Man still in prison 20 years after stealing phone

The father of a Cardiff man who has spent 20 years in prison for stealing a mobile phone has said his son has effectively served a life sentence behind bars.

Leroy Douglas, 44, was sentenced to a minimum of two-and-a-half years in 2005 for robbery, but he remains in custody under an indeterminate sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP). The controversial sentencing scheme was abolished in 2012, yet campaigners are calling for the release of those still serving IPPs and have filed a case against the United Kingdom at the United Nations.

The Ministry of Justice has said that last year it oversaw the highest annual number of IPP prisoner releases on record and has provided additional support for those still incarcerated.

IPP sentences mean prisoners are detained indefinitely until the parole board decides they no longer pose a risk to the public. They were introduced to deal with serious offenders deemed a danger, but the system was widely criticised for ensnaring people sentenced for less serious crimes. Prisoners must serve their minimum term before being considered for parole, but release is not automatic. Once released, they remain subject to strict licence conditions and can be recalled to prison at any time if they breach them.

Anthony Douglas, 63, described his son as a “normal boy” growing up who was easily led into poor decisions. Leroy Douglas, now held at HMP Stocken in Rutland, began offending as a youth with shoplifting convictions. But when he was jailed for stealing a mobile phone belonging to his cousin’s boyfriend in 2005, his father said events spiralled.

Instead of a fixed two-and-a-half-year sentence, Douglas was given an IPP, something the family described as a shock.

“He’s done the two-and-a-half years, and the next thing I know, he’s still inside all these years later,” Mr Douglas said. “I wanted him to do half of the time and then start afresh.”

Since his conviction, Mr Douglas has been unable to visit his son in person but keeps in touch by phone. While in prison, Leroy was told of the death of his daughter, who suffered a fatal brain haemorrhage at the age of 20. He has also lost his grandparents and other relatives during his incarceration, losses his father says have damaged his mental health.

Douglas has been moved between prisons several times, forcing him to repeat rehabilitation courses needed to be eligible for release.

“We’re not the only ones suffering — the whole family is being punished because he’s still in jail,” his father said.

He acknowledged his son had struggled with behavioural issues inside, but argued that growing up in prison had shaped him. “His role models are other prisoners — that’s all he sees. He lashes out because he feels it’s unfair he’s been locked up this long,” he said.

Although Leroy previously struggled with heroin, his father noted he has tested negative for opioids while serving his sentence.

Andrew Taylor, a criminal barrister at Apex Chambers who has represented around ten clients serving IPPs, described the sentences as “draconian and unfair”.

“I’ve had clients who, without an IPP, might have served four or five years and then been released,” he said. “But with an IPP, you’re effectively serving a life sentence. Even for minor offences, many are repeatedly recalled. Resentencing must now happen on a large scale.”

He added: “There’s no longer any justification for keeping people locked up like this. Not all would be freed immediately, but many are trapped with no hope of release, which fuels violence in prisons. It also worsens overcrowding. Prison should be about rehabilitation — IPPs run against that principle.”

As of June, about 2,500 people remain in prison under IPPs, either never released or recalled. Campaigners from Wales, including Shirley Debono — whose son Shaun Lloyd received an IPP at age 18 — delivered a petition to Downing Street on Thursday calling for the retrospective abolition of the sentences. The group has also lodged a complaint with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

Their letter urged the government to “do the right thing” by ending what they called “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice”, restoring dignity and hope to thousands of IPP prisoners and their families. Many children, they said, have grown up separated from parents indefinitely, with no certainty about reunification.

Ministry of Justice figures show that between December 2023 and March 2025, the overall prison population fell from 3,018 to 1,134. Over the same period, the number of IPP prisoners dropped from 3,318 to 2,134. In the past year alone, 602 recalled IPP prisoners were released — the highest annual figure on record.

“We are determined to make progress towards safe and sustainable releases,” the MoJ said, “but this must not come at the expense of public safety.”