Imprisonment for Public Protection Prisoners

Lord Hope of Craighead Excerpts

Monday 6th July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Timpson (Lab)]

It is very important that we safely release people and that they are safe when they are in our care. That is especially so for IPP prisoners—as well as their families who are also trying to support them. Self-harm for both men and women is down in our prisons. The number of deaths up to March 2026 was also down, by 12%. Even so, these are people—and people who we need to help. We need to make sure that we have that wraparound support for them. They are often people who are unwell and, whether they are in secure hospital or not, they need our support.

[Lord Hope of Craighead (CB)]

My Lords, has thought been given to the support that families can give to these prisoners? Their support can be important, particularly on release, in minimising the risk of their having to be recalled because they have broken the rules.

[Lord Timpson (Lab)]

The noble and learned Lord is exactly right: families play a huge role—it is employment, it is housing and it is families. One important thing about open prisons, for example, is that prisoners can go out on day release and reintegrate. Some 193,000 children are affected by parental imprisonment, so we need to make sure that we help both the prisoner and their family on that journey.