‘It’s a very unfair system’: family of man who took his own life criticise indefinite sentences

Relatives of Francis Williams say threat of return to prison without committing another crime was torture' for him

On the last day of his life, Francis Williams feared he was about to be sent to prison. Williams, 43, had committed no recent crime but when he was kicked out of a hostel in Bognor Regis after a drinking relapse, he guessed what was coming next.

An arcane sentence for a street robbery 18 years earlier meant homelessness and addiction would be enough to send Williams back inside. He had been given an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence and could be recalled to prison if he was deemed to be a risk, even though he had served his time.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.