Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the availability of courses for prisoners serving Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences to prepare to demonstrate their suitability for release to the Parole Board.

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and the Parole Board work closely to improve the progression of prisoners serving sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP). Consequently, there is a joint action plan in place, co-owned by HMPPS and the Parole Board, with the specific aim of providing opportunities for prisoners serving IPP sentences to progress to safe release. We are prioritising post-tariff prisoners in accessing rehabilitative interventions, including psychology service-led reviews in cases where there has not been satisfactory progression, and enhanced case management for those prisoners sentenced with a complex set of risks and needs. We have also developed progression regimes at four prisons across the country, which are dedicated to progressing indeterminate prisoners struggling to achieve release via the usual routes.

It is important to note that accredited programmes are offered to prisoners based on risk, need and responsivity for a particular programme. For IPP prisoners, suitability for any accredited programmes will be considered as part of their wider sentence plan. A wide range of accredited programmes are available and IPP prisoners are one of the groups prioritised for participation on accredited programmes where they are identified as suitable. However, the completion of accredited programmes is not a mandatory requirement for IPP prisoners to secure release.

While HMPPS is focused on giving all prisoners serving IPP sentences opportunities to progress towards release, public protection must remain our priority.