Labour’s Stance on IPP Sentence Reform Sparks Outrage Among Families and Advocates

IPP Sentences: Labour Declines Support for Aid to 'Desperate' Inmates

The coalition government eliminated imprisonment for public protection sentences in 2012, yet this amendment did not apply retroactively, leaving 2,852 inmates incarcerated, among them 1,227 who have yet to be freed.

Politics correspondent @AmroJourno

Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 18:

Relatives of prisoners serving a now-defunct "inhumane" sentence have expressed their profound disappointment following the abandonment of a proposal to reform the parole system, a decision influenced by the absence of support from the Labour Party.

Members of the House of Lords are scheduled to cast their votes on a set of changes concerning imprisonment for public protection sentences (IPP), an indefinite incarceration measure that has been previously criticized as "inhumane" and akin to "psychological torture" by UN torture expert Alice Jill Edwards.

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Ms. Edwards had pushed for the support of both primary political groups for a change proposed by Conservative Lord Moylan. This amendment would shift the responsibility, requiring the Parole Board to establish that an IPP prisoner remains too hazardous to be freed, as opposed to the current system where the inmates must show they are no longer a threat to society.

Ms. Edwards informed Sky News that proving guilt or innocence has been a significant barrier for inmates trying to gain their freedom, and she expressed her support for Lord Moylan's proposed change.

She called on both the Conservative and Labour parties to seize the opportunity to better the dire human rights conditions faced by numerous inmates in England and Wales.

In a recent discussion in the House of Lords, Lord Moylan announced that he would withdraw his proposed amendment, attributing this decision to the Labour Party's choice to abstain.

Lord Moylan expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision, which activists also described as a severe blow to IPP prisoners and their relatives.

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Lord Moylan will throw his support behind an alternative proposal from crossbench peer Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd. This proposal mandates the Parole Board to consider both the duration of the sentence served and the severity of the convicted offences when deliberating on granting release.

Sky News has learned that Labour plans to abstain from voting on this amendment.

What does "IPP sentence" refer to?

Introduced in 2005 by the Labour administration at the time, the IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection) is an indefinite prison sentence designed for severe violent and sexual criminals deemed a high risk to public safety, yet whose offenses were not severe enough to justify a life sentence.

While the government claimed that its primary goal was to safeguard the public, there was rising worry that IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection) sentences were being used too widely, ensnaring offenders whose crimes were less severe and resulting in them spending significantly more time in prison than their original

The coalition government discontinued IPPs in 2012; however, this amendment did not apply to past cases, leaving 2,852 inmates still incarcerated, among them 1,227 who have yet to be freed.

Sky News has covered stories like that of Thomas White, who received a minimum two-year IPP sentence just four months prior to the discontinuation of such sentences. Despite this, he is still incarcerated 12 years on.

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"Complete destruction"

In a conversation with Sky News following Lord Moylan's withdrawal of his amendment, Mr. White's mother, Margaret, expressed her deep disappointment, stating, "We're discussing real people here."

"She expressed certainty that her son would spend his remaining years behind bars."

Cherrie Nicol, whose brother Aaron received a prison sentence of two years and 124 days in 2005 for inflicting serious physical injury, expressed her deep disappointment over the potential abandonment of the Moylan amendment, despite her brother still being incarcerated 18 years later.

She stated that IPP sentences had brought about complete ruin for families and resulted in inmates committing suicide.

A representative from the activist organization Ungripp expressed concerns that inaction might result in an increase in suicide rates.

Since their introduction in 2005, a minimum of 86 inmates serving IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection) sentences have died

"They expressed significant dismay that Labour has decided against backing the amendment, particularly since they were the original creators of the IPP."

Richard Garside from the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies expressed his understanding that Labour would support the amendment, referring to it as a "real gut punch."

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A spokesperson for the Labour Party affirmed the decision to eliminate IPP sentences and promised that the party would "swiftly address the issue of IPPs" if they were to come into power, ensuring they consult "extensively" to develop an action plan that is "efficient and evidence-based."

However, they noted, "Without the pertinent confidential information, it is impossible to evaluate the specific needs of IPP offenders from the outside."

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