Twelve years ago, James Ward was sentenced to ten months in prison after a physical altercation with his dad. He has not left prison since, after being served an Indefinite Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence for setting the bed in his prison cell on fire just as he was about to be released. He is one of the last people in the UK to serve prison time under an IPP, following their abolition in 2012.A new VICE film, One Punch, 99 Years, follows James' family – in particular his sister April, who has campaigned for years for his release – in the six weeks leading up to a possible release date (though James will spend the rest of his life on parole, with the threat of jail time hanging over him constantly).One Punch, 99 Years offers significant insight into the destructive effects IPPs have had on many prisoners and their families – and you can watch the film above.
Advertisement