A damning investigation has uncovered that nearly 3,000 prisoners remain trapped in Britain's prisons under abolished indefinite sentences, despite government promises to address what has been called "the greatest single stain on our justice system."
The Independent can reveal that 2,852 inmates are still serving Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, with over 700 having been behind bars for more than a decade beyond their original tariff. These sentences, scrapped in 2012 after being deemed unlawful, continue to destroy lives and overwhelm the parole system.
Human Cost of Political Failure
Campaigners and MPs describe the situation as a "human rights catastrophe" with devastating consequences. The mental health toll is particularly severe, with self-harm rates among IPP prisoners running at more than double the general prison population.
"The psychological torture of not knowing when you'll be released is breaking people," explained one former parole board psychologist. "We're seeing individuals who have served their time but cannot prove they're no longer a risk because the system isn't designed to rehabilitate."
System Overwhelmed
The parole system is buckling under the weight of IPP cases. With each prisoner requiring annual reviews, the backlog has become unmanageable. Many inmates report waiting months beyond their review dates, trapped in bureaucratic limbo.
Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland acknowledged the crisis, stating: "The government's current measures are insufficient. We need radical action, including possibly resentencing, to resolve this injustice."
Calls for Urgent Action
Cross-party MPs and justice reform advocates are demanding immediate intervention. The Justice Committee has called for:
- Emergency resentencing provisions for all IPP prisoners
- Increased mental health support within prisons
- Parole system reform to handle the backlog
- Statutory time limits for rehabilitation programs
With the prison population at record levels and safety standards declining, campaigners warn that without decisive action, the IPP scandal will continue to claim lives and undermine confidence in British justice.
