Trapped: The IPP Prisoner Scandal – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Theresa and Josh’s story.

Today we hear from Theresa, whose son Josh has been serving an IPP sentence since he was 18. Josh was sentenced to an IPP in 2008 for GBH, he’s now 34. When Sam meets Theresa in May 2024, Josh is still recovering from his recent set-back with the parole board. Theresa has shared an open letter from Josh in prison, written to alert the outside world of his crisis.

We also catch up with Roddy Russell who was featured in Episode 4: A Catch 22 and who has now had the first visit in 4 ½ years with his brother Robert, who is serving an IPP at HMP Swaleside, Roddy doesn’t recognise his brother at first. Roddy also meets the Right Reverend Rachel Treweek, the Bishop of Gloucester, whose diocese covers the Forest of Dean, where Roddy and Robert grew up. Roddy is keen to raise Robert’s plight with Bishop Rachel as she sits in the House of Lords as the Bishop for Prisons. Bishop Rachel wants to see the end of the historic IPP sentences and she has since met Robert in prison to pray with him.

Despite the welcome amendment to the Victim’s and Prisoners Act 2024, which has shortened the license period for IPP prisoners in the community from 10 to 3 years, for the IPP prisoners like Josh who are trapped inside on this indeterminate sentence, it doesn’t help them at all. Against the background of the prison crisis making headlines, a group of leading campaigners send an open letter to the new Labour Government to act quickly on IPPs. Roddy Russell is amongst those who travel to London to hand-deliver the letter to the Ministry of Justice. We hear from Roddy and his fellow campaigners outside of the MOJ as they reflect on the appointment of James Timpson as Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation. Will he and the Labour Government finally put an end to the IPP scandal? Josh has a message for Timpson and the other politicians: ‘imagine I was your son, please help me. I'm begging you.’

Get in touch on X, TikTok, Facebook or Instagram | @Trapped_Pod

Trapped Substack: https://trappedpodcast.substack.com/

For more info about the IPP campaign visit UNGRIPP | www.ungripp.com | @UNGRIPP | IPP Committee In Action @ActionIpp 

Contributors in order of appearance:

Theresa, mother of IPP serving prisoner Josh Mcrae

Roddy Russell, brother of IPP serving prisoner Robert Russell

The Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester and Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons

Marc Conway, IPP prisoner on license

Andrew Morris, IPP prisoner on license 

Richard Garside, The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies

Voices in Archive:

James Timpson, Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation

Credits:

Reporter: Samantha Asumadu | @SamanthaAsumadu

Executive Producer: Melissa FitzGerald | @Melissafitzg

Producer: Steve Langridge | @SMLANGERS

Consultant: Hank Rossi

An Ear Worm Production for the Institute of Now

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode is an exclusive interview with Martin Jones CBE, who was appointed His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation in March 2024. Prior to that, he was Chief Executive of the Parole Board from 2015.

Sam meets Martin Jones at the MOJ building, 102 Petty France, Westminster in July 2024 to discuss the IPP scandal in the shadow of the looming prisons crisis. It had been a big week for criminal justice: the new Justice Minister, Shabana Mahmood had just announced she was dealing with the crisis by allowing the early release of prisoners on standard determinate sentences after serving 40% of their sentences in custody. However, Martin tells Sam that 97% of probation areas are falling short of expectations, an extraordinary figure which starkly highlights a system that is not only in crisis, but has spectacularly failed. Martin’s message to the new government is that they need to invest in an already struggling probation service. The system is broken everywhere and there are no quick fixes. And he says he hopes the new government will “look again” at IPP sentences, which are “hugely costly, hugely burdensome for the system”.

Get in touch on X, TikTok, Facebook or Instagram | @Trapped_Pod

Trapped Substack: https://trappedpodcast.substack.com/

For more info about the IPP campaign visit UNGRIPP | www.ungripp.com | @UNGRIPP | And the IPP Committee In Action @ActionIpp

Contributors in order of appearance:

Martin Jones CBE, HM Chief Inspector of Probation | @jones_martinw

Voices in Archive:

Shabana Mahmood, Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor | @ShabanaMahmood

Credits:

Reporter: Samantha Asumadu | @SamanthaAsumadu

Executive Producer: Melissa FitzGerald | @melissafitzg

Producer: Steve Langridge | @SMLANGERS

Consultant: Hank Rossi

An Ear Worm Production for the Institute of Now

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernadette and Abdulahi's story, plus Sam explores mental health treatment for IPPs and the now controversial Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway.

