The reception saw around 100 MPs and peers from the House of Lords hear from Care After Combat chief executive Adrian Kirk about the charity’s work to address the issues faced by veterans reintegrating into civilian life, especially for those becoming involved in the justice system.
Adrian Kirk, chief executive of Care After Combat, said: “The vast majority of those who serve in our Armed Forces go on to lead very successful lives beyond the military. But for some the transition to civilian life can be a struggle and, for a subset of those, their experiences lead to involvement with the justice system.
“British Armed Forces veterans remain the single largest occupational group within UK prisons. That’s where Care after Combat comes in, providing specialist support to veterans in the justice system to help rehabilitate, prepare for release from prison and successful reintegration into society, and reduce reoffending.”
Tony Simpson, justice operations director for Sodexo UK and Ireland spoke at the event about Sodexo’s Starting Fresh programme which was launched in March 2023 to promote the benefits of recruiting prison leavers across the business community.
Simpson added: “Having a job, by itself, can reduce reoffending rates by up to 9%. However, as Care after Combat recognise, many groups, including veterans benefit from more specialised mentoring programmes which look across a whole range of support needs.
“There is more we can do, and we will be continuing our discussions with Care After Combat to explore how we can support veterans in prisons, building on the experience within other prisons, but also linking up our volunteering work, employment opportunities and other specific projects.”