The APPGs' joint inquiry broke new ground in taking evidence from former detainees and by phone from current detainees, bringing home to the panel what indefinite detention means to those subjected to it. Chaired by Lib Dem MP Sarah Teather  and containing a former Chief Inspector of Prisons among its number, the panel was unanimous in its condemnation of the Home Office's 'enforcement culture' and its over-use of detention. It recommended that detention be used only exceptionally, only to effect removal and for a maximum of twenty-eight days. The hard-hitting report also argued that there were groups of vulnerable people who should never be detained. Recognising that a sea change in attitudes would be necessary, it concluded that the government must learn from international best practice and use alternatives to detention, and that judicial safeguards must be strengthened.   Read more: Frances Webber for IRR News, 09/04/15