Sam travels to Cardiff to meet Bernadette, whose husband Abdulahi received an IPP sentence in 2005. His original tariff was two years and he has been recalled back to prison four times. Abdulahi was born in Somalia and moved to the UK as a child. He is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and his mental health has deteriorated since being in prison and because of the anxiety-inducing uncertainty of his IPP sentence.

Sam also gets a call from an IPP serving prisoner we are calling Mitch. He was released in 2018 after 11 years and was recalled back to prison the same year for breaching licence conditions. We also hear from James Daly MP, prison and parole solicitor, Dean Kingham and Senior Lecturer in law at the University of York, Ailbe O’Louhglin, who explains the history of the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway, which is now considered controversial amongst many psychologists and psychiatrists.

Get in touch with the team on X, TikTok, Facebook or Instagram @Trapped_Pod

For more info about the campaign to end IPP sentences visit UNGRIPP: www.ungripp.com / @UNGRIPP

Contributors in order of appearance:

Bernadette Emmerson, wife of Abdulahi, an IPP serving prisoner 

'Mitch', IPP serving prisoner 

James Daly MP

Dean Kingham, Prison and Parole Solicitor

Graham Towl, Professor of forensic psychology at Durham University

Ailbe O’Louhglin, Senior Lecturer in law at the University of York

Dr Jo Shingler, Forensic Psychologist 

Shirley Debono, IPP Committee in Action

Voices in Archive:

Alex Chalk KC MP

Credits:

Reporter: Samantha Asumadu @SamanthaAsumadu

Executive Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @melissafitzg

Producer: Steve Langridge @SMLANGERS

Consultant: Hank Rossi

Artwork: The Brightside

A Zinc Media production for the Institute of Now

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donna and Tommy’s story and why so many IPP serving prisoners have taken their own lives.

Tommy Nicol was serving an IPP sentence for robbery and when his tariff expired and he still wasn’t released from prison, he took his own life. Tommy is just one of many: the total number of IPP serving prisoners who had taken their own lives by the end of 2022 was 81. Today Sam investigates the human stories behind these stark statistics. 

Sam visits the ‘SoulsINQUEST’ exhibition in Brixton’s 198 Gallery to speak to INQUEST’s Director, Deborah Coles and look at their exhibition highlighting state violence, death, grief and resistance. It includes a tribute to Tommy, written by his sister Donna Mooney, and a photograph of a bike which signifies ‘the wheel of pain’. After Tommy's death, Donna became involved in setting up the campaigning organisation UNGRIPP, the ‘United Group for the Reform of IPPs'. 

Sam also meets Sir Bob Neil to talk about the evidence gathered by the Justice Select Committee’s IPP report on self-harm and suicide. And we hear Labour’s John McDonnell raise the issue in parliament: they both highlight how IPP sentences create a sense of hopelessness, pushing many serving them over the edge. Lord David Blunkett, the architect of the IPP sentence, is posed a hard-hitting question by a former IPP prisoner.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of the men and women who have taken their own lives whilst serving IPP sentences.

Get in touch on Twitter, TikTok, Facebook or Instagram @Trapped_Pod

For more info about UNGRIPP visit: www.ungripp.com / @UNGRIPP

For more information about INQUEST visit: www.inquest.org.uk / @INQUEST_ORG

Contributors in order of appearance:

Donna Mooney, IPP campaigner and sister of Tommy Nicol

Deborah Coles, Director of Inquest @DebatINQUEST

Sir Bob Neil MP @neill_bob

Graham Towl @ProfGrahamTowl

Lord David Blunkett @LordBlunkett

Voices in archive:

John McDonnell MP

Reporter: Samantha Asumadu @SamanthaAsumadu

Executive Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @melissafitzg

Producer: Steve Langridge @SMLANGERS

Consultant: Hank Rossi

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roddy and Robert Russell’s story, plus Sam explores why IPP serving prisoners are finding it so hard to get released by the parole board.

Roddy Russell first found out what an IPP sentence was in 2011 when his brother, Robert didn't come home after serving 2-and-a-half-year tariff for a threat to kill. The brothers grew up in the Forest of Dean – and Roddy left as soon as he was old enough for a career in the RAF, whilst Robert went down a different path and has been in prison for the last 14 years, serving an indefinite imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence. Today Roddy travels back to the Forest of Dean to meet Robert's friends and former co-workers as he takes on his latest battle to help get his brother released.

