U.K. Veterans in Prison: Attitudes Toward Authority, Legitimacy and Compliance With Regime

Abstract

Despite an increase in academic research over recent years into military veterans in the criminal justice system, little of this has focused on U.K. veterans’ views and attitudes toward authority in prison or how veterans respond to prison regime. This study used semistructured qualitative interviews with 35 ex-military prisoners to explore their views and attitudes toward the authority and legitimacy of the prison and to assess their behavior toward prison regime. It found that participants expressed positive attitudes toward authority and the legitimacy of the prison, reportedly influenced by previous military experiences. This was accompanied by an acceptance of one’s prison sentence and a generally high compliance with prison regime. Findings suggest that research participants’ previous military service may have lasting effects on how they engage with authority within the prison by providing resilience toward the effects of imprisonment. Possible areas of future research are also discussed.