A thematic inspection of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) recall decisions
"The sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) is widely acknowledged to be flawed. It operated for only seven years and was abolished in 2012. During this time 8,711 IPP sentences were passed. At the present time, 1 1,269 people serving the sentence have never been released from prison even though, for the majority, their tariff has long passed. A further 1,652 are in prison having been recalled. Some spent several years in the community before their recall; others have been recalled and re-released several times. This has led to what was described by the Justice Select Committee2 as the ‘merry go round’ of repeated release and recall. In response to the Committee’s report, the government asked (HMI Probation) to conduct an inspection of whether recall decisions were proportionate to the risks presented."
From the introduction to HMI Report
The findings indicate, importantly, that the majority of decisions were appropriate and proportionate, but there was insufficient support for individuals on release.
Photo from report, HMI Probation