Every prisoner going into custody next year will be asked whether they have served in the armed forces in an effort to improve the way veterans are treated.
The policy follows a review overseen by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling and Stephen Phillips QC and has been hailed as a victory for the Evening Standard’s Homeless Veterans appeal.
Mr Grayling said veterans would now be identified at an early stage and offered a “tailored approach” to turn them away from crime. Although veterans are less likely than civilians to commit crimes, the review found, “a small minority have difficulties and find themselves in trouble with the law”. The Standard’s campaign is raising money for military charities ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and Veterans Aid.
Hugh Milroy, CEO of Veterans Aid and one of the review’s expert advisers, said the report “reinforces what we have known for a long time; that most men and women who have spent significant time in the Armed Forces are robust, capable individuals who make a good transition to civilian life”.
He said that focusing on the minority who struggle does others “no favours” and warned against viewing veterans as a “homogenous community”.
