Joe Outlaw’s trial will set a precedent as it will be the first instance where the stress from indeterminate sentences can be used as a legal defense. Outlaw, who has spent 13 years in prison primarily in isolation under an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence, protested on the roof of HMP Frankland against his sentence, claiming he does not remember committing his original crime. Advocacy groups are emphasizing the dire mental health issues resulting from IPPs, urging courts to consider their psychological impact on inmates, as many have taken desperate and harmful actions due to hopelessness.
The trial of Joe Outlaw marks a significant moment as it will be the first time the stress caused by indeterminate sentences can be a legal defence. Outlaw’s protest on HMP Frankland's roof stems from his dissatisfaction with serving an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence that has left him in isolation for over a decade, sparking a broader concern about the consequences of IPPs on prisoners' mental well-being. Advocacy groups emphasize the need for courts to recognize the severe emotional distress tied to these sentences, which many believe constitute a cruel system.
Joe Outlaw, in protest of his indeterminate sentence, climbed onto the roof of HMP Frankland, seeking to highlight the mental turmoil caused by IPPs. Following a history of isolation in prisons due to an IPP sentence for a robbery committed while intoxicated, he raises critical concerns about the treatment of prisoners under such sentences, many of whom exhibit destructive behaviors as a result of anxiety over their indefinite incarceration.
Campaigners highlight the destructive and often desperate actions by those serving indeterminate sentences, noting that many prisoners have adversely reacted to the lack of hope for resentencing. They emphasize the urgent need for legal acknowledgment of the psychological effects caused by IPPs, reflecting on the tragic consequences where some prisoners have resorted to suicide due to the realization of never being released.
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