Podcast series charting the #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 multi-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 to 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 X, TikTok and Instagram @Trapped_pod
Trapped Substack: https://trappedpodcast.substack.com/
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.
Search the hashtag #IPPScandal on social media for more info.
For more information about the Campaign for IPP Justice: visit UNGRIPP www.ungripp.com/ | @UNGRIPP and IPP Committee in Action www.ippcommitteeinaction.com/ | @ActionIpp
Reporter: Samantha Asumadu @SamanthaAsumadu
Executive Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @melissafitzg
Producer: Steve Langridge @SMLANGERS
Consultant: Hank Rossi
A Zinc Media Group / Ear Worm Production for The Institute of Now
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Podcast series charting the #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 multi-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 to 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 X, TikTok and Instagram @Trapped_pod
Trapped Substack: https://trappedpodcast.substack.com/
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.
Search the hashtag #IPPScandal on social media for more info.
For more information about the Campaign for IPP Justice: visit UNGRIPP www.ungripp.com/ | @UNGRIPP and IPP Committee in Action www.ippcommitteeinaction.com/ | @ActionIpp
Reporter: Samantha Asumadu @SamanthaAsumadu
Executive Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @melissafitzg
Producer: Steve Langridge @SMLANGERS
Consultant: Hank Rossi
A Zinc Media Group / Ear Worm Production for The Institute of Now
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The inside story of the measures being taken by members of the House of Lords for IPP prisoners in the current parliamentary Victims and Prisoners Bill.
We join Sam on 11th March 2024, three months after the inquest of Matthew Price, an IPP prisoner on license who took his own life, and one day before the Victims and Prisoners bill committee stage in the House of Lords. The two are linked because this bill is being heralded as perhaps the last opportunity for some time to use legislation to finally close the chapter on imprisonment for public protection sentences (IPPs) which the United Nations have called ‘cruel, inhuman and degrading’.
The bill came to the Lords with an amendment which will change the license conditions for IPPs from 10 to 3 years, which might well have saved Matthew Price, who killed himself at the 10-year point of his license. So it's a start, but many think this is not enough, and at this stage there’s an incredible 17 amendments which relate to IPPs, pinned to the Victims and Prisoners Bill. Sam takes us behind the scenes to look closer at the Lord’s amendments, asking how much difference can they make? Can they really change the story on IPPs?
Sam meets Lord Moylan who has been coordinating a group of Lords to table the amendments to the Bill. We hear more about his proposed change to the release test for IPP prisoners. She also sits down with Baroness Claire Fox, who is tabling the amendment on resentencing. This was originally proposed by Sir Bob Neil, Chair of the Justice Select Committee, and was rejected by the government back in 2023. Conservative Peer, Earl Attlee is the Grandson of the famous post-war Labour PM. He has long held an interest in criminal justice. He isn't confident that any of the amendments will get much support once they go back to the Commons and describes the political calculations being made by both the Labour and Conservative front benches.
Sam also catches up with Matthew Price’s lawyers Emma McClure and Andrew Sperling following Matthew’s inquest. The coroner released a Prevention of Future Deaths report on how the IPP sentence contributed to Matthew’s death, urging the Secretary of State for Justice to act and stop any further deaths occurring. This is one of an unprecedented three Prevention of Future Death notices relating to IPP prisoners, which have been sent to the Government this year.
At the Lord's debate on 12th March, the Labour Spokesperson for Justice, Lord Ponsonby and the Conservative Spokesperson for Justice, Lord Bellamy present a united front in opposing Baroness Fox's amendment: is it the end of the road for resentencing IPP prisoners?
Get in touch on X, TikTok, Facebook, IG @Trapped_Pod
Follow the campaigners: www.ungripp.com @UNGRIPP & @ActionIPP
Contributors in order of appearance:
Lord Daniel Moylan
Baroness Fox of Berkeley
John Richard Attlee, The 3rd Earl Attlee
Emma McClure, Consultant Solicitor
Andrew Sperling, Solicitor Advocate
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.