James Burns is voluntarily spending 30 days in solitary confinement. Learn more about the project at solitary.vice.com:
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In a three-month investigation, VICE News uses Freedom of Information laws, exclusive interviews, and prison reports to uncover the scandal of the 4,612 prisoners serving life sentences under abolished legislation — some for relatively minor crimes.
From 2005, judges in England and Wales started giving out a new kind of life sentence for offenses such as shoplifting, minor criminal damage, and affray (fighting in public).
Indeterminate Sentences for Public Protection (IPPs) were found to breach the European Convention on Human Rights, and the government scrapped the sentence in 2012. But nobody did anything about the prisoners already inside.
Three-quarters of them have completed their mandatory minimum sentence, but still have no release date, at a cost to the taxpayer of $180 million a year. Sixteen inmates have killed themselves since the sentence’s abolition.
Speaking to inmates, their families, lawyers, and a Parole Board veteran, VICE News exposes the UK’s forgotten prisoners.
Watch “Institutionalized: Mental Health Behind Bars” –
Read “Exclusive: VICE News Investigates the UK’s 4,500 Prisoners Doing Life for Minor Crimes” –
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Are we meant to feel sorry for these people?
It’s ridiculous… once you’ve served your time you should be free… not this nanny state, open prison, treated like children or second class citizens etc etc… it’s really overbearing and too much state, way too much! Lock them up longer, but don’t do this….. punishing the families too!
Johnny got his parole but then he got recalled back in jail for robbery while he on license and he got another sentence on top of his original one and he not with jody anymore where he cheated on her when he got out of jail i was in jail with Johnny aka big mac in hmp bullingdon in 2016 johnny alright hope he stay. Out prison when he get out
Should never be released
GBH is this: really serious harm' caused to the victim for an assault to be classed as grievous bodily harm. For example, if injury resulted in permanent disability, loss of sensory function or visible disfigurement, then it would usually amount to really serious harm.
these sentences were intended for blacks…but as usual we now see who the danger to society is.
There are always two sides to the story listen to the victim also as this story is one sided
For got ten another ro ann other row
This country is sick.
This is utterly barbaric!
How can this even be possible?
Lopez Larry Perez Jessica Lee Thomas
Even if you do all the courses they still wont let you out.
Meanwhile, child molesters are freed after 3 years…joke
Minor offence got life thats unfair what kind of justice was that
Sounds like a wrong un if hes not been relaeased after smashing a weapon over someones head and has had previous then he should stay inside
But pedophiles get a weekend away…this country is finished
Just proves the uk is corrupt
I agree they should be tagged supervised in the community it’s unjust to keep a man locked up if he has a clean record in prison.If the prisoner re offends then return to prison but at least offer a chance.
My mate got 2 1/2 year tariff, he served 18yrs,
The scrote who got 3.5 years for gbh with intent should have got 10 yrs anyway 🤷
Some lifers/IPP guys in these English prison systems haven't served just served a few years, some have served 15, 20, 25 years already. The IPP thing is questionable, especially receiving that sentence for something less serious.
As directly against human rights , fredom to live , less torture or cruel and unusual punishments , my friend has now served a max sentence for his crime over three times over from before and during the laws , now abolished and on recall a third time seventeen years now goes by , the ipp sentencing abolished so no further recall , himself pn recall of ipp after abolishment which recall should not have been happening as the ipp sentencing was abolished. Please allow these men to see there familys and help them back into a community they will have less faith for and gain for them positions within aftercare ,after care that may find them work with probation and that find them a Way of brining the faith back to the system for all. This ipp law is gone so should all its recall. Please help them and believe that this does fall in direct contravention to the 98 version of human rights , no freedom to live no freedom against cruel and unusual torturouse sentencing .punishments please release them and return to kings liberty after seventh crime a seventh time
I see my friends wife and kid out there now , but while your on benefits and four and a half thousand mens cases belong in Strassbourg in European Court and deffonitely win all there cass it is wrong, try and groups up and make both ends of this human rights teams peoples court strassbourg and the parliament base England and lets organise a whole march through the country inviting further high names and peoples fightwrs to get recalll nonsense finished after an already abolished law.
The uk sucks and worsing
I got 5yr ipp 2005 i done my 5yr an 10 yrs on top for robbery