The first IPP prisoner to publicly announce his request for parole revealed how every day of a sentence without a release date is “torture”.
Controversial imprisonment sentences (IPP) for public protection were abolished in 2012 due to human rights concerns, but this was not done retroactively and thousands of people were left to languish in prison for years beyond their minimum tariffs.
Among them is Nicholas Bidar, 36, who was sentenced to indefinite prison with a minimum tariff of eight years for a series of robberies and the use of a gun to resist arrest in 2008, when he was 20.
However, more than 15 years later, he is still being held in a maximum security Category A prison with no release date specified.
After new laws came into force to increase transparency around parole decisions, he successfully applied to become the first IPP prisoner to have his parole hearing held in public, to raise awareness of his plight.
Ahead of the landmark hearing this month, Mr Bidar said: Independent Adding to how the reality of his indeterminate sentence affected him, he added: “Every day feels like torture. I struggle every day to get through the day.
His defense comes later Independent It has revealed that a coalition of mental health, human rights and criminal justice experts have made a joint appeal to parliament to end the “living nightmare” of IPP sentences by reforming the Victims and Prisoners Bill.
This includes a call for a resentencing exercise for around 3,000 IPP prisoners, 800 of whom have served more than 10 years at the minimum rate.
To date, more than 80 IPP prisoners are known to have taken their own lives due to fears over the hopeless nature of the punishment; Among them are seven people who appeared to have killed themselves. Independent last year.
In a rare statement released through his lawyer from HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire, Mr Bidar said his offending was serious – including further attacks committed in prison and a period when he escaped from custody – and that he accepted “I did wrong”.
However, he insisted that he had completed his sentence plan and was ready for release, adding that the 2021 parole board had previously recommended that he be placed on free conditions.
Despite the parole board’s decision, the move was blocked by the Minister of Justice, who refused to downgrade him from Category A high-risk prisoner status.
He argues this left him a “political prisoner” until Justice Minister Alex Chalk agreed he needed to move on.
“I’m in a high-risk environment among some of the baddest men. Serious violence often happens every day because of such little things. It’s a hostile and dangerous place. “I haven’t resorted to violence for several years,” he said. Independent.
“I’m tired of the sentence. Life is passing me by. I made mistake. I attended courses for a long time, and those who evaluated me constantly said that I had completed my punishment plan.
“I need a chance. A life license is a heavy burden and I take it seriously. I wasn’t going back to prison. I want to spend time with my family.”
His attorney, Dean Kingham, a prison and civil law attorney at Reece Thomas Watson, represents many inmates struggling under the repealed IPP sentence.
Told Independent: “He completed his punishment plan. He needs to at least open the conditions. I have two psychologists who recommend his immediate release; This is an indication of the progress he has made.
I’ve been representing Nick for years. I’ve noticed a real change in his attitude over the last six to 12 months; It has become very hopeless now.”
The government has so far refused to take umbrage at IPP prisoners despite an “alarming increase” in reported self-inflicted deaths in prisons as prisoners lose hope. Instead, Justice Minister Alex Chalk proposed reducing the IPP license period from 10 years to three years in plans announced last year.
But Mr Kingham said resentment was the only way to remove the “taint” of the flawed sentence, which the British Psychological Association said left people “in a state of chronic anxiety and despair”.
“This causes ongoing psychological harm and some have mental health problems. “The situation is getting worse,” he said, noting that despite ample evidence that the punishment was flawed, there was a lack of political will to release prisoners if they continued to reoffend.
Urging Mr Chalk to reconsider the anger, he said: “In an election year, have the courage to do the right thing rather than put your political career first. Because he knows that this sentence is flawed and wrong.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Since we abolished the sentence in 2012, we have reduced the number of IPP prisoners not released by three quarters.
“We have also taken decisive action to shorten licensing periods and continue to help those still in custody move towards release by improving access to rehabilitation programs and mental health support.”
Earlier this month, 11 leading voices called for IPP reform, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the British Psychological Society, Amnesty International, Justice, Freedom, the Joint Group on IPP Reform, the Probation Institute, the Center for Crime and Justice Studies. Inquest, Howard Alliance for Penal Reform and Prison Reform Foundation.
The House of Lords will continue to debate on Monday (March 13) a series of amendments to help IPP prisoners introduced by a cross-party group of colleagues, including David Blunkett, who admitted he regretted introducing the penalty as home secretary in 2005.
Mr. Bidar faces a two-day parole hearing on March 18.