Parole Board
The Parole Board welcomes the proposals recently announced as part of the Victims and Prisoners Bill for reducing the qualifying period for the eligibility for termination of an IPP licence from ten years to three years, and, if not terminated at that point, an automatic termination after two years. These are still proposals in the Victims and Prisoners Bill and the Board is following the passage of the Bill very closely.
Under current legislation, the Parole Board has considered 576 referrals made under section 31A of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 to consider terminating the IPP licence, of which 230 have now been terminated. Where the licence has not been terminated, the case is referred again for further consideration in 12 months. More information about IPP licence terminations can be read here: IPP Licence Terminations
The Board is also very encouraged by the publication of the updated HMPPS IPP Action Plan which was presented to the Justice Committee by the Secretary of State for Justice in his letter dated 26 April 2023. There are a range of measures which the Board is contributing towards via the External Stakeholder Reference Group which has been established and includes representatives from charities, campaign groups and inspectorates. The Secretary of States letter and the updated IPP action plan can be read here: HMPPS IPP Action Plan.
The Parole Board is currently developing best practice advice for Parole Board panels undertaking parole reviews for IPP sentence prisoners and this will be published in the early part of 2024. Information about historical policy changes that the Board has made, together with previous statements can be read here: