In a potential landmark move, Labour peer Tony Woodley has introduced a private member’s bill in the UK Parliament that aims to resentence the nearly 3,000 prisoners still serving time under the abolished imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences. If passed, the bill could finally bring an end to what has been called “the greatest single stain on our criminal justice system.”
IPP sentences were introduced in 2005 for offenders deemed a danger to the public, but quickly spiraled out of control as they were handed down for even minor crimes. Prisoners were given a minimum tariff but no maximum, effectively condemning them to indefinite imprisonment.
The Injustice of the ’99-Year Sentence’
Although the sentences were abolished in 2012, this was not applied retroactively, leaving thousands still languishing in the prison system under what became known as the ’99-year sentence.’ Ministry of Justice data shows:
- 98% of IPP prisoners have served beyond their original tariff
- 67 prisoners are still serving for crimes that originally had a tariff of 18 months or less, but have now been in prison over 16 years
The toll has been devastating, with 90 IPP prisoners taking their own lives so far. Campaigners have called the sentences “inhumane” and “psychological torture.” The European Convention on Human Rights declared the use of IPPs “arbitrary and therefore unlawful.”
Notorious Cases Highlight Gross Misuse
The IPP scandal first rose to public attention through several shocking cases. Ronnie Sinclair served 16 years for stealing a plant pot. Tommy Nicol, sentenced for stealing a car, took his own life in prison in 2015 after being denied parole. Martin Myers was imprisoned for 18 years for attempting to steal a cigarette.
If you said to somebody, ‘You’ve got 16 years in jail for stealing a plant pot,’ they’d say: ‘You’re the bloody plant pot for saying that!’ People wouldn’t believe it.
– Lord Tony Woodley
Resentencing Bill Offers Hope of Reform
Woodley’s bill calls for resentencing all IPP prisoners, allowing those who have served well beyond their original tariffs to finally have a clear path to release. He emphasizes that this would be done carefully by an expert committee to ensure public safety.
The bill has garnered cross-party support, but still faces government opposition over fears it could lead to the release of dangerous offenders. However, Woodley is adamant that the status quo is untenable.
How the hell, 12 years after IPP sentences were abolished, can we still see almost 3,000 people in prison with no hope? It can’t be right.
– Lord Tony Woodley
With overcrowding forcing the early release of some prisoners, campaigners argue there has never been a better time to resolve the IPP issue. The Government must now decide if it has the courage to correct what has been called an indefensible injustice.
A System Strained to Breaking Point
The IPP debacle has occurred against a backdrop of a prison system in crisis. Overcrowding is forcing the government to release some prisoners early, while a record number of inmates are self-harming or taking their own lives. This bill is a chance to relieve some of that strain.
It would also be life-changing for those prisoners trapped in the system. Currently, even minor infractions of strict licence conditions can see an IPP inmate recalled to prison indefinitely. The spectre of the ’99-year-sentence’ hangs over them perpetually.
There’s too much at stake here. We’ve had 90 people take their own lives already; how many more do they want?
– Lord Tony Woodley
As the bill begins its journey through Parliament, those whose lives have been derailed by IPP are watching with desperate hope. In a system where thousandshave lost years to a sentence abolished in 2012, could this finally be a watershed moment where injustice is confronted and righted? Only time will tell if Britain is ready to correct what has been called “the greatest single stain” on its justice system.
