Baku, August 4, AZERTAC
Thousands of prisoners trapped on “inhumane” indefinite jail terms compared to psychological torture have been offered fresh hope of release after Andy Burnham ordered a review of the system that has left many languishing in prison decades after their crimes, the Independent reported.
The controversial open-ended punishments were scrapped in 2012, but not retrospectively, leaving 2,400 people in prison without a release date for years, often years beyond their tariff, including some for minor offending, such as stealing a mobile phone. The Independent and the families of those affected have repeatedly called for all IPP prisoners to have their sentences reviewed.
Now, the prime minister has asked the justice secretary Alex Norris to review Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences as a way of tackling Britain’s prison crisis and freeing up much-needed space in overcrowded jails.
The review was announced as part of changes to the early prisoner release scheme, which will see rapists and serious child sex offenders, including those convicted of grooming offences, excluded from upcoming plans to release certain prisoners early.
Writing in The Telegraph, the former mayor of Greater Manchester said he understood the “anxiety” caused by the scheme and insisted he “wanted to go even further”, but said that would risk the collapse of the entire prison system.
But he also vowed that his government would “work to fix the prison crisis once and for all” and that he “will not leave the same problems for my successors” – including a review of IPP, he wrote.
Once released, many find themselves trapped in a cycle of indefinite recall for minor breaches of strict license conditions.
Regarding those on IPP terms, Mr. Burnham wrote: “To avoid a repeat of this situation, I have also asked the justice secretary to identify other ways to free up prison capacity that will be more palatable to the public.
“First, I have asked him to review the indefinite sentences handed out between 2005 and 2012, called Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP). This has left many hundreds of people in prison since they were young but without any prospect of release despite having already served very long sentences.”
Last week, the United Nations condemned the “arbitrary” detention of UK prisoners trapped on indefinite jail terms and accused the British government of presiding over a form of psychological torture.
In a scathing 16-page document, the Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention lashed out at the jail terms, describing them as “inhumane treatment” due to the “mental anguish of being subjected to continuous uncertainty of a release date”.
The damning assessment came after three UN special rapporteurs on torture demanded that Britain urgently resentences all those still serving IPP terms.
In a strongly-worded intervention in July, they said the jail terms have left prisoners trapped in a cycle of “excessive punishment, repeated recall, deteriorating mental health, and diminishing hope”.
“These penalties involve prolonged uncertainty and cause serious psychological deterioration among prisoners, including an increased risk of self-harm and suicide. Such punishments may amount to psychological torture,” the experts said.
In 2022, the cross-party justice committee inquiry found the sentences were “irredeemably flawed” and called for all IPP prisoners to be resentenced. Despite 96 people taking their own lives in custody after losing hope of release, successive governments have refused.
Mr. Norris has also been asked to look into how to free up space in women’s prisons and how the UK can remove foreign offenders faster and in greater numbers.
The justice secretary said: “The prime minister and I have reviewed these reforms, listened to the concerns and gone further to protect victims.
“These are decisions no minister would ever want to take, but it is right these sickening crimes are excluded from these reforms.
“Victims will also have access to better support and reassurance that offenders leaving prison face tougher supervision and punishment.”