Every prison that men build Is built with bricks of shame, And bound with bars lest Christ should see How men their brothers maim.
Over the last few days I have been receiving some critism from people who were critical of my analysis of martin McGuinness and the event at Westminister last Wednesday. I began to wonder why it was so many people who had laid into me were of a military background. I began to wonder what it was that existed in military training that doid so much damage to the ability to think critically. Then I came across this report that I have quoted. it seems that official estimates do hot adequately reflect the fact that 105 of prison inmates have some sort of service background. The question remains what is it that the military do that seems to damage sio many people.
I have treated so many former soldiers for PTSD and other traumatic disoders and I have received lots of abuse from others within Facebook and other social media . We cant shrink from these questions and must talk about them. it is indeed ironic that the state using the working class to impose its will then throws them into another institution the Prison. I am sure I will get more abuse over this but I cannot ignore this shockibg problem that we are witnessing.
"The
number of former service personnel in prisons is nearly three times
higher than official government figures, according to new research.
As many as one in ten prisoners are military veterans, as opposed to
the 3.4 per cent official figure, according to the criminal justice
campaign group No Offence. MPs and campaigners say the shock new
figure is clear evidence of a "betrayal of the military
covenant".
They
warn that the number of ex-servicemen in prison is likely to grow
further as the 20,000 troops returning to civilian life due to
defence cuts struggle to make the transition after the battlefields
of Iraq and Afghanistan. Elfyn Llwyd, Plaid Cymru MP and chair of an
all-party parliamentary group focused on the plight of veterans in
the criminal justice system, said: "This is a failure of the
military covenant – and it's avoidable. It is going to get far
worse unless we do something to address it. The Government is in
denial of the figures." He said official figures fail to take
account of soldiers who have served in Northern Ireland, females,
reservists and anyone under the age of 21. in
Sue
Clifford, of No Offence, said: "We estimate that 10 per cent of
prisoners are military veterans, from samples of the prison
population. We believe the cuts will have a significant effect on
prison numbers, as thousands of troops return to civvy street before
they were anticipating – so they have not had a chance to plan.
"The current prison system shows that only 3.4 per cent of
prisoners are military veterans, which under-acknowledges the figure.
The data captured when people go into prison is not accurate, as
people do not talk about their former role unless asked. Some
veterans, even when asked, do not say as there is huge pride
associated with being in the military," she said. Trevor
Philpott, a Royal Marines officer for 34 years and founder of the
Veterans Change Partnership, said: "The government figures fail
to take into account anyone from Scotland or Northern Ireland, and
were based on cross-referencing Ministry of Defence [MoD] and
Ministry of Justice [MoJ] figures. There is a sense that the
Government is reluctant to address the true figures: if there was the
slightest admission of combat causing mental health problems, there
is a fear of legal action," he said. A conference at Doncaster
Prison last week heard that more needed to be done to help military
forces personnel to avoid prison.
Ms
Clifford estimates there are some 3,000 groups who support former
troops. "They all work autonomously, so we're in a position that
there are services for veterans – but many are unaware the services
are there. More needs to be done to put them together," she
said. Mr Philpott said it is usually some five years after leaving
the Army that former troops end up in the justice system, after the
point at which relatives fail to cope with them. "The Prime
Minister has pledged to care and support veterans and their families
and that should extend across the board." Tony Gauvain, a
therapist providing treatment for ex-servicemen and women struggling
with post-traumatic stress disorder through the charity PTSD
Resolution, said: "An awful lot of time and money is spent
training soldiers, and not enough retraining them. Two days'
resettlement training is naive at best, and immoral at worst."
Mr Llwyd told the conference: "
At
present, there is no compulsory mental health assessment undergone
prior to leaving the forces – a practice that it is vital we adopt.
There is a tremendous discrepancy in reported PTSD cases in the US,
where it is 20 per cent, and the UK, where it is supposedly only 4
per cent. PTSD – and traumatic brain injury – can take many years
to develop fully, and I believe we might be in denial as to its
pervasiveness among our own armed forces. We have yet to see the
fallout from Iraq and Afghanistan with its expected spate of
mental-health problems." A highly regimented military life
results in some servicemen experiencing a dramatic culture shock when
readjusting to civilian life. Many feel different and isolated,
according to Tony Wright, of the social enterprise group About Turn.
"When veterans become involved with the criminal justice system
it is an indication that we as a society have failed those we have
put in harm's way. We need to understand the unique factors that make
them a distinct group within the offender population, and therefore
worthy of continued specialist support during and after any period of
incarceration."
The
latest figure dwarfs previous statistics. The 3.4 per cent figure
officially quoted comes from a 2009 joint MoD/MoJ survey. Seven years
earlier, a Home Office study suggested the proportion of prisoners
who were ex-service personnel was approximately 6 per cent. In 2008,
the National Association of Probation Officers estimated that more
than 20,000 veterans were in the criminal justice system, 12,000 on
probation, and a further 8,500 in custody – representing 8.5 per
cent of the then prison population and 6 per cent of those on
probation and parole. The MoD spokesman insisted the official figure
was accurate. "An independent report by The Howard League for
Penal Reform last year concluded that ex-service personnel are less
likely to be in prison than civilians. The vast majority of personnel
leaving the armed forces make a successful transition to civilian
life, and there is a wide range of help and support for all those
that need it."
An
MoJ spokesperson said: "Though their [ex-service personnel]
resettlement needs are broadly similar to other offenders, we work
closely with independent organisations that provide services
specifically for them. It is our duty to make sure they are supported
in accessing and making best use of these sources of support to make
sure they do not reoffend." 'It stems from losing people I cared
for, and taking somebody's life away. These mental issues are
invisible' Robert Kilgour, 42, from Edgware, north London, served in
Northern Ireland, Bosnia and the first Gulf War, returning to
civilian life in 1993, aged 22. Since then he has been jailed
repeatedly for assaults. "One day you're killing, the next
you're saying hello. They train you up, but don't detrain you to go
back to civilian life," he said. "They need to open centres
for squaddies returning from war. I was getting into trouble all the
time. I'd drink to suppress my feelings. I was temperamental and hard
to live with, causing a split with my wife." Diagnosed with
post-traumatic stress disorder 18 months ago, he now receives
counselling. "It stems from losing people I cared for and taking
somebody's life away. People can see a broken leg or arm, but these
mental issues are invisible."
As Oscar Wilde said
As Oscar Wilde said
4 significant typos in your first paragraph alone. It doesn't inspire confidence and lets down what is an interesting and important article. By all means send it to me to proof it next time. Happy to help.
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