Addressing the scandal of Imprisonment for Public Protection jail terms could free up thousands of prison spaces
The prime minister has vowed to resolve the “long-running injustice” of indefinite jail terms as part of measures to ease prison overcrowding and stop PC Andrew Harper’s killers from being freed early.
Andy Burnham said he is “increasingly confident” that plans to free up prison cells will mean the number of prisoners being released early can be reduced.
Options being considered include the release of “lower risk” prisoners serving Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) jail terms, he said on Tuesday.
The Independent has long campaigned for the unjust jail terms – which have left thousands languishing without hope of release – to be reviewed.
In a statement issued on Facebook, he said he has asked justice secretary Alex Norris to fast-track a plan to create more headroom in the prison estate.
The plan will be based “on a range of options”, Mr Burnham said, including “increasing the rate of removal of foreign national offenders from the prison estate to their country of origin; finding an early resolution to the long-running injustice of IPP sentences, which could allow for the release of lower-risk prisoners; and making greater use of the entire prison estate including using the female estate for male offenders”.
He continued: “I am increasingly confident that a more focused approach along these lines will allow us to reduce the number of people released early and, in the case of the most serious offenders like those convicted of the killing of PC Harper, prevent their early release altogether.”
More follows on the breaking news story…