To understand why IPPs are finding it so hard to get released by the parole board, Sam meets the lawyer Andrew Sperling and former prison officer Sam Samworth. Samworth, who explains what prison life is like for people serving IPP sentences and how vulnerable they are. Hank Rossi of the Institute of Now and Richard Garside, Director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, discuss the barriers that prisoners face when approaching a parole review. It’s a Catch-22 says Garside, the problems IPPs face get reproduced over time with no obvious way out.

Finally, Sam and Hank travel to Bristol to meet Stafford Lightman, a Professor of Medicine. He describes how the brain responds to stress and how indefinite detention exacerbates its effects for both IPP prisoners and their family members.

Get in touch on Twitter, Tik Tok or Instagram @Trapped_Pod

Listen to our BBC Radio 4 doc, featuring Roddy and Robert on the IPP sentence: 'Tapped in the System' here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001l267

Contributors in order of appearance:

Roddy Russell, IPP campaigner and brother of IPP serving prisoner, Robert @1roddyRussell

Andrew Sperling, Lawyer and parole specialist, director of SL5 Legal. @AndrewSperling

Graham Towl, Professor of forensic psychology at Durham University, former Chief Psychologist at the Ministry of Justice @ProfGrahamTowl

Bryn Williams, former employer of Robert Russell

Hank Rossi, The Institute of Now

Andrew Mapps, friend of Robert Russell

Nick Ballard, friend of Robert Russell

Dan Nelmes, friend of Robert Russell

Sam Samworth, former prison officer and Author @NeilSamworth

Clara White, sister of IPP serving prisoner Thomas White

Richard Garside, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies @RichardJGarside

Stafford Lightman, Professor of Medicine, University of Bristol

Reporter: Samantha Asumadu @SamanthaAsumadu

Executive Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @melissafitzg

Producer: Steve Langridge @SMLANGERS

Consultant: Hank Rossi

Artwork: Brightside

A Zinc Media Production for The Institute of Now

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shirley and Shaun’s story, plus Sam digs into the history of the IPP sentence, what has made it such a failure?

Shirley Debono has been campaigning against IPPs (Imprisonment for Public Protection) for many years. Her son Shaun Lloyd received an IPP sentence in 2005 for a street robbery of a mobile phone. He is one of the first people to receive an indeterminate IPP sentence and he’s been trapped in a cycle of recalls to prison ever since. We join Shirley as she travels to the HQ of the parole board in London to try and confront the CEO, Martin Jones, about delays to her son’s parole review.

To understand where IPPs came from, Sam digs into the history of the sentence, which came into existence in 2005. She meets its architect, Lord David Blunkett. He regrets introducing the IPP sentence under New Labour’s conviction to be ‘tough on crime’ and he now campaigns against it. Sam also meets the Conservative Peer, Lord Ken Clark who abolished the sentence in 2012, but not retrospectively, leaving thousands still trapped in prison. Lord Blunkett blames judges for misapplying this legislation, so Sam seeks out a response from two former judges, Nick Cooke and Lord Simon Brown, a former Supreme Court judge, who has become an icon in the fight for IPP justice.

Get in touch on Twitter, TikTok or Instagram @Trapped_Pod

For more info about the Campaign for Justice for IPPs prisoners: UNGRIPP www.ungripp.com/ Twitter @UNGRIPP

Contributors in order of appearance:

Shirley Debono, mother of Shaun Lloyd and IPP campaigner

Lord David Blunkett, Labour Peer

Harry Annison, Criminologist, Southampton Law School

Lord Ken Clark, Conservative Peer.

Nick Cooke, retired Judge

(The Late) Lord Simon Brown, Former Law Lord and Justice of the Supreme Court 2009 - 2012

Milo Boyd, Journalist

Richard Garside, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies @CrimeandJustice

Voices in Archive:

Sir Tony Blair

Production Team:

Reporter: Samantha Asumadu @SamanthaAsumadu

Executive Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @melissafitzg

Producer: Steve Langridge @SMLANGERS

Consultant: Hank Rossi

Artwork: Brightside

A Zinc Media Production for The Institute of Now

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam reports on Aaron and Cherrie’s story and the ‘Kafkaesque maze’ of the offending behaviour programmes.

