In the UK, there are thought to be nearly 3,000 serving a prison sentence for public protection (IPP). IPP allows courts to detain people deemed dangerous at the end of their sentence for an indefinite period. Among these prisoners is Luke Ings, who was convicted nearly 20 years ago for a robbery and a fight in a McDonald’s, according to information from The Independent.
He was 17 at the time. His mother continues to fight for his release. “I would understand if they had murdered or raped someone. My son was involved in a fight in a McDonald’s and a robbery in the street,” the mother told our British colleagues.
Suicide and self-harm rates on the rise among IPP prisoners
She now fears for her son’s health, as suicide and self-harm rates are rising among IPP prisoners. One reason is the loss of hope of release. Especially as the government has released other prisoners after serving only 40% of their sentence in an attempt to reduce prison overcrowding.
In addition, these long IPP sentences are said to have a negative impact on mental health. According to the inmate’s mother, her once confident and well-behaved son has become nervous and has difficulty making eye contact. In 2012, these prison sentences were abolished because they violated human rights. But without retroactive effect, those already affected have not been released.
There is hope for Luke Ings and his friends as a Labour Party member has called for a vote on a new bill that would allow IPP prisoners to be sentenced to new terms. The politician says the prison sentences are “torture sentences” that make “no sense”. The initiative has already received support from several parties.
