UPDATE

News for families of people serving IPP sentences

You may have heard that the judgements on the Secretary of State's appeal were published today, 1st February 2008.

Unfortunately, the judgements do not significantly change the current situation for people on these sentences.

Walker
The Secretary of State's appeal was dismissed. This means that the Prison Service is acting unlawfully in not providing courses for people on IPP sentences. However, the court decided that this does not mean that keeping IPP prisoners in prison over tariff was unlawful.

People who experience long delays in getting on to courses will have to speak to a solicitor about whether or not they have a case. They will have to show there was an unreasonable delay that meant that the Parole Board could not make a proper assessment about release. This will depend on the individual circumstances.

James
The Secretary of State's appeal was allowed. This means that the order to release Mr James was set aside. People will not be released automatically when their tariff ends.

The implications of these judgements will become clearer as more cases are taken to court.

We would advise anyone concerned about their sentence to seek legal advice.

The judgement and PRT's reaction to it can be viewed here

How do we help?
PRT provides up-to-date information on prison life, rules and regulations and prisoners' rights. We give advice and assistance up to a 'casework level'. This means we can, for example, contact an official on behalf of a prisoner or their family but we cannot take legal action against them. If we can't provide any assistance, we will suggest alternative agencies or support groups who may be able to help.

We contact governors, area managers, Prison Service HQ, MPs and other officials and organisations on behalf of prisoners. We ask that prisoners contact us directly; if family members contact us we ask prisoners for their permission before carrying out any work on their behalf. We encourage prisoners to raise their complaint through official prison procedures before we take it up.

What we can't do
We cannot provide legal advice or help with miscarriages of justice. As we are a small charity, we cannot visit clients in person. 

You can contact us at the address on the left or by emailing Francesca Cooney