Aaron Graham is the longest straight serving IPP prisoner. He's has been in prison for nineteen years without parole on a two-and-a-half-year tariff, and he still doesn’t know when he’s getting out. Aaron’s sister Cherrie Nichol has been campaigning for Aaron and others like him serving the IPP sentence. 

Sam also digs into the offending behaviour programs, an integral part of the justice system and proving your reduced risk to the parole board as an IPP serving prisoner. She finds that these courses are hard to access in many prisons. Sometimes IPP prisoners do the courses multiple times, and the parole board still doesn't grant release, leaving these prisoners in what’s been described as ‘a Kafkaesque maze’. 

Meanwhile in Westminster, it’s now June 2023 and the new Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk remains non-committal on resentencing the 2,916 prisoners still serving the IPP sentence, but he has also left the door open for further action. Whilst the politicking continues in Parliament, the prisoners and their families remain in limbo. 

Get in touch on Twitter, TikTok or Instagram @Trapped_Pod

For more info about the Campaign for Justice for IPPs prisoners: UNGRIPP www.ungripp.com/ Twitter @UNGRIPP

Contributors in order of appearance:

Aaron Graham, IPP serving prisoner

Cherrie Nichol, sister of Aaron Graham and IPP campaigner.

Dr. Jo Shingler, forensic psychologist 

Mark Day, Prison Reform Trust @PRTuk

Dean Kingham, prison and parole solicitor

Harry Annison, criminologist 

Voices in archive:

Lord Daniel Moylan

Sir Bob Neill

John McDonnell MP

Alex Chalk KC MP

Joe Outlaw, IPP serving prisoner

Production Team:

Reporter: Samantha Asumadu @SamanthaAsumadu

Executive Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @melissafitzg

Producer: Steve Langridge @SMLANGERS

Consultant: Hank Rossi

Artwork: Brightside 

A Zinc Media Production for The Institute of Now

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are IPPs sentences and why are they so destructive?

It's the 27th of April 2023. We join reporter Sam Asumadu as she takes us back to the time when she first heard about IPPs (Imprisonment for Public Protection) sentences during a meeting with Shirley Debono, who’s been campaigning for justice for IPPs since her son Shaun received an IPP sentence for a street robbery without violence. He was given a two-and-a-half-year tariff back in 2005, and he’s still serving the sentence, nearly 18 years later.

There are currently 2,916 people trapped in prison on an IPP sentence. They are 'ghost prisoners': none of them know when they are getting out or whether their IPP sentence could mean life in prison. Sam speaks to Lord Blunkett, who introduced the IPP sentence back in 2005 when he was Home Secretary, he tells her it’s a decision he now regrets. 

Sam follows Shirley and other IPP campaigners as they attend a debate in Westminster Hall, called by Sir Bob Neill to address the Government's response to the Justice Select Committee's report on IPP sentences, which was delivered in February 2023. The campaigners are hopeful that the government will reverse their rejection of the Justice Committee's recommendation to resentence all prisoners serving an IPP sentence.

Sam also speaks to Clara White, whose brother Thomas has been imprisoned on an IPP sentence since 2012 after receiving a 2-year tariff for stealing a mobile phone. Thomas’s story is highlighted by James Daley MP at the Westminster Hall Debate as evidence of the harm IPP sentences do to prisoners and their families. 

Get in touch on Twitter, TikTok or Instagram @Trapped_Pod

For more info about the Campaign for Justice for IPPs prisoners: UNGRIPP www.ungripp.com/ Twitter @UNGRIPP

Contributors in order of appearance:

Shirley Debono, Campaigner and mother of Shaun Lloyd, who is serving an IPP.

Dr. Jo Shingler, Forensic Psychologist @ShinglerJo

Alana Bell, Sister of IPP serving prisoner, Wayne Bell

Hank Rossi, IPP Activist.

Lord Blunkett, Labour peer

Lord Moylan, Conservative peer

Mark Day, Prison Reform Trust @PRTuk

Sir Bob Neill MP, Chair of the Justice Select Committee

James Daly, Conservative MP

Clara White, Campaigner and sister of IPP serving prisoner, Thomas White.

Thomas White, Prisoner serving an IPP.

