George Monbiot (The law is gone but they are still in jail: who will free Britain’s most wronged prisoners?, 18 May) succinctly captures many of the injustices of sentences of imprisonment for public protection (IPP). I wish to highlight two dimensions to this cruel and unusual punishment that were prevalent when I interviewed men serving the sentence as part of doctoral research I conducted as a (now former) prison chaplain.
First, the risk they pose to the public is an important consideration to a parole board – rightly so. But the effect that indeterminate incarceration has on their wellbeing is not given proportionate weight. The deterioration in mental health with associated increased self-harm and suicide risks are well documented. This is state-sanctioned cruelty.
