Offending characteristics of male ex-armed forces personnel in prison

Ex-armed forces represent the largest occupational subset of offenders in prison in England yet we know little about their offending behaviour. 105 veterans in prison were interviewed and their offending histories reviewed. Most were serving their first custodial sentence, predominantly for violent and sexual crimes and had previous convictions recorded: a number had offended before their service. High levels of alcohol misuse and pre-service adversity were found. There were significant differences between offence types: violent offenders were more likely than sexual or other offenders to have offended before service. Findings suggest interventions should focus on violent behaviour and alcohol misuse.