’ (Sunday Times Magazine 04.04.2010).
This news will come as a hell of a surprise to the tens of thousands of civilians who are already suffering PTSD – especially with the vast majority who have already got ‘squeaky-clean’ past histories? It will also come as a hell of a surprise to the families of people who have committed suicide – or perhaps Dr Palmer’s study and his identification of Previous Teenage Standards Disorder (PTSD) is simply an ‘establishment’ red herring to cover up the criminal incompetence of their approach when it comes to dealing and treating troops/veterans for combat related PTSD?
VIP believe that its because of the ‘numerous’ involvements of traumatic incidents of which troops/veterans have experienced that should be taken into consideration when analysing combat related PTSD – the actual number of times troops/veterans have been ‘hit and hit’ again with horrific incidents during their ‘tours of duty’ until finally they get ‘hit’ so hard that they are unable to overcome or cope with combat related PTSD.
VIP say: “In 2009 a member of VIP wrote to Dr Palmer asking for his help regarding a medical report for an appeal against their sentence – the VIP member received a very terse reply saying ;” sorry I am unable to help as I am not a forensic psychiatrist” ( unfortunately Dr Palmer is an ‘establishment’ expert of no help what so ever to veterans in prison unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD – particularly the thousands who have never had the decency of a fair and just trial)!
· Phil Wheatley (Director General HM Prison Service) Bluntly speaking the Prison service couldn’t care less whether troops/veterans are unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD – because their mandate does not cover this issue – what’s more all troops/veterans in the prison population are simply classed as criminals as soon as they find themselves behind the prison walls.
The Prison Service’s job is to keep criminals in prison and to (supposedly) rehabilitate them from their criminal ways by coercing all inmates in the prison population into doing ‘Offending Behaviour’ programmes – sadly as a result and the fact that all prisoners are classed as criminals in the prison population there is absolutely no distinction between a career criminal and a wounded veteran unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD. In fact a career criminal will get more out of the prison system simply for the reason that ‘Offending Behaviour’ programmes are all geared up for career criminals – whereas incredibly there are no programmes existing for troops/veterans unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD.
VIP say: “We believe that Mr Wheatley and the Prison Service have known about this fiasco of high numbers of ex-soldiers in the prison population for many years but have paid no attention to these circumstances – and neither does it wash that the Prison service are incapable of doing a survey of troops/.veterans in the prison population (the Prison Service’s own backyard). When apparently there’s no problem for VIP to still collect these statistics – as a recent headcount of ours in one particular prison (20.02.2010) showed that out of a population of 200 inmates – 26 were ex-soldiers and marines equalling 13% (VIP will not disclose more information – in case VIPA try and claim this as their work also)”!
· Harry Fletcher (Ass General Secretary NAPO) Mr Fletcher and NAPO are the only organisation that first broke the mould and stood up to be counted’ when they released the numbers of troops/veterans in the prison population (Sept. 2008) – whilst VIPA and the rest of the ‘establishment’ Keynote Speakers hid in the shadows because it wasn’t politically correct to speak to Veterans In Prison.
VIP say: “VIP have the utmost respect for Mr Fletcher’s credence and honesty on these high numbers of ex-soldiers in the Criminal Justice System!
· VIPA So apart from using other organisations work to ‘blow their own trumpet’ – what does VIPA really do to help troops/veterans inside the prison population who are unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD?
Unfortunately VIPA are not doing anything to address this problem and have the ignorance to encourage troops/veterans in the prison population to do the Prison Service’s ‘Offending Behaviour' programmes – which is typical ‘establishment’ thinking and proving yet again that VIPA are ‘missing’ the fact that troops/veterans unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD are mentally ill due to their service to their Country fighting wars/conflicts – nor criminally minded!
Ridiculously “VIPA offer veterans in prison and MoD’s ‘Veterans Badge’ and laughably this is classed as an ‘offensive weapon’ by the Prison Service – consequently prisoners are not allowed Veterans Badges in their possession whilst in prison. therefore in 15 or 20 years time when a Life sentence veteran prisoner is being released back into the community – he can wear his Veterans Badge with pride and ‘march’ out of the prison gates feeling very proud that the Country has not only screwed him (and his family) but have also left him in ‘square one’ untreated and still suffering combat related PTSD”!
VIP say: “ the problems of combat related PTSD can be overcome and a very high success rate can be achieved with the troops/veterans becoming the experts ‘ in coping with the disorder themselves – but until VIPA stop this ‘establishment’ way of thinking regarding troops/veterans unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD in the prison population - the only demons VIPA will be dealing with are imaginary ones!
Footnote: the way forward in dealing with combat related PTSD is first to find the size of the problem and actually ‘who and how many’ troops/veterans are unknowingly suffering frorm this disorder – this can be done by ‘the establishment’ admitting that they are not getting anywhere with combat related PTSD and start issuing copies of the VIP Survival Guide to all troops/veterans (and their families) who have served in wars/conflicts. Basically because the VIP Survival Guide represents everything that these ‘experts’ should be doing in regards to helping troops/veterans (and their families) understand and come to terms with what combat related PTSD is really all about - verified by the many veterans of wars/conflicts unknowingly suffering combat related PTSD and who’s lives the Survival Guide has already saved!
recent additions: thankfully some concerned prison staff and mental health teams in the prisons - are now referring veteran inmates to VIP for them to gain access to our Survival Guide.
