Justice for Nate – 20 Years Trapped by an Abolished Law

Our beloved cousin Nate has been trapped in the prison system for 20 heartbreaking years, despite only being sentenced to 4 years under the now abolished Indeterminate Sentence for Public Protection (IPP).

The IPP was scrapped in 2012 after being widely condemned for its cruelty and injustice. It was meant to protect the public—but instead, it destroyed lives. Thousands like Nate were left behind, their freedom indefinitely delayed, their futures stolen.

Nate’s sentence was handed down by a racist judge, a painful reminder of the institutional racism that continues to poison the justice system. What was meant to be four years of incarceration has become two decades of torment. He has now served his sentence five times over—and yet he remains behind bars, with no end in sight.

As the years have passed, Nate has developed serious mental health issues—the psychological toll of indefinite imprisonment has been unbearable. The system that was meant to rehabilitate has instead broken him.

But Nate is not just a prisoner—he is a father, a son, a cousin, a loved one. He has a family on the outside who miss him every single day and are desperate to bring him home. His children deserve to have their dad back. His life matters. His voice matters. His story deserves to be heard.

How can a law be abolished, yet the people caught in its grip are still being punished by it?

What’s even more devastating is the injustice in sentencing across the system. There are convicted paedophiles and rapists who have served far shorter, fixed-term sentences and walked free—never handed an IPP. And yet Nate, a Black man failed by this system, continues to be punished indefinitely. This staggering inconsistency reveals the deep flaws and racial bias embedded in our justice system.

This is not justice. This is a systemic failure—one that has robbed Nate of his youth, his health, his freedom, and precious time with his children and family.

We are calling on the Ministry of Justice, the Parole Board, and the government to review Nate’s case and release him immediately. He has more than served his time. He deserves a second chance at life. He deserves healing. He deserves to come home.

Let’s raise our voices for Nate and for every other IPP prisoner still languishing in limbo.

Please sign and share this petition. Let’s bring Nate home. Let’s fight for justice. Let’s end this cruelty.

#FreeNate #AbolishIPP #JusticeDelayedIsJusticeDenied