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Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences

Status: Closed Opened: 21 Sep 2021 Closed: 30 May 2024 15 recommendations 7 conclusions 1 report

Following the announcement that a General Election will be held on 4 July, Select Committees will be unable to meet from 24 May and will cease to exist from 30 May until after the General Election. This work has therefore closed. As of 30 June 2021, more than 1,700 people are in prison serving indeterminate … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - IPP sentences HC 266 28 Sep 2022 22 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
6 Conclusion Third Report - IPP sentences Deferred

Lack of transparency in programme evaluations hinders confidence in IPP prisoner outcomes

Programmes, pathways and other interventions are often relied upon by HMPPS and the Parole Board to help determine risk, and so it is vital that they deliver the outcomes they purport to deliver. We are concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding programme evaluations, and so cannot be confident that … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states this recommendation is for the Parole Board to respond to, who has indicated they will undertake a review of their Listings Priority Framework, and the government awaits the outcome.
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Ministry of Justice
9 Recommendation Third Report - IPP sentences Deferred

Ensure all IPP prisoners have access to a community probation officer with adequate contact

It is unacceptable that some prisoners do not have access to a community probation officer. HMPPS should set out why this is the case, and what work is being done to ensure that all IPP prisoners have access to a community probation officer to support them to progress through their … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it will not reduce the eligibility period for licence termination from 10 to 5 years, but will review the policy and practice for suspending supervision in appropriate cases. The response does not address the core recommendation regarding access to community probation officers …
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Ministry of Justice
10 Conclusion Third Report - IPP sentences Deferred

Indefinite licence periods detrimentally affect IPP offenders' mental health and rehabilitation

Spending an indefinite period of time on licence in the community is detrimental to the mental health and rehabilitation of IPP offenders, and in many cases is not proportionate to the index offence. We welcome the introduction of automatic referral by the Secretary of State for licence termination at the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the premise that IPP offenders are recalled unnecessarily and details existing and imminent changes to electronic monitoring policy. It does not address the core request for regular updates on licence termination numbers.
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Ministry of Justice

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
26 Apr 2023 To cttee Letter from Alex Chalk KC MP, Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Ju…
19 Oct 2022 To cttee Letter from Brandon Lewis CBE MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Ju…
21 Jan 2022 — Open letter on IPP inquiry