Latest news with #JamesTimpson
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indefinite jail terms ‘not right and not fair', Lords say in call to end IPP injustice
Peers have demanded answers over the government's refusal to resentence prisoners trapped under 'no hope' indefinite jail terms, insisting: 'It is not right and it is not fair.' In an impassioned debate in the House of Lords, peers urged prisons minister James Timpson to take decisive action to end the injustice of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) jail terms. Successive governments have refused justice committee recommendations to resentence more than 2,500 prisoners still trapped under the abolished jail term. The open-ended sentences were scrapped in 2012, but not retrospectively, leaving those already jailed incarcerated indefinitely. Victims of the scandal, whose tragic cases have been highlighted by The Independent, include: Leroy Douglas, who has served almost 20 years for stealing a mobile phone; Thomas White, 42, who set himself alight in his cell and has served 13 years for stealing a phone; and Abdullahi Suleman, 41, who is still inside 19 years after he was jailed for a laptop robbery. In a speech as his private members' bill to resentence IPP prisoners reached committee stage on Friday, Labour peer Lord Tony Woodley admitted it will not succeed without government support. Addressing IPP prisoners and their families, he told them not to give up hope, but added: 'Sadly, my bill by itself will not bring you justice. But it can help build pressure on the government to do the right thing, and it can help build public awareness of this industrial-scale miscarriage of justice. 'So please don't have false hope in my bill. Hope – but not false hope – is my aim here.' Raising a series of 'probing' amendments designed to 'expose the lack of logic' behind the government's refusal to resentence IPP prisoners, he said it is 'as big a scandal as the Post Office and the infected blood scandal'. 'Almost 100 prisoners have taken their own lives – hundreds more have been driven to insanity, with this no-hope, never-ending sentence,' he said. 'The only difference with IPP is that not enough people know about it.' He reminded the government that almost 700 IPP prisoners have served at least 10 years longer than their original minimum tariff. He added: 'How can the government deny resentencing to these people, still inside, over 10 years past their minimum sentence? 'My lords, let me remind you we are talking about people who have been locked up for over a decade longer than someone else convicted of the exact same crime, but before 2005 or after 2012. 'My lords, a lot of nonsense is spoken about 'two-tier' justice, but this is one situation where that label seems to apply. It is not right and it is not fair.' His proposals were backed by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Dr Alice Edwards, who said the jail terms have caused 'unlawful psychological torture' to prisoners. In a statement before the debate, she said: 'It is time to end the perpetual damage caused by the IPP scheme. 'These sentences have caused unlawful psychological torture and ill-treatment to too many prisoners under the care of successive British governments. 'A resentencing court is a promising way forward, in which there could be an initial prioritisation exercise of cases, necessary exclusions and, for those whose mental state requires psychiatric or other intensive treatment, their transfer to a secure mental health facility outside the prison service until such time as they are deemed fit, with regular reviews.' However, prisons minister James Timpson said none of the amendments eased his fears over resentencing, insisting the government's priority is public protection. He said the IPP Action Plan, designed to support each prisoner's progress to release by the parole board, is 'where we will sort this out'. However, he vowed to 'pull hard on every operational lever' to address the crisis and said he was carefully considering separate proposals put forward last month by an expert panel convened by the Howard League for Penal Reform. The panel, led by former lord chief justice Lord John Thomas, called for all IPP prisoners to be given a release date within a two-year window at their next parole hearing and for fewer offenders to be recalled.
