Understanding the psychological impact of the IPP sentence for adult men in a UK category B prison

Purpose: People serving imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences experience psychological harm as a by-product of the sentence; however, to date, there has been no in-depth exploration into the mechanisms of the harm experienced. This study aims to explore the psychological impact of the IPP sentence and the mechanisms which underpin these experiences. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected within a single adult male category B prison in England. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three men serving an IPP sentence. Data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings: Two group experiential themes were developed. Firstly, “The role of Power within the Sentence”, which accounts for participants experience of the IPP sentence as unfair, pervasive and with a sense of powerlessness. Secondly, “The IPP Mindset”, which indicates a manner of thinking, something which participants felt set them apart from others and was a result of becoming accustomed to the sentence and prison environment. These group experiential themes are discussed in more depth through the use of participants’ personal experiential statements. Research limitations/implications: Limitations of the study include the small sample size and specific context of the research site. Findings should thus be interpreted with a degree of caution and are duly recognised as preliminary. The findings of this study are not intended to be generalisable and instead offer a deeper insight into the psychological impact of the IPP sentence and the mechanisms through which it causes psychological harm for those who received it. Further research is needed on a larger scale across different forensic settings to explore the ongoing psychological impact of those serving IPP sentences. Practical implications: Support the individual serving the sentence as well as professionals to understand and acknowledge the role of power in the lives of the individuals. The use of the Power Threat Meaning Framework to inform formulations, treatment and safety plans could help with this. To adopt a wider and more explicit use of Procedural Justice principles to underpin legal and review process such as progression reviews, Parole Board reviews and adjudications. This could help individuals serving IPP sentences to develop a more just and fair perspective of the system. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there are currently no qualitative studies that have sought to learn about the psychological impact of the IPP sentence from those who are currently serving it in prisons.