Hero to zero? Navigating and negotiating the harms of criminalisation as a ‘veteran offender’

Abstract

This article offers an original insight into the experiences of former military personnel navigating life after criminalisation in a time of austerity. Drawing on case studies of in-depth narrative and visual interview data with two ‘veteran offenders’, the article draws attention to a complex ‘dance of disclosure’ around military service and criminal records. The article demonstrates how the complexity of the pains of criminalisation can make (re-)finding a sense of purpose and self-worth difficult for former military personnel who must continually decide whether to disclose or obscure their military past, depending on the criminal punishment context. This critical analysis makes visible a potential continuum of state harm for those criminalised and managed as ‘veteran offenders’.