No one ever really survives a war: We need to understand why veterans commit crimes

The experiences of war veterans can have a long-term, traumatising effect (Picture: Matt Cardy) | Getty Images

Many years ago, I spent time in Queens in New York where I encountered ‘problem-solving’ courts. I have had a long interest in these speciality courts that focus on certain types of offences or individuals and bring together all the necessary services to help address the underlying issues that bring people into the justice system.

Run by a sheriff or judge, they have a track record of reducing reoffending and costs to justice and health services. Individuals who go through them talk about the fair and just way they are treated. It’s called procedural justice and helps people remain engaged in the process.

We have a few problem-solving courts in Scotland: drug courts, alcohol courts and a domestic abuse court. In Queens, the one I was struck by was the veterans’ court.

Flashbacks and emotional problems

After conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, America had noted the number of veterans involved in the justice system who were often using drink or drugs to deal with what they had seen or done in the course of their duties.

Flashbacks and emotional problems abounded – anger and frustration, changed personalities. Partners got sometimes a very different person back from tours of duty than the one who left.

I thought about this when speaking to some phenomenal Ukrainian women recently in Scotland. I remain in awe of what they have endured. We talked about what will happen when the war is over, for it must end eventually.

We talked about the challenges of people returning after years of conflict, and what needs to be in place to support all involved. It was the most emotional of meetings, so many had been affected by death and destruction, and were anxiously waiting for loved ones to return, aware they may not be recognisable and their journey within peacetime might be fraught.

Regaining lost self-esteem

America’s veterans’ court strived to not excuse the crimes of those who had returned from conflict zones, but to understand the unique reasons that had led them there and design bespoke services by people who specialised in this area.

War doesn’t seem to be far from our doors, with whole communities, countries, traumatised, affecting generations to come.

The Scottish Veterans Commissioner Susie Hamilton has just published a new report, Veterans and the Law. Thankfully only a relatively small percentage, 3.1 per cent, of the Scottish prison population are veterans, yet they found bringing prisoners with military experience together within the prison setting helped them regain lost self-esteem, develop supportive networks and understand the circumstances that brought them there.

There are many prison officers who themselves are veterans and their role as Veterans in Custody Support Officers (Vicsos) is critical to improving the outcomes of those who find themselves in prison. Indeed, Police Scotland estimate they employ around 700 ex-service people. This ‘lived experience’ workforce is core to early intervention and veteran-specific support.

So many of us feel powerless in relation to what is going on in the world, eager for conflicts to end. But it’s never really the end. When a war disappears from the rolling news, the agony, distress and loss of hope will endure for decades, with those impacted left with a legacy of harm. It is said that no one ever really survives a war.

Karyn McCluskey is chief executive of Community Justice Scotland