The parliamentary committee that scrutinises the work of the
Justice Ministry has expressed regret that the government has
rejected its recommendation to review all sentences imposed under
legislation that effectively allows for indefinite terms of
imprisonment, known as Imprisonment for Public Protections
(IPP).
IPP sentences were introduced to prevent serious offenders being
released when still a danger to the public. They were scrapped in
2012, but nearly 3000 people remain in prison under the
legislation, with almost half of these having been recalled to
prison after earlier being released.
The Justice Committee said in a report published in September
2022 that IPP sentences were “irredeemably flawed”. The
Committee found there was inadequate provision of support
services, both inside and outside prison, to allow for the
realistic possibility of rehabilitation of IPP prisoners and
called in its report for the re-sentencing of them all. The
government has rejected this key recommendation in its response to the committee’s
report.
The Justice Committee also found that IPP sentences caused
hopelessness and despair, giving rise to higher levels of
self-harm and suicide among the IPP cohort of
prisoners.
Another key recommendation in the Committee’s report was to
reduce the licence period during which released IPP prisoners can
be recalled to custody for breach of their conditions, from ten
years to five. However, the government has also rejected this
recommendation.
The Chair of the Justice Committee, Sir said:
“This is a missed opportunity to right a wrong that
has left nearly 3,000 people behind. The Committee recognised
that addressing this issue would not be easy – that's why we
recommended that a small, time-limited committee of experts be
set up to advise on the re-sentencing exercise.
“We are not only disappointed with this government response
but genuinely surprised. There is now a growing consensus that a
resentencing exercise is the only way to comprehensively address
the injustice of IPP sentences and that this can be done without
prejudicing public protection.
“Our report said this nettle needed to be grasped by all
three branches of the State – Government, Parliament and the
Judiciary.
“But the government has not listened. The nettle has not been
grasped and, as a result, these people will remain held in an
unsustainable limbo.”
