As a teenager, John was jailed for assaulting someone and stealing their bike. That was 17 years ago – will he ever be released?
John Wright, now 34, has spent 17 years in prison for stealing a bike and assaulting someone as a teenager, serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence that was supposed to last less than two years. His indefinite detention has led to severe mental health deterioration, including schizophrenia, and he remains incarcerated despite completing his minimum sentence over a decade ago.
Summary
This article tells the tragic story of John Wright, who at 16 was a quiet, creative teenager who struggled socially and fell in with the wrong crowd. In 2007, he stole a 15-year-old's bike after assaulting the boy in a park and received an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence with a minimum term of one year and 350 days. The IPP sentence was introduced in 2005 following public outrage over cases like Sarah Payne's murder, designed to detain dangerous offenders indefinitely until they could prove they were no longer a risk to society. John's family believed the minimum term was his full sentence, not understanding he could potentially be detained forever. After completing his tariff in 2009, John was repeatedly denied parole for various infractions including taking spice and involvement in violence. The psychological toll of indefinite detention gradually destroyed his mental health - he developed paranoia, had blackouts, and engaged in erratic behavior. In 2018, he was found catatonic and diagnosed with schizophrenia, requiring transfer to a psychiatric hospital where he underwent electroconvulsive therapy. His condition deteriorated further; he became convinced his food was being poisoned, lost significant weight, and eventually cut off contact with his family entirely. His father died in 2020 without being able to say goodbye. By 2023, John had been returned to prison from the psychiatric hospital, and his location remains unknown to his family. The IPP sentence was abolished in 2012 but this didn't apply retroactively, leaving nearly 3,000 people still serving these indefinite sentences. The article argues that IPPs are fundamentally flawed, with former Home Secretary David Blunkett calling them his biggest regret.
Key Insights
- The IPP sentence system created a situation where prisoners serve time not for crimes they committed, but for crimes parole boards believe they might commit if released
- John's family was never properly informed that his minimum sentence was actually the shortest possible time he could serve, not his maximum sentence
- IPP prisoners became easy targets for violence because fighting back could delay their release indefinitely, while other prisoners with fixed sentences faced no such consequences
- The uncertainty inherent in IPP sentences creates a vicious cycle where the psychological damage from indefinite detention makes prisoners appear more dangerous to parole boards
- Former Home Secretary David Blunkett admits the IPP sentence was his biggest regret and acknowledges the government 'got it wrong' on IPPs
- Self-harm rates among IPP prisoners are more than twice as high as those serving life sentences, according to Prison Reform Trust data
- The original estimate was that about 900 people would serve IPP sentences at any given time, but by abolition in 2012, there were roughly 6,000 IPP prisoners
- Even after release, IPP prisoners face a minimum 10-year license period where they can be recalled to prison for minor breaches, with the entire parole process starting over if recalled
Topics
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