Dean Kingham, Solicitor, lawyer to Thomas White

Andrea Coomber, The Howard League for Penal Reform @TheHowardLeague

Bishop Mick Fleming, Church on the Street

Production Team:

Reporter: Samantha Asumadu @SamanthaAsumadu

Executive Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @melissafitzg

Producer: Steve Langridge @SMLANGERS

Consultant: Hank Rossi

A Zinc Media Production for The Institute of Now

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcast series charting the UK #IPP prisoner scandal. Listen on #Acast #ApplePodcasts #Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Today there are nearly 3,000 people trapped in British prisons on the now abolished indeterminate IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection) sentence, many for minor crimes like stealing a mobile phone. None of them know when they are getting out, or whether their IPP sentence could mean life in prison. To date, 87 IPP serving prisoners, with a lack of certainty and losing hope, have taken their own lives. The IPP has been called a ‘stain on the British justice system’ and ‘psychological torture’. But most people have never heard of it…

In this ‘tragically brilliant’ and hard hitting 10-part podcast series, the investigative reporter Sam Asumadu is digging deep into the plight of prisoners serving IPPs, and their families, to find out what has gone wrong with this sentence and shine a light into the dark corners of the IPP story.

Featuring contributions from prisoners serving IPP sentences, their families, campaigners, criminologists, psychologists, journalists, lawyers, retired judges, MPs and Peers.

Get in touch on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram @Trapped_pod

If you want to do something, you can tell a friend to listen to this series. Knowledge is power and the more who know, the harder it is for injustice to take place.  

If you want to do something more active, you can write to your MP - and tell them to raise questions about prisoners serving IPPs in parliament.

Some campaigners have started a petition hosted on the UK government website. Search the hashtag #JusticeForIPPs on social media for more info and the link.

For more information about the Campaign for IPP Justice: Contact UNGRIPP www.ungripp.com/ or on Twitter @UNGRIPP

Contributors in order of appearance:

Thomas White, IPP serving prisoner.

Jo Shingler, Forensic Psychologist @ShinglerJo

Alana Bell, Sister of Wayne Bell, IPP serving prisoner.

Mark Day, Prison Reform Trust @PRTuk

Production Team:

Reporter: Samantha Asumadu @SamanthaAsumadu

Executive Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @melissafitzg

Producer: Steve Langridge @SMLANGERS

Consultant: Hank Rossi

Artwork: Brightside 

Listen to our BBC Radio 4 doc on the IPP Sentence: 'Tapped in the System' here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001l267

A Zinc Media production for the Institute of Now

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rob and Sara’s story. Sam investigates the impact of recall on IPP prisoners in the community. Change is finally coming - how will it affect them? 

Rob was given an IPP sentence in 2008 and he’s been recalled back to prison 4 times since then. His partner Sara is a campaigner with UNGRIPP, The United Group for Reform of IPP: they met through the work she was doing. Sam meets them in Manchester in May 2024, just as the Victim’s and Prisoner’s Bill is making its way towards a conclusion in Parliament. This bill is bringing in significant reforms to the way that IPP prisoner’s licenses work.  

The IPP license period will be changed from 10 to 3 years for termination with a sunset clause which means that if the license is not terminated at the direction of the Parole Board after 3 years, it will be automatically terminated after a further two years. This will have a direct impact on Rob and other IPP prisoners on license in the community, like him. But behind the headlines are real stories about real people, so Sam is keen to find out how prisoners on license like Rob are coping. She also speaks to the prison lawyers Emma McClure and Andrew Sperling and Dr Alice Edwards the UK Special Rapporteur to get their takes on the recall ‘merry-go-round'. 

Get in touch on X, TikTok, Facebook or Instagram @Trapped_Pod 

For more info about UNGRIPP visit: www.ungripp.com / @UNGRIPP 

Trapped Substack: https://trappedpodcast.substack.com/

Contributors in order of appearance: 

Rob Dutton, IPP prisoner on license 

Sara Ramsden, Rob’s partner and campaigner 

Emma McClure, Prison Law Solicitor  

Andrew Sperling, Solicitor Advocate @AndrewSperling 

Dr. Alice Edwards, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture @DrAliceJEdwards 

Credits: 

Reporter: Samantha Asumadu @SamanthaAsumadu 

Executive Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @melissafitzg 

Producer: Steve Langridge @SMLANGERS 

Consultant: Hank Rossi 

A Zinc Media Production for the Institute of Now 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.