IPP, "Shame on the prison services and the government" - your reaction to Coventry man jailed for 30 months but still in prison 12 years later.Anthony Maguire was jailed back in 2006

An urgent investigation required

The story of a Coventry man still behind bars 12 years after being given a minimum sentence of just 30 months has certainly got the city talking.Anthony Maguire was jailed under the controversial Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) regime having admitted a charge of wounding with intent back in 2006. IPP sentences were abolished for new prisoners in 2012 but remain in place for those convicted under the ruling before then.This saw Maguire given an indeterminate sentence, with a minimum of 30 months, and he can only be released when the Parole Board decide..

So with his 30th birthday approaching, Maguire is still in prison 12 years after his court appearance. His best friend is now campaigning for his release and says Maguire is struggling with mental health problems and has even tried to commit suicide while in prison.The subject has certainly split opinion among Telegraph readers and below are a selection of your comments from social media and the Telegraph website:

Stacey Riley - It’s so sad. The fact they haven’t given him a second chance is wrong. We all make mistakes and really he should be given a chance. .

Julie Davis - This is awful. Stephen Dempsey - He served his time and should be released. I grew up with the motto “you can’t punish someone twice for the same crime”, but this lad has served his time nearly 4 times over!!

Danno Banks - This is a terrible injustice. Lisa Rooke - Even murders don’t get 12 years - stupid.

Shane Robson - Don’t know anything about this but he was to serve a minimum of 30 months - not a 30-

month sentence. This said IPP is very inhumane and this should be investigated.

Lisa Perkins - To me this sounds like a catch 22 situation. His mental health is getting worse being left in there and parole board thinking due to mental health issues we are not letting him out.

Desiree Baker - The system is a joke. Hope he gets out soon and gets the help he needs.

Susie Leanne - Shame on the prison services! Mental health is one of the biggest killers yet they aren’t doin

g anything for this man.

Elizadaw 41 - And this is supposed to be a civilized country. I see it is going further back in time. Soon to be Dickensian.

Katherine Gleeson-Trapped. How is this rehabilitation when you get 30 months and your  still there 12 years lather  what happened to his rehabilitation ? The government failed the IPP prisoners and the sentence was  poorly thought out  which they have admitted too. The government   never applied the courses denying prisoners  a chance of release the failings kept prisoners 5 to 10 years over there sentence. Poor staffing resulted in poor run prisoners witch in turn kept prisoners locked  often for 24 hours.  limited parole officers, inadequate offender mangers this combined bugled prisoners chances of any release even early release  the government  drove them prisoners to suicide.

Those prisoners who attempted suicide was considered a  risk instead of being helped ?

IPP prisoners was given No release date for relatively minor crimes such as burglary, ABH intent.....  I cant comprehend why anyone would be so cruel to give such as sentence when they never committed murder and no one has been given such a sentence for murder.  This sentence was given to such young people I would not lock a dog up and expect them to be sane worse  you punish them for having acquired  mental health as a result and say mental health risk and hold them until they go crazy. Such a sentence its poor evil  how the justice ministers  stands and does not act  it beats me that anyone can justify leaving those in prison after  above happened to them all the failings of the government.  They don't want compensation. Held hostage  not knowing if your going to live through or even  be sane. 
I say to the Minister lock yourself in the toilet for 24 hours for 12 years knowing you got 30 months and no release date and aware that you have  little hope for courses to prove to parole safe ? when no one listens to you  and legal aid is ripped from you  such young people  acquire mental health  often attempt to take there life to beat you down further your told your a risk as a result any further chances of parole are taken from you and this being a snap shot  I think know I hope you  understand. They would not still be there but for the government fallings, recalls government failings and after care government failings.

Using the word safe!Justice should be equal and applied to all You would never let anyone out of prison if you applied safe to all prisoners as you do so much with IPP prisoners. I never heard of a murder been held over there sentenced  for 5 to 10 years or the word safe being used. Murders have got out  well before this man but parole  don't say  I'm holding him for what they might do or I'm not sure if there be safe .  Using the word safe is a way the government is camouflaging  the real truth- there failings and the numbers death of 30 plus IPP prisoners not including non IPP prisoners at a record high . It was only when the coroner  notice so many IPP prisoner deaths that that the corner  got involved and  took action wanting  an investigation. Then the government took away legal aid for prisoner. prisoners was trying to get messages out of the prisons to the outside world.   justice ministers continued to cover up the stories using safe and using a prisoner that was controversial  another tactic to blind the public. This public services, the justice system has failed to adapt. Many of the assumptions underpinning how justice is delivered have remained unchanged though we have had  many different justice ministers who was often given the solution by the families the media but choice to do nothing.



