Wayne Williams was locked up aged just 17 for attempting to injure a police officer in a fight. He was told he must serve a minimum sentence of one year, 11 months and 20 days when he was handed an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence in 2006. But he is still in prison 18 years later after a string of failed parole bids, as he battles “fear, paranoia and loneliness” under the inhumane sentencing policy, which has since been abolished.
Now 36, Mr Williams hopes he may finally win his freedom as he faces his seventh parole board review this summer, after the probation service said they supported his release.
In letters from HMP Wymott, seen by The Independent, he revealed the “hell” of his incarceration at the category C prison in Lancashire as he struggles with declining mental health. Wayne, who grew up in a string of foster homes and secure units, said the IPP sentence is the hardest thing he has ever endured.
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