Thomas White, a 40-year-old prisoner who has been serving a 12-year sentence for stealing a mobile phone, is facing a mental health crisis as he was unable to attend a psychiatric assessment due to staff shortages in the prison. White’s family claims that he has developed psychosis, attributed to the controversial indefinite jail term known as imprisonment for public protection (IPP), which was abolished in 2012.
White’s sister, Clara White, has been advocating for over a year to have her brother transferred to a hospital, where he would need approval from two psychiatrists. She mentioned that Thomas, who experiences religious hallucinations, was placed in isolation and required three prison staff to be released from his cell, but they were unavailable due to staffing issues.
The IPP sentence, which was introduced in 2005 and scrapped in 2012, was intended for serious violent and sexual offenders who posed a significant risk of harm to the public but did not warrant a life sentence. However, concerns arose that the sentence was being applied too broadly and catching minor offenders, like Thomas White, due to the consideration of previous convictions when determining the risk level of an individual.
Despite the abolition of the IPP sentence, there are still over 2,800 prisoners serving these sentences, including many who have never been released. The government is now facing pressure to address the crisis surrounding IPPs, especially since they were introduced by Lord Blunkett, who has expressed regret over the way the sentence was utilized.
In an email to Lord Blunkett, Clara White expressed her frustration, stating that the system is failing individuals like her brother. She highlighted the challenges in securing psychiatric assessments and appropriate care for Thomas, emphasizing that the current situation is unacceptable.
James Frith, the Labour MP for Bury North, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that Thomas should be treated as a patient, not just a prisoner. He has been actively working with Clara White to raise awareness about Thomas’s case and the broader issues surrounding IPPs. The Ministry of Justice has not provided any comments on individual medical cases, but it is expected that Lord Timpson will address the concerns raised by Lord Blunkett in the near future.