UN experts warn UK IPP sentences continue to cause severe psychological harm – JURIST
UN human rights experts on Wednesday MOVED UK government to review and sentence people still serving public protection prison (IPP) sentences in England and Wales, warning that indefinite detention is causing serious psychological harm, self-harm and an increased risk of suicide.
Experts said about 2400 people remain under IPP system, although Parliament abolished the sentence in 2012. This includes prisoners who were never released and others who were released but later returned to prison. Nearly three-quarters of those who remain unreleased have spent more than 10 years beyond their minimum sentence.
The punishment was introduced according to articles 225 and 226 of the law Criminal Justice Act 2003 for offenders considered dangerous, but whose crimes did not justify a life sentence. Article 123 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 abolished IPP sentences. However, the change was not retrospective, leaving the previous convictions in effect.
Official data has been recorded 896 IPP prisoners who had never been released on March 31, 2026. During a debate in the House of Lords, lawmakers said 99 percent of that group had passed their fees. Justice Minister Lord Timpson said the number of prisoners not released fell by 11 percent between March 2025 and March 2026. He added that the average Parole Board review time had fallen from 18 months to 14.5 months.
UN experts referred eight individual cases to the government. They included Joseph Brady, who has served 18 years in a four-year term, and Kerry Parish-McCann, who has served 17 years in a three-year term. Experts said repeated release and withdrawal, combined with insecure detention, had contributed to serious mental health problems.
The system has previously been examined under Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects freedom and security. In the case of James, Wells and Lee v United KingdomThe European Court of Human Rights found a violation of Article 5(1) because the prisoners were detained beyond their charges without adequate access to the rehabilitation programs necessary to show that they could be safely released.
The government has continued to rely on its PPI action plan rather than introducing a comprehensive re-sentencing programme. UN experts said parole reviews cannot re-examine whether the original sentence remains justified and called for either full re-sentencing or a fresh start based on clear eligibility criteria.
