Dear Sir/Madam

Re: Request under the 2000 Freedom of Information Act

Thank you for your e-mail dated 20 May 2009, in which you sought information relating to the following from the Ministry of Justice.

After reading the latest figures of serving IPPs and DPPs dated 24th April 2009 I notice that we have 5,246 in the prison system:

1. How many of these sentences have been passed by the courts since they began in 2005?

2. How many have been released?

3. How many have met their tariffs and been released on time?

I will answer each of your questions in turn:

The Public Protection Casework Section of the National Offender Management Service has recorded 5557 IPP and DPP sentences given up to 17 June 2009. This figure includes sentences which were later quashed.

2. How many have been released?

67 IPP and DPP sentenced offenders have been released on licence up to 17 June 2009. 2 of these were on medical compassionate grounds.

3. How many have met their tariffs and been released on time?

It may be useful that I explain that with an indeterminate sentence for public protection there is not a set release time. No prisoner serving an indeterminate sentence may be considered for release until they have completed their tariff unless as above they are released on compassionate grounds. The Tariff is the period of imprisonment considered by the sentencing court as necessary to meet the requirements of retribution and deterrence. The Parole Board may direct a tariff-expired indeterminate sentence prisoner's release only if it is satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that the prisoner should be confined.

These figures are taken from the Public Protection Unit Database within the National Offender Management Service. As with any large scale recording system, it is subject to possible errors arising from either data entry or processing.

If you are unhappy with the result of your request for information, you may request an internal review within two calendar months of the date of this letter by writing to : Data Access and Compliance Unit, Information Directorate, Ministry of Justice, 6^th Floor, 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely,

Steven Gallacher

Performance and Training Team Leader

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