‘Torturous’ indefinite prison sentence robbed son of his entire adult life before he died in solitary at 34, mother says

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Josh Mcrae, who was denied parole last year, warned his mother that the only way to escape an indeterminate prison sentence was to be in a body bag.

It was the latest in a series of setbacks for the 34-year-old prisoner, who has already spent 16 years behind bars as a result of a minimum four-year sentence for a crime he committed when he was 17.

The once genial and ambitious footballer was found unresponsive in his cell at HMP Long Lartin last month, aged 34. The cause of death is still unknown.

Now her heartbroken mother has called on the government to finally end the injustice of her “torturous, cruel and inhumane” Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence.

“When I didn’t get parole last time, he said the only way I could leave here was in a body bag, and that’s what happened,” Theresa Mcrae said. Independent.

“Josh’s struggle, his strength, and his resulting death should not be in vain. “He now has freedom, but unfortunately it was not the freedom we all wanted so much.”

Controversial prison sentences, where offenders were charged a minimum tariff but not a maximum tariff, were annulled in 2012 due to human rights concerns, but not for people already detained; Thousands of people like Josh were left devastated with no release date.

Of the 2,734 IPP inmates still incarcerated, more than 700 served more than 10 years beyond their minimum sentence. According to the latest figures, at least five IPP prisoners sentenced to less than the six-month minimum have remained in prison for at least 16 years.

A UN human rights expert described the punishments as “psychological torture” and at least 90 IPP prisoners took their own lives.

Josh received an IPP for grievous bodily harm following a bar fight in 2007, but maintained his innocence.

He spent almost six years in prison before being released for the first time in 2012, but was sent back to prison six months later after being convicted again of causing actual bodily harm.

He served another 11 years without release before dying on September 6 because his request for parole was denied a year ago.

As his mother, 58, from Southampton, prepared to bury him on Wednesday, he was confronted with the “brutal” sentence that deprived him of his adult life.

“I think the sentence is very cruel, very cruel,” he said. “There are people serving IPPs out there who deserve to be given a chance at life.

“This has been Josh’s entire adult life. “He wanted to have a family, he wanted a job.”

The mother choked back tears as she recalled the last conversation in which she told her mother, “I love you,” during a video call in prison the day before she died.

Tragically, in a phone call after his death, the prison warden revealed that he planned to recommend Josh’s release next year.

“All I have now are my memories,” Theresa added. “Because I didn’t even get a chance to share life with Josh because he’s been there since I was 17.

“Seventeen Christmases. I prepared all the Christmas gifts for him. I can’t even bear to take them out of the closet anymore.

“He destroyed your life. He took your life, didn’t he? He spent more time in prison than someone who killed someone.”

A staff member who worked with Josh through the prison support service Reform & Rebuild said he was struggling with high numbers of inexperienced prison staff who did not understand the challenges faced by IPP prisoners.

He said the IPP label creates stigma for inmates, which leads to risk aversion among staff and parole officers.

Staff told Independent: “They are grouped under the umbrella term ‘dangerous,’ even though many inmates convicted of the same crimes do not have that term in their minds, making it difficult for them to move away from that label.

“Joshua was a well-liked, well-liked and well-rounded man, considering the circumstances. He always put family first, he had a deep heart and no matter what happened he bounced back, he never complained.

“The inmates paid tribute to him through his mother and the prison staff said they were sorry for his loss and wanted to attend his funeral, which I think is a testament to the kind of man he was.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “It is right that IPP sentences are abolished and, with the protection of the public a top priority, the Lord Chancellor has confirmed that the license conditions of approximately 1,800 rehabilitated offenders on IPP sentences will be removed.

“We continue to look for other ways we can improve access to mental health support and rehabilitation for those currently in custody.”