A politician is today calling for reform of the handling of prisoners serving indefinite sentences to prevent others suffering the same fate as Danny Weatherson.
Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah raised the Scotswood convict's case with ministers today, after the Chronicle revealed that Danny had finally been granted parole after a long fight for freedom.
Danny was just 17 when he jailed for two attempted robberies, of a coat and a mobile phone.
Read more: Manhunt for attacker who threw 'substance' in faces of three teens on Tynemouth beach
He was given an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence, a type of ‘indefinite’ custodial punishment, which has now been scrapped.
The judge at Newcastle Crown Court recommended he serve just over 15 months before applying for parole.
Yet it has taken 17 years for the Parole Board to agree that Danny, now 34, can be freed, and he is set to leave HMP Northumberland this September.
Today Ms Onwurah asked the Minister of State for Justice, Damian Hinds, to support her call for cross-party discussions to find a way forward to prevent other IPP prisoners languishing in jail for londer than neccesary.
She said: "At age 17, my constituent Danny Weatherson was convicted, with a recommended term of 15 months. Seventeen years later, he has only just been granted parole, in a justice system that seems too under-resourced to progress his case.
"Imprisonment for public protection is a complex area, and many who serve such sentences undoubtedly do present a threat to the public, but does the Minister agree that discussions on reform should take place on a cross-party basis, with the voices of victims and justice campaigners heard, and that a functioning probation system is a prerequisite?"
The MP later told the Chronicle that Danny's case highlighted the need for change.
"Danny has spent half his life in prison after getting a sentence of 15 months," she said. "He has been let down by the justice system, that's clear.
"What we need is a cross party discussion, consulting victims groups and justice campaigners to resolve this to make sure what happened to Danny doesn't happen to anyone else."
Danny is just one of thousands of convicts serving controversial IPP sentences, which came into force for England and Wales in 2005 but were axed in 2012. The sentences were introduced to prevent offenders whose crime did not warrant a life sentence from being released if they were thought to still pose a danger to the public
But critics have argued they have led to hundreds of convicts who could be safely released languishing in jail after becoming institutionalised.
Ms Onwurah has argued that investment in the Probation Service is desperately needed to help IPP prisoners like Danny move on with their lives.
She added: "Another thing Danny's case shows is that the parole and probation services are under-resourced. We need to look at how these prisoners are managed and what should happen to them going forward.
"We can't just do it on a case-by-case basis."
Mr Hinds responded to Ms Onwurah's question by saying that The Lord Chancellor would be addressing the IPP issue.
He said: "I am grateful to the Hon. Lady for the tone in which she asks about this issue. Obviously, the role of the Parole Board and the probation service is vital, and the Parole Board is regularly looking at cases. I welcome what she said about continuing to look at this matter, and the Government welcome the Justice Committee’s recent report, which was an important opportunity to take stock. The Lord Chancellor will speak further on this matter in due course.
The Chronicle revealed last week that Danny was granted parole following a hearing earlier this month.
A Parole Board spokesman said: “We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Daniel Weatherson following an oral hearing.
"Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.
"A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.
"Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority."
The Chronicle understands that Danny must stay at an approved hostel after his release and will be monitored by an electronic tag. He is set to leave prison in September when a place at the accommodation, which is in Newcastle's West End, becomes available.
