Maggie Walsh MBE
In November 2023 I was contacted by an officer at HMP Pentonville about a chap coming up for parole. He was in prison for a recall, on an IPP sentence.
Carl was actually sentenced to five years, 22 years ago. His expectation was that he would serve half that, but he has spent 17 years out of the last 22 in custody.
Carl was working in the prison as an induction orderly and was seen as a trusted prisoner. He met the criteria for No Going Back so we signed him up.
He had worked on the rail on his previous release. He gained a number of qualifications and was building a good career when he was recalled. Some of these tickets had expired and would need to be renewed but I was confident I could get him a start.
My team met him through the gate and took him to meet our employer Elite Rail Services.
With the limited qualifications he had Elite were able to start him on a de-vegetation job. Meanwhile Carl paid to regain his basic Track tickets.
Carl was picking up fairly regular shifts but he really needed his COS (Control of site} qualification to secure a long term contract. We then made an application to the Sherriff’s and Recorders Fund and were delighted and grateful when it was approved.
Carl successfully completed the course in March and since then he has run a project for TFL, working nights.
He started work mid December and is still going strong. Indeed he has also introduced other young men to us who want our help to get into work and has offered to be an ambassador for A Fairer Chance.
Myself and Carl were invited to speak at the Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Fund, AGM at The Old Bailey last month. His personal story of resilience and determination was well received. The audience was very interested at what Carl had to say about the pressures, and patent unfairness, of being an ” IPP”.
Although, IPP sentences were officially abolished on 1 May 2012 twelve years later, we have almost 3000 people that remain subject to an IPP sentence. This is unacceptable.
78 IPP prisoners have taken their own lives since 2005. Whilst the sentence has been abolished there are hundreds of people back in prison today, for breaking a rule not breaking the law, with no idea when they will ever be released.
As the government is taking drastic steps to address the crisis that is prison overcrowding surely its time to look again at this issue