Reform & Rebuild

Sentencing Act 2026 – Changes to IPP licence termination: insidetime.org/information/se…

Figures show that 75 per cent of IPP prisoners hauled back to prison between October and December 2025 were for non-compliance, such as missing a probation appointment or failing to keep in touch, rather than for new crimes.

"Institutional insanity" | Ministers have been urged to end the “catastrophic cycle” of never-ending prison recalls for inmates trapped under abolished indefinite jail terms: independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/…

The core problem with the Category A downgrade system is that nobody can scrutinise it. CART says it doesn’t record oral hearing request/grant data, and we don’t see statistics on how often LAP downgrade recommendations are accepted or rejected centrally: prisonreformtrust.org.uk/wp-content/upl…

Staff shortages are having "a significant impact" on the running of a high-security jail (Full Sutton). According to a report, there continue to be daily shortages of staff, unfilled vacancies, illness, restricted duties & resignations all playing a part: bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

“I’ve been writing to Jeremy Bamber for years, but suddenly the prison has stopped me. Why?” | Simon Hattenstone: theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

In January 2026, the Sentencing Act received Royal Assent after swift passage through Parliament. Here are the key changes and when these changes will begin: howardleague.org/blog/what-is-c… #SentencingAct2026

Improving The Category A Review Process | “The report makes a substantial number of recommendations but the principal one is that HMPPS should carry out a root and branch review of the process.” | @CommonsJustice russellwebster.com/improving-the-…

England & Wales hold almost half of all life sentenced prisoners (43%) across the 53 jurisdictions of the Council of Europe, excluding Türkiye. An outlier, Türkiye holds 12,016 lifers, with England & Wales holding 7,202. The other 51 European jurisdictions hold 9,557 lifers.

The six-year rule which blocks prisoners studying | "You would think that helping IPPs, lifers and people serving long sentences to move up the educational ladder would be a priority for the prison system.": insidetime.org/mailbag/the-si…

Many people in prison don’t know when, or if, they might be released. 10,884 people are currently in prison serving an indeterminate sentence—12% of the sentenced prison population, up from 9% in 1993.

There were 55,974 self-harm incidents by men in prison in the year to June 2025—the highest number on record. The rate of self-harm amongst men in prison is now two and a half times higher than a decade ago, with 673 incidents per 1,000 men.

7,547 people in prison are serving a life sentence and have never been released. Almost one in seven (13%) have a minimum term of 10 years or less, almost half (47%) have a minimum term of over 10 years and up to 20 years, and two in five (40%) over 20 years.

Prisoners in England are 41 to 67 times more likely to experience avoidable harm linked to poor healthcare than the general public, according to new research: socialcare.today/2026/05/08/pri…

PROOF magazine | Ghosts in the System | Joe Outlaw, putting the discredited IPP sentence on trial: thejusticegap.com/proof-magazine…

#newsround: Ombudsman and Samaritans excluded from Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody insidetime.org/newsround/ombu…

Seventh controversial IPP sentence referred to Court of Appeal: Joshua Rozenberg wrote that prisoners ‘might reasonably ask why the CCRC didn’t begin reviewing individual cases years ago’ thejusticegap.com/seventh-contro…

One in every 15 uniformed prison officers was investigated for corruption in 2024/25, according to research published by the House of Commons Library. The figures show the rate of corruption investigations is significantly higher among male officers than their female colleagues.

Press ban on Bamber: ‘ridiculous’, ‘disingenuous’ and illegal. 'Outrageous somebody proclaiming innocence is banned from talking to press. Even more so when it’s somebody who’s been proclaiming their innocence for 41 years,' @shattenstone thejusticegap.com/press-ban-on-b…

Judges are being asked to review the case of a man who remains in prison 16 years after he was given a three-year minimum sentence: itv.com/news/calendar/…