“Indefinite IPP sentences, though abolished, still keep people in prison despite them having served more than their original tariff.”

• Steps used: Checked evidence sources for IPP sentence abolition status and retroactivity. Confirmed IPP sentences were scrapped in 2012 without retrospective application, leaving thousands beyond original tariff.
• IPP sentences abolished in 2012 but not retrospectively applied; those already serving IPP sentences remained on them, with more than 2,000 still in prison beyond their original tariff. Example of Tommy Nicol who died by suicide after serving beyond his four-year tariff.
• IPP sentences scrapped in 2012 but not retrospectively; more than 2,000 people still in prison on IPP sentences. Thomas White jailed for minimum two years in 2012 still serving sentence without fixed release date.

The claim accurately describes the situation with Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, which were abolished in 2012 but not applied retroactively, leaving thousands of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences beyond their original tariff. Multiple authoritative sources confirm that IPP sentences had no maximum term, meaning prisoners could be held indefinitely after serving their minimum tariff, and the abolition did not retrospectively release those already incarcerated. The evidence shows this affects over 2,000 individuals who remain imprisoned despite having served their original minimum terms.