PRT comment: Timetable for IPP licence reforms
Commenting on today’s announcement of the planned timetable for the introduction of IPP licence reforms by the government, Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust said:
“Today’s announcement is a welcome first step towards correcting the lingering injustice of the discredited IPP sentence more than 12 years since it was abolished.
“It was the coalition government who abolished the IPP sentence; the last government which brought these reforms into law; and the new government who are thankfully bringing them into effect. Continued cross-party support will be vital to deliver the necessary further reforms for those 1,200 people still trapped in prison, and who have never been released. Only then will the stain of the IPP sentence finally be eradicated.”
To help those serving IPPs, and their family and friends, the Howard League, together with Dr Laura Janes, the Prison Reform Trust and Prisoners’ Advice Service, have prepared a practical ‘how-to’ guide on IPP licence termination. The guide, published in August, was prepared ahead of this announcement.
We are working to quickly update and re-publish this guide. However, in the meantime, Dr Laura Janes has written a short blog outlining the announced changes, and what they mean for those serving an IPP or DPP on licence.
Terminating your IPP licence: a legal guide
The guide explains when and how a person serving an IPP or DPP sentence can get their licence terminated.
It covers both the current rules, and the forthcoming changes introduced by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which are not yet in force.
