Imprisonment for Public Protection: No more kicking the can – Mountford Chambers

‘With an election taking place during the Euros, it is almost too tempting to describe the Labour Party as running towards an open goal. A new government is almost seen as inevitable, with the real question being the size of its majority. Yet it remains unclear whether this change will embolden much-needed reform to the criminal justice system. For any future Justice Secretary, addressing the plight of those serving sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) must be at the top of their to-do list.’

Full Story

Mountford Chambersm 1st July 2024

Source: www.mountfordchambers.com

Prisoner held indefinitely refused parole after making landmark public bid for freedom – The Independent

Posted March 28th, 2024 in dangerous offenders, imprisonment, news, parole, private hearings by tracey

‘A parole board has refused to release a prisoner trapped under an abolished indefinite jail term described as “torture”. Earlier this month Nicholas Bidar became the first IPP prisoner to have his parole bid held in public after new laws came into force to increase transparency around parole decisions.’

Full Story

The Independent, 27th March 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Notorious crime boss behind murder of innocent couple loses challenge over escape risk – The Independent

Posted March 26th, 2024 in conspiracy, dangerous offenders, imprisonment, murder, news by tracey

‘A notorious crime boss serving a life sentence for orchestrating the murders of an innocent couple has lost his High Court challenge over whether he poses a high risk of escape from prison.’

Full Story

The Independent, 25th March 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Colin Pitchfork: Double child murderer denied prison release – BBC News

Posted December 7th, 2023 in children, dangerous offenders, murder, news, parole by michael

‘[The Parole Board] had ruled Pitchfork could be released in June, but concerns about the danger he posed caused Justice Secretary Alex Chalk to intervene, making what is known as an “application for reconsideration” in July.’

Full Story

BBC News, 7th December 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Damien Bendall: Quadruple murderer put in wrong risk classification – BBC News

Posted October 19th, 2023 in dangerous offenders, murder, news, probation by sally

‘The chief probation officer said the service was facing “significant” issues while dealing with Damien Bendall, who went on to kill four people.’

Full Story

BBC News, 18th October 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Joanna Simpson: Government blocks wife killer’s automatic release – BBC News

Posted October 12th, 2023 in dangerous offenders, domestic violence, homicide, news, parole by sally

‘A man who killed his wife with a claw hammer has had his automatic release from prison blocked by the government.’

Full Story

BBC News, 12th October 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Recall rules to be eased on indefinite jail sentences in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted August 22nd, 2023 in dangerous offenders, imprisonment, news, release on licence, sentencing by sally

‘Prisoners released on licence after serving time under an abolished and much-maligned indefinite sentencing scheme in England and Wales could have the period in which they can be recalled to prison halved under new rules.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 21st August 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Justice secretary asks for review of child murderer’s release from prison – The Guardian

‘The justice secretary has asked the Parole Board to reconsider its decision to allow the double child-killer Colin Pitchfork to be released from prison.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 3rd July 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Terrorist prisoners to face tougher limits behind bars – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 2nd, 2023 in dangerous offenders, news, prisons, terrorism by tracey

‘Convicted terrorists will be banned from taking a leading role in religious services and face more rigorous checks for extremist literature as the government redoubles efforts to crackdown on dangerous radicalisers behind bars.’

Full Story

Ministry of Justice, 30th April 2023

Source: www.gov.uk

‘Potentially risky’ people being released after years on remand, watchdog warns – The Guardian

Posted January 26th, 2023 in dangerous offenders, news, prisons, probation, remand by sally

‘Potentially dangerous prisoners are spending years on remand before disappearing into the community after their release without being properly monitored, the prisons watchdog has warned.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 25th January 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Warnings over ‘inconsistent’ monitoring of criminals after release from jail – The Independent

Posted July 14th, 2022 in dangerous offenders, news, probation, reports by tracey

‘Dangerous criminals are being downgraded to the lowest level of monitoring from police and other bodies too quickly after being freed from jail, watchdogs have warned.’

Full Story

The Independent, 14th July 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

MP welcomes parole reforms after Pitchfork release – BBC News

Posted April 4th, 2022 in child abuse, dangerous offenders, murder, news, parole, sexual offences by sally

‘An MP who campaigned against the release of double child killer Colin Pitchfork has welcomed “landmark” changes to the parole system.’