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Indefinite jail terms ‘not right and not fair', Lords say in call to end IPP injustice
Peers have demanded answers over the government's refusal to resentence prisoners trapped under 'no hope' indefinite jail terms, insisting: 'It is not right and it is not fair.' In an impassioned debate in the House of Lords, peers urged prisons minister James Timpson to take decisive action to end the injustice of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) jail terms. Successive governments have refused justice committee recommendations to resentence more than 2,500 prisoners still trapped under the abolished jail term. The open-ended sentences were scrapped in 2012, but not retrospectively, leaving those already jailed incarcerated indefinitely. Victims of the scandal, whose tragic cases have been highlighted by The Independent, include Leroy Douglas, who has served almost 20 years for stealing a mobile phone; Thomas White, 42, who set himself alight in his cell and has served 13 years for stealing a phone; and Abdullahi Suleman, 41, who is still inside 19 years after he was jailed for a laptop robbery. In a speech as his private members bill to resentence IPP prisoners reached committee stage on Friday, Labour peer Lord Tony Woodley, admitted it will not succeed without government support. Addressing IPP prisoners and their families, he told them not to give up hope, but added: 'Sadly, my Bill by itself will not bring you justice. But it can help build pressure on the government to do the right thing, and it can help build public awareness of this industrial-scale miscarriage of justice. 'So please don't have false hope in my Bill. Hope – but not false hope – is my aim here.' Raising a series of 'probing' amendments designed to 'expose the lack of logic' behind the government's refusal to resentence IPP prisoners, he said it is 'as big a scandal as the Post Office and the infected blood scandal'. 'Almost 100 prisoners have taken their own lives – hundreds more have been driven to insanity, with this no-hope, never-ending sentence,' he said. 'The only difference with IPP is that not enough people know about it.' He reminded the government that almost 700 IPP prisoners have served at least ten years longer than their original minimum tariff. He added: 'How can the government deny resentencing to these people – still inside, over 10 years past their minimum sentence? 'My Lords, let me remind you we are talking about people who have been locked up for over a decade longer than someone else convicted of the exact same crime, but before 2005 or after 2012. 'My Lords, a lot of nonsense is spoken about 'two-tier' justice, but this is one situation where that label seems to apply. It is not right and it is not fair.' His proposals were backed by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Dr Alice Edwards, who said the jail terms have caused 'unlawful psychological torture' to prisoners. In a statement before the debate, she said: 'It is time to end the perpetual damage caused by the IPP scheme. 'These sentences have caused unlawful psychological torture and ill-treatment to too many prisoners under the care of successive British governments. 'A resentencing court is a promising way forward, in which there could be an initial prioritisation exercise of cases, necessary exclusions and, for those whose mental state requires psychiatric or other intensive treatment, their transfer to a secure mental health facility outside the prison service until such time as they are deemed fit, with regular reviews.' However, prisons minister James Timpson said none of the amendments eased his fears over resentencing, insisting the government's priority is public protection. He said the IPP Action Plan, designed to support each prisoner's progress to release by the parole board, is 'where we will sort this out'. However he vowed to 'pull hard on every operational lever' to address the crisis and said he was carefully considering separate proposals put forward last month by an expert panel convened by the Howard League for Penal Reform. The panel, led by former lord chief justice Lord John Thomas, called for all IPP prisoners to be given a release date within a two-year window at their next parole hearing and for fewer offenders to be recalled.
Sky News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
'Smell detectors' could be used to catch drug abuse - both inside and outside of prison
"Smell detectors" and AI cameras could be used to catch drug use inside and outside of prison. Tech companies have pitched the devices to prisons and probation minister James Timpson as a method to monitor criminals and prevent reoffending. A smell detector which uses synthetic brain cells and artificial intelligence to detect drugs such as spice or fentanyl was among the proposals. It could improve staff safety in prisons, and help detect if an offender in the community has breached their licence conditions. AI cameras could also be set up in offenders' homes in the community to check their behaviour while on licence. It comes as justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said emerging technology has the potential to "impose a digital prison outside a prison". Lord Timpson said: "We inherited a justice system in crisis and in need of reform. Prisons and probation are working in analogue while tech drives forward a new digital age. "That's why we have invited companies to present bold new ideas to help us deliver tough punishment and enhanced surveillance. "Embracing new technologies will help us to protect victims, reduce reoffending and cut crime as part of our plan for change." Other ideas that were pitched included software to help staff consistently input information on offenders and transcription tools to cut administrative tasks. Decisions on the plans are expected over the coming months, with successful proposals to be considered for rollout under pilot schemes.
