Government statistics reveal that IPP* prisoners in England and Wales are self-harming at a rate that is 54% higher than those in the general prison population.
In 2025, the rate of self-harm throughout the entire prison population was 837 incidents per 1,000 prisoners. However, amongst those on IPP sentences, it was significantly higher, at 1,290 per 1,000 prisoners.
Disclosing the figures in a written answer to Parliament, Justice Minister Jake Richards said that the Prison Service was working with organisations and campaign groups to support people still serving IPP sentences, “including through access to mental health support and rehabilitation programmes”.
A 2022 study, undertaken by IPP Campaign group UNGRIPP, found that mental health issues caused by IPP harmed 75% of those convicted, as well as their loved ones.
*IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection) sentences were indeterminate sentences intended for offenders who were considered potentially dangerous to the public. The sentence was abolished in 2012, but not retrospectively, leaving some 2,000 IPP prisoners still incarcerated without the hope of ever being released.
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