A Cardiff man has spent two decades in prison after being handed an indeterminate Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence following the 2005 theft of a mobile phone, his family and campaigners say.
Leroy Douglas, 44, was given a minimum term of two-and-a-half years for stealing a phone belonging to his cousin's boyfriend but remains in custody because the IPP allows detention beyond the minimum if the Parole Board deems release unsafe. His father, Anthony Douglas, 63, described his son's time behind bars as a "life sentence" and said the family had expected him to be released after serving part of the fixed term.
Family members told the BBC that Douglas, who had earlier convictions for shoplifting and other offences as a teenager and young man, had struggled with the impact of long-term detention. While in custody he was informed of the death of his 20-year-old daughter from a brain haemorrhage and the loss of other relatives, events his father said affected his mental health. Anthony Douglas said his son had been moved between prisons several times, forcing him to repeat courses and training that are often required for parole consideration.
Campaigners and lawyers have criticised the IPP regime as draconian, saying it has left many people in indefinite detention after relatively short or low-level offences. Andrew Taylor, a criminal barrister at Apex Chambers who has represented clients with IPP sentences, said the policy can amount to an effective life sentence and argued for large-scale re-sentencing of those affected.
Figures released by campaigners and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) show the scale of the issue. June figures cited in reporting indicate about 2,500 prisoners have either never been released under IPP terms or have been recalled to custody. The number of people released from prison but still living with an IPP was reported to have fallen from 3,018 in December 2023 to 1,134 in March 2025. The MoJ said 602 recalled IPP prisoners were released from custody in the past 12 months, the highest annual number of releases on record.
Campaigners from Wales, including relatives of those serving under IPP orders, visited Downing Street to deliver a letter calling for retrospective abolition of the sentences and re-sentencing for those still detained. They have also lodged a case with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, arguing that the continued use of IPP sentences amounts to a miscarriage of justice for people and families separated by long, indeterminate terms.
The IPP sentence was introduced to detain offenders assessed as posing a significant risk of serious harm to the public and required a minimum tariff before a prisoner could be considered for release. It was abolished in 2012 amid criticism that it had been imposed for less serious crimes and resulted in people being detained indefinitely without a clear release date. Defendants released on licence under IPP orders remain subject to conditions and can be recalled to prison if they breach those conditions.
Family members acknowledged that Douglas has displayed poor behaviour while imprisoned, which they attributed in part to spending formative years inside the prison system and lacking positive outside role models. They said he had struggled with addiction in the past but had tested negative for drugs while in custody.
The Ministry of Justice said it had increased support for those in custody and that efforts were under way to deliver safe and sustainable releases without undermining public protection. "We are determined to make progress towards safe and sustainable releases for those in prison, but not in a way that undermines public protection," the MoJ said in a statement provided to broadcasters.
Campaigners say thousands remain affected and want the government to order large-scale re-sentencing or another remedy for those who received IPP terms before the measure was abolished. Lawyers and families argue that prolonged uncertainty about release undermines rehabilitation and contributes to prison instability, while the government warns that any changes must maintain safeguards for public safety.
As calls for reform continue, the case of Douglas and others highlights the long-term consequences of indeterminate sentencing policies introduced two decades ago and the ongoing debate over how to balance community protection with the rights and rehabilitation prospects of prisoners.