Prisoners trapped on indeterminate jail terms not included in Labour government’s sentencing review

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Prisoners facing indefinite sentences will not have their cases addressed as part of the new Labour government’s planned sentencing review, prisons minister Lord Timpson has said. open image in gallery IPP architect Lord Blunkett has backed calls foran urgent reform of the sentences Speaking in the House of Lords on Wednesday, Lord Timpson said he was “well aware” of the issue and that it is of “great concern” to him, but said: “IPP prisoners are not caught in the changes that we’re putting forwards.” The minister added: “It would not be appropriate to make changes in relation to IPP prisoners, because they are a different order of public protection risk. “Any changes that we make to the regime for that type of sentence, which has rightly been abolished, must be done while balancing the public protection risk, which we would never take lightly.” Lord Timpson, who is the former chairman of the Prison Reform Trust and founder of the Employment Advisory Board network which links prisons with employers to improve employment opportunities for offenders upon release, said he has met many IPP prisoners. Lady Jones said: “Clearly there is an injustice that needs to be sorted as fast as possible and it was created by the last Labour Government and so it would be very appropriate for the current Labour Government to sort it out as quickly as possible.” Last month, campaigners issued demands for IPP reform after 121 people had taken their lives under “the cruel, inhumane and degrading” sentences – including 90 in prison and 31 in the community.