HUNDREDS of prisoners jailed under a scrapped sentencing scheme continue to languish behind bars, years after their minimum release date, Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke has said.

Mr Clarke blamed “significant failings” by authorities for the problems linked to the imprisonment for public protection (IPP) regime, which was scrapped four years ago.

Introduced in 2005, the sentences were meant for high-risk criminals responsible for serious violent or sexual offences.