More than 8,000 veterans are currently behind bars, many of whom have served their country in Iraq or Afghanistan, researchers found.
A high proportion of the convicts interviewed in the study had suffered some form of post-traumatic stress disorder after leaving the forces. Often their convictions were for drug- or alcohol-related violence. It said that around 24,000 veterans are either in jail, on parole or serving community punishment orders after having been convicted of crimes. They make up around nine per cent of the prison population.
They claimed that if the Ministry of Defence properly screened those discharged from the military for mental illnesses, problems could be identified earlier. A spokesman for SSAFA, the services charity, said: "The majority of people that leave the armed forces leave having had a life-changing experience.
"Some do find it difficult to adjust and feel isolated and lonely. In some cases people will descend into alcohol or substance abuse, lose their job and spiral into homelessness and eventually end up in jail. Military operations in recent years have placed the armed forces under increased pressures."
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A high proportion of the convicts interviewed in the study had suffered some form of post-traumatic stress disorder after leaving the forces. Often their convictions were for drug- or alcohol-related violence. It said that around 24,000 veterans are either in jail, on parole or serving community punishment orders after having been convicted of crimes. They make up around nine per cent of the prison population.
They claimed that if the Ministry of Defence properly screened those discharged from the military for mental illnesses, problems could be identified earlier. A spokesman for SSAFA, the services charity, said: "The majority of people that leave the armed forces leave having had a life-changing experience.
"Some do find it difficult to adjust and feel isolated and lonely. In some cases people will descend into alcohol or substance abuse, lose their job and spiral into homelessness and eventually end up in jail. Military operations in recent years have placed the armed forces under increased pressures."
source