
'I started to realise my brother could die in prison'
Clara describes her brother's experience on an IPP prison sentence.
Clara’s brother Thomas was charged for the robbery of a mobile phone in 2011.
He was sentenced on an IPP, ‘Imprisonment for Public Protection’ sentence - a type of prison sentence introduced for use in England and Wales, by the Labour government in 2005.
On an IPP, offenders are sentenced to a ’tariff’ - a minimum term which they must serve in prison.
After completing their tariff they have to apply to the Parole Board for release.
IPP sentences were abolished in 2012 because they were seen to be unfair.
Despite this there are still 1,900 people in custody in England and Wales on IPP sentences, with no end date on their imprisonment.
One of these people is Thomas.
Despite being given a two-year tariff, he’s now been in prison 11 years.
Thomas’ sister Clara, tells 5 Live’s Naga Munchetty “everything has changed about Thomas”.
“My mum didn’t recognise her own son because of what the IPP sentence had done to him” she said.
The Ministry of Justice said: “Public protection is always our priority and while the number of IPP prisoners has fallen by two-thirds since 2012, new laws will only allow sentences to end if the Parole Board determines there is no risk to public safety.”
This clip is originally from Naga Munchetty on Wednesday 16 February 2022.
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