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
‘Smell detectors' and AI cameras to be considered to monitor criminals
Cameras fitted in offenders' homes and 'smell detectors' to catch out drug use in and outside of prison could be introduced as new technology to monitor criminals and curb reoffending. Tech companies pitched devices to prisons and probation minister James Timpson on Tuesday, as ministers seek to overhaul the justice system. A smell detector likened to the human nose, which uses synthetic brain cells and artificial intelligence to detect drugs such as spice or fentanyl, was among the proposals to be used in prisons and probation offices. It could improve staff safety and also help detect if an offender in the community has breached licence conditions. Companies developing artificial intelligence home monitoring were among the seven finalists of 90 submissions selected for the process. AI cameras could be set up in homes of offenders in the community to check their behaviour on licence. It comes as Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said emerging technology has the potential to 'impose a digital prison outside of prison'. The Government has accepted recommendations from the independent sentencing review to tackle overcrowding behind bars, which will see fewer criminals jailed and more serving sentences in the community. Lord Timpson said: 'We inherited a justice system in crisis and in need of reform. Prisons and probation are working in analogue while tech drives forward a new digital age. 'That's why we have invited companies to present bold new ideas to help us deliver tough punishment and enhanced surveillance. 'Embracing new technologies will help us to protect victims, reduce reoffending and cut crime as part of our plan for change.' Other pitched tech ideas included software to help staff consistently input information on offenders and transcription tools to cut administrative tasks. Successful proposals will be considered to be rolled out under pilot schemes. Decisions on the plans are expected over the coming months.
Daily Mirror
01-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Apple watch-style bracelets and spice wands - inside tech push to fix jails
Prisons Minister James Timpson is looking at a wide range of tech ideas, including special smell detectors to replace sniffer dogs and thermal sensors to be on suicide watch Digital wands that can detect drugs and biometric smartwatch-style bracelets could be used to reduce violence, addiction and other harms in jails or in the community. Prisons Minister James Timpson is exploring the use of technology as he battles to deal with an ongoing criminal justice crisis. He is looking at a wide range of radical tech ideas, including special smell detectors to replace sniffer dogs and thermal sensors to be on suicide watch in jail cells. Outside of prisons, facial recognition technology that can be integrated into CCTV cameras in nightclubs and pubs to catch criminals who are banned from the premises is being explored. It could also be used within ring doorbells where an offender is on house arrest to ensure they are at home or that bad actors do not visit them. On Tuesday seven top tech companies pitched their ideas in a Dragon's Den-style event in central London, which The Mirror attended. Among the pitches included 'smell detector' devices which use synthetic brain cells and AI to replicate the behaviour of a human nose. The sensor can be attached to airport-style security scanners or in areas in a jail to detect if drugs are present, not only to confiscate them but also to build up intelligence about illegal drug use within a prison. Elsewhere, one company was offering a 'spice wand' that can detect the drug with bright ultraviolet light. There is a major crisis in prisons in England and Wales related to synthetic cannabinoids - often referred to as 'spice'. Inmates often receive letters in the post soaked in the drug, which is difficult for officers to identify, but could be tackled using the UV wand tool. Biometric bracelets that can monitor a wearer's heart rate to try to predict stress levels and avoid violent outbursts are also being looked at, for use inside and outside jails. The wrist watches - which look similar to an Apple-style smartwatch - would also be able to 'nudge' offenders in the community to go to a probation or mental health appointment, as well as monitoring the GPS location of the wearer like an ankle tag. The watches can connect to an app, which is also available to victims and can alert them if a perpetrator is too close to them, for instance if there is a restraining order in place. Elsewhere much of the technology proposed would seek to cut down admin tasks for probation staff, including one app that would allow offenders in the community to complete a check-in form with an officer on their phone. Tracking devices inserted under offenders' skin were also reportedly suggested to ministers. Some human rights campaigners branded the idea 'alarmingly dystopian". Asked if Britain was moving towards Big Brother-style surveillance tactics, Prisons minister James Timpson told The Mirror: 'Victims come first. We're not scared of surveillance, and we're not scared of creating a prison outside of prison in someone's house, if that is the best way to deal with them. 'The fact is that when people are in the community, they're still being punished, and we need to make sure that their lives are restricted in the way we want them to be restricted, both for victims and also as part of their punishment.' Pressed on inserting trackers into people's skin, Lord Timpson said: 'I think we need to look at everything. I think we need to be brave and we need to make sure that we really focus on what's going to make a difference.' He admitted anything new you do in any organisation 'comes with risks', but added: 'But for me, the risk of not embracing technology far outweighs [those] if we don't embrace technology, especially in probation... They're crying out for technology. When probation staff joined the service, they didn't join the service to do 80% of their time doing admin. They joined the service to help people turn their lives around.' More than 90 companies initially pitched ideas to the Ministry of Justice, which were whittled down to seven firms, including Accenture, Scram System and SentrX.
