'Justice and hope': Campaigners hail UK PM Andy Burnham's vow to end indefinite jail terms

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to end the controversial Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, saying people will no longer remain trapped indefinitely under a punishment abolished more than a decade ago, The Guardian reported.Burnham announced on Sunday that legislation would be brought in by the end of the current parliament to terminate the open-ended sentences.The move was welcomed by campaigners who have spent years pushing for reforms and called it a long-awaited step towards justice for thousands of affected families.“This will finally bring justice and hope to IPPs and their families," Bernadette Emerson, co-founder of the IPP Solidarity Movement, was quoted as saying by The Independent.IPP sentences were introduced in 2005 for offenders considered a continuing risk to the public. Prisoners were given a minimum tariff but no fixed maximum term, meaning they could remain behind bars even after completing the minimum period. Although the system was abolished in 2012, the decision was not retrospective.As of June 30, 856 people were still in prison under IPP sentences, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service.Eight in 10 of those prisoners had spent at least 10 years in jail beyond the minimum term at which they could have applied for parole. Another 1,415 people who had been released under IPP sentences had been recalled to custody.Campaigners welcomed Burnham's announcement but called for swift implementation and support for prisoners transitioning out of custody and off IPP licences.Marc Conway, CEO of campaign group United Group for Reform of IPP (UNGRIPP), said the announcement marked an important step after years of campaigning.Conway, himself a former IPP prisoner, said legislation alone could not undo the damage caused by the system but was necessary to begin addressing it.The IPP regime has also been linked to severe mental health struggles among prisoners and their families. Tommy Nicol, who received a four-year minimum tariff for robbery, died by suicide in 2015 after spending years in prison.His sister Donna has campaigned for an end to the system, saying the government's pledge came too late for her brother.Burnham said the government would take a "very careful" approach to ending the sentences, particularly because some prisoners could still pose a risk to the public.He also announced plans for a cross-party oversight group to examine how the changes would be implemented."There are still individuals who will pose a risk to communities," Burnham said, stressing that public safety and national security would be considered while bringing the system to an end.According to The Independent, almost 2,300 people remain affected by IPP sentences, including more than 800 who have never been released.The government is expected to bring forward legislation before the end of the parliamentary term, with further details on how individual cases will be handled to be worked out under the proposed oversight process.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.