What are IPP sentences and why were they abolished?

IPP sentences were indefinite jail terms for public protection, abolished in 2012 due to their psychologically damaging and inhumane nature.

How does the IPP sentence affect prisoners' mental health?

The IPP sentence causes severe mental health issues, including psychosis, depression, and despair, often leading to self-harm and suicide attempts.

What are families calling for regarding IPP prisoners?

Families are demanding that IPP prisoners receive release dates and appropriate mental health support, advocating against their return to prison from hospital.

Home / Crime and Justice / Prisoners Trapped by Abolished Sentence

Prisoners Trapped by Abolished Sentence

1 Jan

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Summary

Hundreds of prisoners remain imprisoned under an abolished sentence.
IPP sentences are described as psychological torture by the UN.
Incarcerated individuals suffer severe mental health deterioration.

Many individuals remain incarcerated under the abolished Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence, a punitive measure that has caused severe psychological harm. These open-ended jail terms, officially abolished in 2012 but not retrospectively applied, have left nearly 2,500 people imprisoned indefinitely. The United Nations has classified this sentence as psychological torture due to its devastating impact on mental health, leading to conditions like psychosis and profound despair among inmates.

The article highlights the plight of several individuals, including Thomas White, who has spent 13 years trapped without hope of release. His sister advocates for his continued hospital care, fearing his rapid deterioration if returned to prison. Similarly, Rob Russell's brother, who served 16 years, experienced extreme decline before hospital transfer. These cases underscore the broken system where recovery in a hospital can trigger a return to prison, perpetuating a cycle of suffering.