The family of a man serving an indefinite prison sentence has expressed fears for his health after he was transferred back to jail from a secure psychiatric hospital.
Thomas White, 43, was given an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence in 2012 for stealing a mobile phone. These sentences, which have no fixed release date, were abolished four months later.
His sister, Clara White, said he is "a severely unwell man who needs treatment, stability and hope." She added that the family "felt a small sense of hope" when he was moved to a secure psychiatric hospital, but now believe "he is being sent back into the very system that made him ill."
White's family said he was transferred from HMP Manchester to a secure psychiatric hospital in Northumberland in November 2025 following years of severe mental deterioration. They stated he developed paranoid schizophrenia while serving his IPP sentence, and an independent psychiatrist concluded his indefinite imprisonment was the probable cause of his illness.
The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment. Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently pledged to address the issue of IPP sentences as part of efforts to tackle prison overcrowding.