Imagine being given a sentence with no release date.
In our first episode, Jacob Butchoff tells his raw and deeply personal story of living under an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence.
Jacob takes full responsibility for his actions and acknowledges that he deserved to be in prison. Most importantly, the victims of his crimes remain at the heart of this story, and their experiences and suffering must never be forgotten.
But Jacob also speaks openly about what happened after his original tariff came to an end.
Years passed. Freedom remained uncertain. And despite IPP sentences being abolished in 2012, the impact of those sentences continues to affect people today.
So how can someone remain in prison years beyond their original tariff?
Jacob takes us inside the reality of IPP — the years spent behind bars, the uncertainty, the fight for release, and the enormous challenge of rebuilding a life after prison.
He also talks about the decade he has spent working within his community, giving back, taking responsibility and trying to make sure others don't follow the same path he once did.
This isn't an attempt to excuse the past.
It's an honest conversation about accountability, consequences, victims, lost time, survival, rehabilitation and the possibility of change.
Because the impact of crime is felt on all sides. And if telling Jacob's story can help even one person avoid causing the harm he caused, or help one person understand the reality of IPP and the people still living with its consequences, then perhaps something positive can come from an incredibly painful chapter.
This is Jacob's story. This is the reality of IPP. And this is a conversation about trying to stop the suffering on both sides.