Up to 8,500 former members of the armed forces are serving sentences in UK prisons, it has been claimed.
Probation staff union Napo said its figures suggested about one in every 11 prisoners used to be in the forces.
Napo said its initial findings and data from the group Veterans in Prison suggested that "as many as 8,500 former soldiers are currently in custody in the UK". On 15 August, the prison population was 93,574.
Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of Napo, said the number in prison could be greater than 8,500, and its studies suggest there could be more than 7,000 in England and Wales, and another 1,000 in Scotland.
Mr Fletcher said the "vast majority" of offences were violent and related to drugs or alcohol.
An MoD spokesperson said: "The MoD works closely with the service charities to support veterans when they leave the armed forces and for those who find themselves in prison. The Prison In-Reach initiative already provides advice on the support available to veterans before and after their release. Robust systems are in place to treat and prevent PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and other stress disorders."
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