A man remains imprisoned years after stealing a phone, due to an IPP sentence despite reforms.
Even now he does not have a release date. He got clean in prison and took 36 courses, yet the IPP sentence keeps him trapped. IPP sentences were ended in 2012, but the change didn’t affect old cases like Leroy’s.
The UN says this might be a human rights issue, arguing that keeping people locked up is inhumane and that some have served much longer than normal sentences. Leroy is one of many still stuck; others stole phones or laptops too. One man even set himself on fire, and another went on a hunger strike.
Leroy says his jail time feels unfair; a psychologist thought he should be free, and the parole board even misspelled his name. He feels bad for what he did and knows being a victim is terrible. He also says he was attacked in prison because of his race.
He says he has taken courses to get better. Early on, he sued the government for not letting him take courses, winning money, though they say no records exist now. Leroy started using drugs when he was 15, and stole things to buy them, including a phone while out on probation.
He wanted to get arrested so he could get drug help and has stayed clean in prison. Still, he’s had some trouble in jail and they won’t release him due to his behavior. A psychologist said he feels hopeless, and that being in jail longer will only make things worse.
Leroy’s daughter died while he was locked up. He wants to open a business when he gets out, feeling he has been punished enough. He wants a chance to live his life and stay out of trouble, arguing that he stole a phone and has now lost half of his life.
A woman named Shirley Debono helps Leroy, and thinks the system failed him. She feels bad for him because he is not violent and says he should not be in prison still. The prison system did not help him enough, and rules for IPP prisoners changed recently.
The government still won’t change the sentences, saying it is up to the parole board. However, the government says they support IPP prisoners, providing mental health help to them and offering rehab programs in prison.