Catherine Bond helps to secure unconditional release for an IPP client

Catherine has secured an unconditional release decision for one of her IPP clients whom she has represented for several years. When considering the cases of recalled IPP prisoners, the Parole Board now has the power to direct that their release is unconditional. This means that their IPP licence is brought to an end and they can no longer be returned to prison.

Unfortunately, unconditional release decisions are still incredibly rare. A Freedom of Information Act Request in April 2026 confirmed that only six unconditional release decisions have ever been made throughout the whole prison estate.

Catherine's client had been subject to eight recalls to prison for non-compliance with licence conditions. As a result, he served many years in custody although he had not committed any further offences or behaved violently at all.

After a very lengthy recall period and numerous parole hearings, the Panel directed his unconditional release. The Panel also found the recall to have been unjustified. This was the third time that Catherine had successfully secured a Parole Board decision confirming that recall had been unjustified for this client.

Catherine's client is finally free from his IPP sentence.

After receiving the Parole Board's decision, Catherine had this to say:

"I am so happy about this decision. It feels like this has been my life's work because I have represented my client for so long. I was very concerned about the lack of care shown to my client during this recall when he was at a previous prison and had raised this on several occasions. I am pleased that the Panel also felt so strongly about the way in which he had been treated that they decided to write directly to the Governor at the prison and to the Prisons Inspectorate to express their concern. I am so delighted that the Panel have acted decisively to grant him unconditional release. This is extremely rare and I hope that the frequency of unconditional release decisions will now increase so more people are free of this appalling sentence."