by “I am trapped in an endless cycle from which suicide is quite possibly the only way out.”
These were the devastating words of a man struggling under an indeterminate sentence as he appealed to Justice Secretary Alex Chalk for help.
Matthew Price, 48, was sentenced to prison for public protection (IPP) in 2010 for seriously injuring his friend, with a minimum sentence of three years.
“Desperate” sentences, in which offenders were given a minimum fee but not a maximum, were abolished two years later amid human rights concerns, after dozens of prisoners were left languishing in jail with no hope of being released.
However, they were not changed retrospectively, leaving thousands of people struggling under sentences described as “the biggest stain on our justice system.”
Unlike hundreds of IPP inmates who have served more than ten years beyond their minimum rate, Mr. Price was released in 2013. However, he was subject to strict licensing conditions for a decade that can make IPP offenders IPP be quickly recalled to prison even for the youngest. breaches.
When he wrote an email on May 22 to Mr Chalk and other politicians, including the then justice minister Damien Hinds, Mr Price, from Leeds, had spent almost ten years in the community without reoffending.
But amid ongoing mental health issues following his father’s death, he still lived in perpetual fear of returning to prison. And he was terrified that parole officers would interpret seeking support for his mental health or taking medication as increasing his risk, which would hurt his chances of one day being released from draconian license conditions. .
His fears were exacerbated after a previous attempt on his life in 2020 had led to increased supervision by probation officers.
Speaking of her anguish, she wrote: “The truth is that I need mental health support and I feel like I need to go back on medication to cope with this sentence, but I am too afraid to ask for it because doing so will leave me alone.” against my chances of ending my sentence.
“My mother can’t believe she lives in a country where this is happening today. I don’t think the general public can do it either.
“I am trapped in an endless cycle from which suicide is quite possibly the only way out.
“Asking for help will work against me, not asking for help will probably kill me.”
He insisted he had taken responsibility for his crimes, but saw no escape from the sentence, adding: “I have never denied my crime and I took full responsibility.
“Of course I needed to go to prison as a result of my actions, but how can it be right that I should be expected to face a hopelessly flawed sentence, which is inhumane and was abolished in 2012, and also have a potentially life licence? that may never end and I am afraid to ask for help for mental health support.”
In the open letter, shared after his death by his legal team and featured on the podcast Trapped: The IPP Prisoner Scandal, Price criticized the IPP’s sentences as a “backdoor death penalty.”
It comes after The independent revealed that seven IPP inmates had taken their own lives in prison since February, bringing the total number of deaths to more than 80 lives lost to suicide while serving IPP prison sentences.
“The fact is that the never-ending, unknowing nature of this sentence fuels poor mental health. Even if they had hung me, there would have been definitive closure and clarity,” he wrote.
“The truth is that this long-abolished IPP sentence has proven to be a backdoor capital punishment in many cases, and in recent times the number of people who consider taking their own life to be the only way out has rapidly increased.” .
“This is a cry for help because this endless sentence and not knowing has crushed me and broken me and I no longer know what to do for the better.”
Price’s attorney, Emma McClure, was helping him apply to cancel his license in the weeks before his death. She was the last to speak to him before he took his own life on June 16.
She said The independent: “Almost every call with him had some element that made him feel stuck, he felt like he was never going to escape the situation.”
Although parole reviews do not prohibit offenders from accessing mental health support, in practice mental distress can be interpreted as an inability to cope and a potential risk, he said.
His colleague Andrew Sperling said his death was all the more tragic given that, with new proposals to reduce the IPP’s licensing period to three years announced by Chalk this month, Price would have finally been free.
While the changes are welcome and “long overdue,” they came too late for Price, he said. And they do not help nearly 3,000 IPP inmates who have not been released (including recent cases highlighted by The independent such as Wayne Bell, who was sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison for taking a bicycle but has served more than 16, and Thomas White, who has served 11 years for stealing a mobile phone.
“The problem is there are still a lot of people who are still in custody and have never gotten out,” Sperling added.
Chalk has so far rejected recommendations from the all-party Justice Committee to re-sentence all IPP prisoners.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Matthew Price.
“We are reducing license periods to give rehabilitated IPP offenders the opportunity to move on with their lives and have implemented additional community mental health support for those at risk of self-harm or suicide.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress or are having difficulty coping, you can speak to the Samaritans, confidentially, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email. jo@samaritans.orgor visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you reside in the U.S. and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free and confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