Full Story

BBC News, 1st April 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Discretionary Life Sentences – Setting the minimum term – ½ or 2/3 of the notional determinate sentence – Doughty Street Chambers

Posted February 25th, 2021 in attorney general, dangerous offenders, news, sentencing, terrorism by sally

‘James Wood QC discusses recent sentence appeals on minimum terms in discretionary life sentences. He assesses the likely impact of the recent statutory changes increasing the minimum term to be served by some prisoners serving determinate sentences from ½ to 2/3. He identifies prosecutorial appeals to increase minimum terms in discretionary life sentences by the Attorney General, and warns that the judicial and statutory drift appears to be towards a similar lengthening from ½ to 2/3 of the minimum term to be served by those sentenced to discretionary life sentences on grounds of dangerousness.’

Full Story

Doughty Street Chambers, 24th February 2021

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

Britain’s ‘most violent rapists’ should die in jail, court told – The Independent

Posted October 15th, 2020 in dangerous offenders, news, parole, rape, sentencing by tracey

‘Two of Britain’s “worst and most violent rapists” should die in jail instead of facing potential release, a court has been told. The solicitor general for England and Wales told the Court of Appeal that rare whole life orders should be handed to Joseph McCann and Reynhard Sinaga.’

Full Story

The Independent, 14th October 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Sentencing review to look at most dangerous and prolific offenders – Ministry of Justice

‘The work, which begins immediately, will focus on whether violent and sexual offenders are serving sentences that truly reflect the severity of their crimes. It will consider whether changes in legislation are needed to lock criminals up for longer – by not letting them out automatically part-way through a sentence. It will also look at how to break the cycle of repeat offending.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 12th August 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

John Worboys: Parole Board ‘miscalculated danger posed by rapist’ – The Guardian

Posted March 14th, 2018 in dangerous offenders, news, parole, sexual offences by sally

‘The Parole Board failed to take into account the full extent of John Worboys’ offending and therefore miscalculated the danger he still poses, the high court has been told.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 13th March 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Corpse-sex threat prisoner Richard Ford ‘has very low IQ’ – BBC News

‘A prisoner who threatened to kill a number of people and have sex with their corpses is appealing against his 45-year sentence on the basis of his “extraordinarily low IQ”.’

Full Story

BBC News, 8th March 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ken Clarke: Change rules on ‘public danger’ prisoners – BBC News

Posted May 31st, 2016 in dangerous offenders, news, parole, prisons, probation, rehabilitation, sentencing by tracey

‘Former justice secretary Ken Clarke says parole boards should have more power to free criminals jailed because they were a danger to the public. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme it was “absurd” to keep prisoners in jail beyond their original terms.’

Full story

BBC News, 30th May 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Regina v Roberts (Mark) and others- WLR Daily

Regina v Roberts (Mark) and others [2016] EWCA Crim 71

‘In each of the 13 applications before the court, the applicants applied for an extension of time in which to apply for leave to appeal against sentences of imprisonment or detention for public protection (“IPP”)), imposed between 2005 and 2008 under the Criminal Justice Act 2003. Before the sentence of IPP was amended by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, the court was required to make the assumption that an offender was dangerous if he had been convicted on an earlier occasion of a specified offence, unless it was unreasonable to do so. Where he was found to be dangerous, and over 18, the court was required to pass a sentence of IPP or life imprisonment; the 2003 Act removed all discretion from the court once it was found that the offender was dangerous. All the applicants had either been detained in custody long after the expiry of the minimum term or had been recalled for breach of licence. The applicants submitted (1) that whatever might have been the position at the time the sentences of IPP were passed, the Court of Appeal had power under section 11 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 to pass sentences that, in the light of what had happened over the intervening years, now would be the proper sentence; (2) the Court of Appeal should reconsider the assessments made by sentencing judges in the light of R v Lang [2005] EWCA Crim 2864; [2006] 1 WLR 2509, and (3) a time could and had been reached when the length of the imprisonment was so excessive and disproportionate compared to the index criminal offence that it could amount to inhuman treatment under article 3 or arbitrary detention under article 5 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. That was because the detention no longer had any meaningful link to the index offence. A much delayed review of a sentencing decision could therefore be a mechanism the court could employ to avoid a breach of those Convention Rights. As the period now served by each of the applicants was so much longer than any conceivable determinate sentence would have required, the continued detention amounted to preventative detention and was therefore arbitrary. ‘

WLR Daily, 18th March 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Number of most dangerous prisoners in special units doubles – report – The Guardian

Posted August 25th, 2015 in dangerous offenders, imprisonment, news, prisons, reports by sally

‘The number of the most dangerous male prisoners in England being held in a special “jail within a jail” system has doubled over the past decade, inspectors have revealed.’

Full story

The Guardian, 25th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk