Committees

Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences

Inquiry

Following the announcement that a General Election will be held on 4 July, Select Committees will be unable to meet from 24 May and will cease to exist from 30 May until after the General Election. This work has therefore closed.

As of 30 June 2021, more than 1,700 people are in prison serving indeterminate sentences for public protection, even though IPP sentences were abolished nearly 10 years ago. Some 96% of those prisoners have completed their mandatory period in prison (known as their “tariff”) and do not know when they will be released.

In this inquiry the Committee examines policy issues surrounding IPP sentences, with the aim of identifying possible legislative and policy solutions.

Please be aware that some of the written evidence published as part of this inquiry may contain content which some readers might find distressing.

Read the call for evidence to find out more about the inquiry.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was Monday 22 November 2021.

Reports, special reports and government responses

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Third Report - IPP sentences
Inquiry Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences
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HC 266
Report
Response to this report
Ninth Special Report - IPP sentences: Government and Parole Board Responses to the Committee’s Third Report
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HC 933
Special Report
Ninth Special Report - IPP sentences: Government and Parole Board Responses to the Committee’s Third Report
Inquiry Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences
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HC 933
Special Report

Correspondence

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Letter from Alex Chalk KC MP, Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Justice, dated 26 April 2023, on the Imprisonment for Public Protection Action Plan
Inquiry Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences
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Correspondence
Letter from Brandon Lewis CBE MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, dated 18 October 2022, on the IPP sentences report
Inquiry Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences
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Correspondence
Open letter on IPP inquiry
Inquiry Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences
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Correspondence

Oral evidence transcripts

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14 December 2021
Inquiry Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences
Witnesses Caroline Corby (Chair at Parole Board), Mr Martin Jones (Chief Executive Officer at Parole Board), Kit Malthouse MP (Minister for Crime and Policing at Ministry of Justice), Dr Jo Bailey (National Lead Psychologist at HM Prison and Probation Service), and Sonia Flynn (Executive Director, Chief Probation Officer & Women at HM Prison and Probation Service)
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Oral Evidence
7 December 2021
Inquiry Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences
Witnesses The Rt Hon. the Lord Blunkett, former Home Secretary (2001-2004), The Rt Hon. the Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (2013-2017), Professor Nick Hardwick (Professor of Criminal Justice, Department of Law and Criminology at Royal Holloway University of London), Professor Graham Towl (Professor of Psychology at Durham University, and Visiting Clinical Professor at Newcastle University), and Dr Jonathan Bild (Deputy Director at Sentencing Academy)
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Oral Evidence
23 November 2021
Inquiry Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences
Witnesses Donna Mooney (Campaigner at UNGRIPP), Miss Shirley Debono (Campaigner at UNGRIPP), Dr Dinesh Maganty (Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Clinical lead Tamarind Centre and Chief Mental Health Legislation Officer at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust), Peter Dawson (Director at Prison Reform Trust), Dr Mia Harris (Research Officer at Prison Reform Trust), and Russell Webster (Independent Prisons Consultant)
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Oral Evidence

Written evidence

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David (IPP0023)
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Andrew Sperling (Director of Legal at SL5 Legal) (IPP0124)
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Pippa Carruthers (Prison Law Solicitor at Howard & Byrne) (IPP0102)
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Other publications

No other publications published.

Related information

Contact us

  • Email: justicecom@parliament.uk
  • Phone: 020 7219 6684 (general enquiries) | 020 7219 3051 (media enquiries)
  • Address: House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA