My best friend Anthony Maguire was sent to prison after being committed of wounding with intent at Coventry crown court 17 years ago. He was handed an indeterminate sentence of 33 months under a controversial regime known as Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP)The sentences are no longer used after being abolished for new prisoners by the government in 2012. But it remains in place for those given IPP sentences when they were convicted.

Anthony has been to over 7 prisons and still not been put onto the course that he must sit before any kind of release is thought about by the parole board. He had an assessment in another prison years ago and this is being held onto every parole hearing.He’s told that his assessment and mental health makes him not eligible for the course which is called the Kaizen course, this is an accredited offender behaviour programme for adult males who are assessed as high or very high risk. Kaizen adopts a strengths based, future focussed approach in order to raise hope for the future. It aims to strengthen and develop successes in people’s lives.

Anthony self harms, trys to hang him self and no longer wants to be here, he is made to feel even worse when he is being laughed at while trying to commit suicide by prison officers,we try everyday to keep him positive but it is hard when things are happening I phoned safer custody and they told him to tell me to stop phoning them as they was being told off, Anthony was attacked by several other prisoners and his jaw was broken, he was complaining in pain for 7 days that he needed to go to a hospital, when he was finally taken to the hospital a week later the date given to the hospital was the day before the hospital visit to cover the fact he was asking for treatment for that length of time.

Anthony was taken to the block for his safety when I spoke to him he was told he would be given an emergency canteen pack to keep him going, but then hours later he was told that he was not aloud one which upset him, he shouted through the flap in his door to one of the officers and they poked the baton through the flap and split his eye open. ( this is not aloud) He was also hit with batons while on suicide watch while women officers was trying to calm him down.The prison has bedbugs and women staff being sacked for being wrongly involved with male prisoners, aswell as bringing in prohibited items ie drugs and phones. The prison needs an immediate inspection as the last one was not to great either. The Chaplin actually supported Anthony and was told of for it.

Anthony had an altercation with one of the prisoner staff years ago which leaves bad blood affecting the treatment he is getting of the screws, The prison say they are waiting to ship him out but it’s been months he has asked for clean bed sheets for 3 days and still hasn’t got any, We have made complaints and gone as high as we can we need to fight together to get Anthony the help he needs it breaks our hearts everyday what he is going through and he is just 1 of 1000’s going through the same.Anthony is on an actt app review (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) it is the care planning process for prisoners identified as being at risk of suicide or self-harm,which means things have to be dealt with in the correct way, he cut his neck it took a nurse 45 minutes to go and help him, I know this as he emailed me when it happened and when the nurse seen him.

He has asked to speak to a listener and was refused however on the ACCT guidelines it states that officers must ensure that the prisoner has been offered the opportunity to speak with Listeners and/or Samaritans.Anthony has made several complaints but when I emailed my self I was told that no complaints had been logged from Anthony.He has recently lost his dad and was refused the chance to go and say goodbye.

He has not had visits in over 8 years he does not want them, he has no hope and no future, None of the prisoners serving an IPP inhumane sentence do.He feels a burden on all of us but we love him and will continue to support him everyday in every way that we can.

I have had an email from another prisoner telling me about the care that Anthony is Receiving and how sad he is about it, Anthony wants to be down the block as he fears for his safety on the wing,he will only eat sealed food which has been the case for years and his food is taken to him open, which results in him not eating it.

Anthony’s mum has bad health and is worried sick about her boy, he just wants to go home to be with her and his family, He has a young niece who he would love to be around making memories that he has missed out on,his sister Kayleigh also worries everyday it’s so hard.

It is breaking our hearts what he is going through everyday we are scared we get that “call” something needs to be done before it is to late.Anthony is only a risk to himself and needs the right intervention from mental health professionals not prison officers. He has served the time for his crime why can’t he be in a hospital to get better and the support he really needs if anything ?

He feels like he is being targeted and bullied by staff aswell as other prisoners we are stuck and have no where else to turn.

In February 2023, the Government rejected calls from the justice select committee to undertake a resentencing exercise for those serving imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences. It also rejected further recommendations from the Committee for the management of those on IPP sentences and their futures.3,000 people are still being held on these sentences, with their lives in perpetual limbo, its inhumane. The Government must urgently reconsider its decision and right this historic wrong

We have recently set up a TikTok called fighting for IPP prisoners as we need all the help we can get, Anthonys fight is our fight and we will not give up. Please sign the petition and help us gain the signatures we need to move forward.