Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing mentoring services for all veterans who leave prison.

A background of military service is generally a positive factor in the rehabilitation of individuals who have been convicted and sent to custody. A mentoring scheme, being delivered by a military charity is currently being evaluated by the department’s Justice Data Lab to assess its impact on reoffending rates.

Mentoring services may differ in their aims, content and the nature of the mentor-mentee relationship, for example when working to a clear purpose with defined outcomes such as finding employment or reintegrating into the community. However, suitability for mentoring depends on a number of factors, and may not be appropriate in all cases. It is important from the outset to carry out a thorough assessment of the mentee’s needs and risks.