UN Experts Urge UK to End Remaining Imprisonment for Public Protection Sentences

The UN experts highlighted several individual cases that they say reflect broader problems within the IPP system.

United Nations human rights experts have renewed calls for the United Kingdom to urgently review and re-sentence people still serving Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences in England and Wales, warning that the continued use of the abolished sentencing regime is causing serious human rights violations and severe psychological harm.

Although Parliament abolished IPP sentences in 2012, around 2,400 people remain subject to the system. Hundreds have never been released from prison, while many others have been freed only to be recalled repeatedly. The experts said the situation has left thousands living with prolonged uncertainty despite the sentencing framework being scrapped more than a decade ago.

According to the experts, almost every unreleased IPP prisoner has served longer than the minimum tariff originally imposed by the court, while nearly three-quarters have spent more than ten additional years in prison beyond the punishment initially considered appropriate.

Individual Cases Reveal Lasting Psychological Impact

The UN experts highlighted several individual cases that they say reflect broader problems within the IPP system. Joseph Brady has spent 18 years in prison despite receiving a four-year tariff. After being released and recalled four times, he has reportedly experienced serious mental health deterioration and repeated incidents of self-harm linked to the uncertainty surrounding his detention.

Kerry Parish-McCann has served 17 years after receiving a three-year tariff for robbery. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder and epilepsy, she has repeatedly moved between release and recall while struggling with trauma, instability and repeated episodes of self-harm.

Thomas White has remained in custody for more than 12 years on a two-year tariff. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia after spending more than a decade in prison, raising concerns that his mental health condition was not properly recognised during sentencing and may now prevent him from meeting the requirements needed for release.

The experts said these cases are representative of wider systemic failures that continue to expose prisoners to excessive punishment, declining mental health and little hope of permanent release.

UN Calls for Comprehensive Re-Sentencing

The experts expressed concern that the current system offers no effective mechanism to reconsider the original sentence itself. While parole boards can decide whether someone should be released, they cannot reassess whether the sentence remains justified. This leaves many prisoners facing indefinite detention without a realistic opportunity for judicial review.

Particular concern was raised for prisoners living with disabilities, neurodivergence, acquired brain injuries, severe mental health conditions and histories of childhood trauma, many of whom may not have received appropriate support or consideration during sentencing or while navigating the prison and parole systems.

The experts urged the UK Government to carry out a comprehensive re-sentencing exercise for everyone still subject to IPP sentences. If a full review cannot be completed immediately, they recommended introducing clear criteria for an initial phase of partial re-sentencing to begin addressing the issue. They stressed that imprisonment should support rehabilitation and reintegration into society, arguing that indefinite detention without a realistic pathway to release is incompatible with those principles and undermines the dignity and rights of people in custody.