Anna Dixon MP continues campaign for justice for Bradford resident held in prison for almost 20 years for car theft
- May 5
- 2 min read
Shipley MP Anna Dixon has this week continued her campaign for the safe release of a Bradford resident who has been held in prison for nearly two decades for a minor offence and still has no indication of when he will be released.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Dixon raised the case of Jimmy, the son of two of her constituents, whose surname is being withheld for privacy reasons. In 2007, when he was 18, Jimmy was arrested for car theft and given an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence with a 2.5-year tariff.
Under an IPP, a prisoner can be held indefinitely until a parole board approves their release. These sentences were abolished in 2012 for a range of reasons, including their overuse for low-level offences, a lack of the rehabilitation resources required for release being available in prisons, and the physiological damage inflicted on prisoners due to the absence of an end date.
However, over 2500 IPP prisoners remain in UK prisons to this day.
Anna Dixon, who last week met personally with Jimmy while on day release at his parents' home, said to Justice Secretary David Lammy yesterday:
“On Friday, I met Jimmy, an imprisonment for public protection prisoner whose case I have previously raised with the Prime Minister, the Justice Secretary and the Prisons Minister. Despite good progress, he still does not have a firm release date after more than 20 years in prison and over a decade since IPP sentences were abolished.
“Will the Justice Secretary urge his Department to do all it can to expedite Jimmy’s release and that of the estimated other 2,800 people who remain in prison on IPP sentences?”
In response, Mr Lammy Said:
“I recognise the real issues that exist for IPP prisoners - we have discussed those issues at length, and will continue to do so.
“The Prisons Minister has done a lot of work in this area, engaging with all of those who raise these issues on an almost weekly basis, including in another place. Of course, we want to do more and see those prisoners who are not going to cause public harm released.”
Speaking following her question to David Lammy this week, the Shipley MP added:
“IPP sentences were a terrible injustice, and it is right that they were abolished. Meeting with Jimmy in person last week and hearing about everything he has been through over the last 20 years was both harrowing and heartbreaking.
“Despite still not having a confirmed release date, I know Jimmy is hoping he will soon be allowed out on overnight release as he has been deemed safe to do so by doctors.
“Jimmy was a young man when he entered prison. He is now in his 40s, is deemed safe and fit for discharge by his doctors, and a supported living flat is ready and awaiting his arrival.
“I will keep fighting this case until justice is done and Jimmy is safely home with his family.”
