by On the last day of his life, Francis Williams feared he was about to be sent to prison. Williams, 43, had not committed a crime recently but when he was kicked out of a pub in Bognor Regis after a drinking relapse, he guessed what was coming.
A hefty sentence for street robbery 18 years earlier meant homelessness and addiction were enough to send Williams back inside. He was sentenced to prison on public protection (IPP) and could be recalled to prison if he was deemed a danger, although he had served his time.
An inquest at Chichester coroner’s court on Tuesday found his death was caused or contributed to by his IPP sentence.
When Williams lost his place in prison on January 27, 2023, his worst fears were confirmed: his probation officer said he was facing an emergency recall to prison. He told her in detail how he would end his life if that happened and the police found a body.
The probation officer informed Sussex Police of his suicidal risk but the search did not appear to be a priority. He was found dead in a tent in a field in Bognor Regis the following day.
Despite IPP sentences being abolished in 2012 after their effects wore off, Williams was one of thousands of people still subject to them because the changes were not backdated.
His sister, Suzanne Rodrigues, told gardaí: “I know it was the IPP. The system doesn’t even give people on IPP a glimmer of hope.”
Last year the number of people still on IPPs recalled to prison rose by 8% to 1,625, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Justice.
The coroner at Williams’ inquest, Nick Armstrong, is expected to issue a future death prevention notice later this month warning of the particular psychological pressures IPP prisoners face.
Williams was among the first to receive an IPP when he was sentenced in 2006. He was in his early 20s, grieving the loss of his aunt and mother, and had addiction problems.
His recall last year was 12 years after he was released from prison for that crime. For the better part of the previous decade, his life looked more positive: he had built a successful business as a fitness coach and was determined to start anew.
But his relationship ended after his girlfriend returned to Australia and his IPP’s travel restrictions meant he could not follow her. That and, in turn, the isolation of the pandemic fueled a downward spiral in his mental health and a return to addiction, which was exacerbated by the fear of a recall to prison.
Rodrigues, 50, whose closest relative lives and works with young people with special needs, said the threat of being sent back to prison even without committing a crime was “torture” for her brother. . She said he was often too afraid to seek help for his mental health or addiction for fear that probation would be used against him.
She told the coroner’s court: “The IPP’s sentence was not a matter of going to prison and serving time but a life sentence. It made Francis paranoid, isolated and afraid to be around other people when he was most vulnerable.”
The last time Williams met with his probation officer, he was very upset on the phone to his sister, who said he told her: “Just like that, with the click of her finger, my life could be over.”
In the end, his fears were proven correct. “The things he was worried about happened that day,” Rodrigues said. “It’s heartbreaking because the things he was being reminded of were not crimes. Nobody goes to jail for being homeless or drunk.”
Rodrigues wants the system changed for those still on IPPs. “It’s like you’re guilty before you’re innocent. You will be punished for what you might have done … It’s a very unfair, inhumane system.”
Williams’ aunt Susan Range, 67, said the IPP was “psychological torture” for him. “He has paid the ultimate price,” she said.
Philip Rule KC, who represented the Williams family in court, said: “Francis’ death is yet another avoidable tragedy due to the failure of parliament or ministers to address the cohort of people who have been sentenced to IPP over a decade ago ago and still living with it. .”
Changes announced by the MoJ last year mean that those on IPPs who have not re-offended in the past five years will be automatically released, but many will not apply, including those still in prison.
The family’s solicitor, Olivia Coffey, of Hodge Jones and Allen, said; “Although the IPP sentencing regime has been ended, thousands of people are currently in the same situation as Francis – that is, the possibility of an indefinite recall to prison as they try to move on with their lives despite that.
“Sadly, this is not the first time someone has taken their own life in the hope of being recalled to prison. If the Ministry of Justice does not address these issues properly, it may not be the last.”
Sussex Police said their “heartfelt sympathies go out to the family and friends of Francis Williams” and noted that the inquest did not find that their actions contributed to his death.
An MoJ spokesman said: “Our thoughts remain with the friends and family of Francis Williams. These sentences are a stain on the justice system, which is why we have taken decisive action to cut license periods for IPP offenders and give rehabilitated people the chance to move on with their lives. We have also improved the mental health support in place for IPP offenders living in the community who are at risk of self-harm or suicide.”