Anthony Maguire's best friend says he can't get the mental health help he needs in prison.

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2017/nov/27/uk-justice-system-failing-defendants-with-mental-health-issues-charity?CMP=share_btn_tw
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Posted by  Oskie, 6 March

licence revoked after 10 years and so far no one has had it , to my knowledge because of timescales I suppose. See this article for the actual sentence being overturned, there has been success

Prisoners Protest  All Prisoners United Protest / March. Date: Wednesday 23 May 2018  Demonstrating outside Parliament Time:11:30 2pm then From 2pm we March a short distance to the Ministry of Justice, Ending at 3-30pm. Unit *IPP prisoners, family, friends and supporters. *Champion campaigners for all prisoners’ rights *Activists for human rights of all prisoners *Societies for the rights of equality for those with disabilities / mental health or diversity needs What can we do? Be there for your family member, be visible, wear printed T shirts, printed or painted banners, bring loudspeakers, flyers...... Why we are protesting? The situation is unsatisfactory for our IPP prisoners, and for other non-IPP prisoners likewise trapped by perceived risk because they have a disorder or intellectual disability or mental health issues. We face injustice: Our voices will be heard in the UK for IPP prisoners and determinate sentence prisoners. We will be united, chanting. We are protesting as one family; we are protesting for those who cannot do so themselves. We protest and will keep protesting because we believe in liberty, and justice for all. We will no longer be quiet. We have been tolerant for too long. We are tired and angry at the governmental lack of response and of Justice Ministers who constantly deflect and side-step the issues. We are irritated at the government’s preoccupation with words and lack of swift action resulting in continued suicides and deaths of our loved ones. Why are IPP prisoners’ families marching with all prisoners? We have all been affected by failures in the justice system in one way or another, and by the lack of response from prisons to resolve issues within the prison system or individual prisons. We are disillusioned. We need fairness, we need a voice and we are going to be heard. We are stronger together. How many more need to die before we wake up and realise? We are no longer going to feel intimidated or victimised, we need to see a future. Ministers are responsible for the function and resources of the prisons but have only left them unresourced and not fit for purpose. All prisoners have been affected in one way or the other. There is a lot of preoccupation with risk, but we need more support for prisoners in community settings. We need to stop the recall for non-offences. We need more prison officers and more facilities available in the community. We are now in 2018.  IPP prisoners "who have been given a date for release are still in prison a year later due to a lack of hostels. The vulnerable are particularly at risk: these are people in need of special care, support, or protection because of age, disability/mental health, or risk of abuse or neglect/over tariff: • Keep up the fight. You are the voice for every serving IPP prisoner. They are counting on you to fight their fight. Comments Jez  A sentence rotten to its core. 'risk' a word that is used frequently in Oasys reports. They forget the word that needs to be put before it. 'perceived'. Their assessment is only an opinion based mainly on scores in a Word document assessment. The sentence has no public protection purpose as mentioned in the Unintended consequences report. Perceived risk has only one purpose in my opinion and that is to justify inexcusable persistent persecution upon someone's life. How is that fair or just. Jennifer Hill and the 10 years licence when and if they get out disgusting.katherine your alight in the darkness for so many Brackenbury I will stand by it till I die.. you cannot keep someone for preventative measures... on a sentence that no longer exists.. to be rehabilitated without providing the means! Let alone the proof it makes any difference! It just screams unlawful! lonewarrior 7 years of conservative government and not one thing has not been wrecked. Everything they touch turns to shit .There's no way on earth anyone can make a bigger mess than this . Juries on trial There should be no doubt that the recent highly publicised examples of failures of disclosure are a snap shot of sample of cases that sit on top of a ticking "timebomb that is likely to significantly undermine public confidence in our precious justice system. It is said that justice is the ‘first virtue of a decent and harmonious society’. Although these, and many other examples of injustice, point towards an urgent need to reform the whole justice system, including parole, it is the current jury system that requires the boldest restructuring as it is the principal filter in ensuring that a sound and balanced verdict is reached. The current jury system is out of date, unreliable and not fit for purpose. It needs to be radically restructured to incorporate modern and more technical advances

Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/06/british-justice-collapse-moj-prisons-probation-legal-aid-lord-chancellor-charles-falconer

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Telegraph https://www.coventrytelegraph.