As part of the Justice Select Committee, James Daly MP has been part of a year-long inquiry that has found IPP sentences to be “irredeemably flawed”, with the Committee now calling for a comprehensive re-sentencing programme.
Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences were introduced in 2005 where release is based on successful rehabilitation and prisoners no longer being deemed a risk to the general public. However, the Committee found that inadequate provision of support services inside and outside of prison has led to a ‘recall merry-go-round’, with almost half of prisoners currently serving an IPP sentence having been released previously.
IPP sentences were scrapped by the Government in 2012 however nearly 3000 people remain in prison with such a sentence.
Last week Mr Daly spoke in the House of Commons to ask the Secretary of State what the timeframe is for the Government to respond to the report and what immediate steps are being taken to protect prisoners with IPP sentences.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Rob Butler MP responded:
“I’m very carefully considering the recommendations, that is something we are doing very speedily and as soon we’ve come up with a conclusion the Justice Select Committee will receive my response.”
Mr Daly was also joined in Westminster by members of the IPP committee in action, including Bury resident Clara White whose brother is struggling with an IPP sentence. She has been campaigning for the re-sentencing of IPP prisoners and responded to the news of the recommendations in the report:
“I am a member of the IPP committee in action and when I journeyed my way through the Justice Select Committee recommendations, it had taken a couple of days to drop from my head to my heart that I cried with joy for 2 days. I want to thank James Daly for his consistent support, he has shown me and my family nothing but dedication and sympathy. Justice Select Committee have shown that this has been an injustice. My family and I have been tortured for many years as well as thousands of other families. We are now exploring whether there is a legal case for gross negligence for my brother. IPP committee in action will keep up the momentum until we get justice for our families”
Mr Daly commented:
“This has been an incredibly important report and I wholeheartedly support the re-sentencing of IPP prisoners.
For years the families of these prisoners, such as Clara have been facing great pain. I would like to pay tribute to Clara for her tireless campaigning and hope to see the Government consider and implement the recommendations of the Committee’s report at the earliest opportunity.”
