Napo, the trade union and professional association for family court and probation staff, is campaigning about the number of and lack of support for ex-armed services personnel caught up in the criminal justice system. Napo, and many Services organisations, believe that not enough is being done to divert veterans to relevant advice, welfare and counselling services.

Research undertaken by Napo in 2008 suggested that up to 8,500 former Services personnel are currently in prison and another 3,000 on parole. There are also likely to be thousands on community supervision.

The campaign began with a report - published by Napo in August 08.

Ex-Armed Services Personnel in the Criminal Justice System - August 2008

A seminar, sponsored by the Justice Unions' Parliamentary Group and Chaired by Neil Gerrard MP, was held to explore best practice in February 2009. This reported in March. Veterans in the Criminal Justice System seminar 25 February 2009

Napo has now extended its research to look at veterans sentenced to community supervision and a report on this was published on 25 September 2009. You can download a copy of the full report below.

Armed Forces and the Criminal Justice System - 25 September 2009

Meanwhile a further seminar, to brief Defence Minister, Kevan Jones, is planned for 15 October.

• For more information about the campaign  - contact Napo
• Veterans Agency - Reaching veterans in prison
• SSAFA Forces Help - Help for those serving a prison sentence 'Through our national network of trained Caseworkers, The Royal British Legion is working jointly with SSAFA Forces Help on a Prison In-Reach programme. Together, we can offer advice and practical support to ex-Service people who are serving a prison sentence and their immediate dependants.'
• US Bureau of Justice study - Veterans in Prison or Jail Based on detailed statistics from the 1990s, this comprehensive study in a country which had conscription much more recently than in the UK suggests that the incidence and pattern of offending amongst veterans differs in several respects both from the general population and from the general prison population. This suggests in turn that there are a number of special factors affecting veterans, including but not restricted to the fact that some (a minority) had served on operations and that a smaller number had seen actual combat.