IPPs’ solicitor tells all
I must admit that I was quite blown away by Jail Bird. At first glance I thought it was a novel, but it turns out to be a very serious and factual look at the shortcomings of the modern British justice system, and the trials and tribulations of a prison law solicitor.
Katharine Edwards has taken an amazingly close look at the results of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP), as she has represented many prisoners serving these endless sentences at parole hearings.
This book cuts away all the legalese and the fog around these sentences and hearings, and tells us how things really work. Katharine tells us how, when she was a young solicitor, she jumped into the deep end when she was given the task of representing an IPP prisoner at a parole hearing. She admits that neither she nor her boss knew anything about the IPP sentence.
Katharine then set about trying to find any paperwork about the sentence, but found that the majority of solicitors, barristers and judges also knew little. The sentence was introduced in 2005 with little official guidance and no thought about what its effect would be in the future. In fact, Katharine’s only ‘official’ paperwork during her first IPP case was given to her by her client.
This book should be read by everyone. It is the record of Katharine’s involvement with the criminal justice system and her thoughts on it as it exists today. A great read and an essential source of information.
Jail Bird by Katharine Edwards was published in May 2025 by Wolf Moon Books. It can be ordered from Waterstones, price £10.99.
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