The sister of a man who has spent 12 years behind bars on an abolished prison sentence has pleaded with new justice minister Lord Timpson to intervene in her brother’s high-profile case.
Clara White, whose brother Thomas White has been in prison since 2012 for stealing a mobile phone, said offenders like him who are serving a sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) have “no hope”.
In a letter to Lord Timpson, seen by Sky News, Ms White asked the new prisons minister to help move her brother to a private NHS hospital to deal with the hallucinations he suffers from as a result of the sentence he is serving.
She said her brother had been moved to 12 different prisons over the course of his sentence, which has no release date, and due to this has “no way of demonstrating that he can be released”.
“In the years gone by I’ve watched my brother lose pieces of his mind,” she wrote.
“Thousands of others have not been given something so simple such as hope.”
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What is an IPP sentence?
Thomas White, now 40, was one of more than 8,000 offenders who were given an IPP sentence, which the courts could impose from 2005 until they were abolished in 2012.
The sentence – which has been described as a form of “psychological torture” by human rights experts – was intended for serious violent and sexual offenders who posed a significant risk of serious harm to the public but whose crimes did not warrant a life term.
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Although the government’s stated aim was public protection, concerns quickly grew that IPP sentences were being applied too broadly and catching more minor offenders, who often ended up serving years beyond their initial term.
The coalition government scrapped the sentence in 2012, but the change was not applied retrospectively, meaning 2,852 prisoners remain behind bars – including 1,227 who have never been released.
The new government is under increasing pressure to act on the IPP crisis given they were introduced by former Labour home secretary Lord Blunkett – who has since said he feels “deep regret” about the way the sentence was used.
Thomas and Clara White, pictured as kids with their mum. Pic: Institute of Now
Sky News has previously reported on Thomas White’s case, including his independent psychiatric assessment which recommended that he be transferred to a psychiatric hospital.
The assessment read: “Mr White did describe a sense of hopelessness about his sentence and the outcome of recent parole hearings.
“It is probable that this negative experience has contributed to the development of his delusion system and his voices.
“Mr White’s views mirror those identified in the report, which emphasises the psychological harm caused by the IPP sentence, leading to feelings of hopelessness, despair, and which presented a challenge to their progression.”
‘We have to make prison rehabilitative’
Campaigners have been encouraged by the appointment of Lord Timpson, the former chief executive of the family retail and key-cutting business that is known for employing ex-offenders.
Sir Keir Starmer elevated Lord Timpson, who also used to chair the Prison Reform Trust charity, to the House of Lords in order to appoint him as prisons, parole and probation minister in the Ministry of Justice.
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What is an IPP sentence?
Giving his maiden speech earlier this month, Lord Timpson said that while prisons “must be available as a punishment and a deterrent” they were “not working: they create better criminals, not better citizens”.
“That makes the public less safe,” he said.
“We have to make prisons rehabilitative and make sure that, when offenders are given a second chance, they can seize it. That is good for society because it reduces crime.”
‘My brother is slowly dying waiting for justice’
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‘Psychological torture’ of IPP sentences
Ms White said she found it “deeply disturbing that my brother’s right to psychiatric round-the-clock care has been denied twice”.
“Over one year later from being diagnosed he sits behind a steel door with very limited access to other human beings,” she said.
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She concluded: “Mr Timpson, I reach out to you and your members to help me find Thomas a privatised hospital if there is no availability in the NHS hospitals.
“My brother is slowly dying waiting for justice.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “It is right that IPP sentences were abolished. The Lord Chancellor is committed to working with organisations and campaign groups to ensure the appropriate course of action is taken to support those still serving IPP sentences.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK