A man who has been serving a controversial indefinite prison sentence is to be reunited with his son after an absence of 12 years.

thomas whiteHe was sentenced to IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection) in 2012 for stealing mobile phones and has not seen his son Kayden since he was 9 months old.

White, 40, was jailed for at least two years prison He was sentenced under the IPP four months before the sentence was annulled, but remains in prison 12 years later.

However, following the intervention of Lord Blunkett – who introduced the IPP when he was home secretary in 2003 – Mr White was allowed to meet his son later this month.

Mr White’s sister Clara White said the meeting was a “victory” for her family but they would have to “take the law into their own hands” to see change.

“Our prayers have been answered,” she told Sky News.

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“Campaigning on the IPP – I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I don’t think anyone wants to be in our shoes, it’s a tireless job.

“While I am delighted, I am still pained by what was allowed to happen and that no legal team was going to help us. We took the law into our own hands and went to see the architect of this sentence to help us. Did I have any other choice .”

IPP is a custodial sentence without a release date for serious violent and sexual offenders who pose a substantial risk of serious harm to the public but whose offense does not constitute a life sentence.

Despite the government’s stated aim of protecting the public, concerns soon emerged that IPP sentences were being applied too broadly and that more juvenile offenders were being caught – Many people spend much longer in prison than their original sentences.

In 2012, they were repealed, but the change did not apply retroactively, leaving 2,852 IPP prisoners were incarcerated, 1,227 of whom were never released.

Last month, Ms White traveled to London with her nephew Go see Lord Blunkett The architects of the IPP expressed “deep regret” at the way the measures were implemented.

Ms White thanked Lord Blunkett and said he was “incredibly compassionate”, adding: “He listened with great compassion.”

“What’s happening now doesn’t make it right,” she said. “Kayden and Thomas can’t relive those years – they have to start their relationship now.”

Lord Blunkett’s intervention in Mr White’s case comes as the House of Lords A series of amendments will be voted on The Government will introduce the Victims and Prisoners Bill later this month.

An amendment tabled by Baroness Buckley-Fox called for a re-sentencing of the remaining IPP population.

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The cost of people jailed on indefinite IPP sentences has exceeded £1 billion since 2012

The government has so far refused to lodge grievances against the remaining IPP prisoners, citing concerns about public safety.

However, data obtained by Sky News via Freedom of Information (FOI) The request revealed that only 83 IPP prisoners had been convicted of further serious offenses since 2012 (SFO) Post-release or post-release includes those who may have been released, recalled to custody and re-released.

Ms White urged Lords members to support Baroness Buckley’s amendment, saying: “IPP has an impact not only on prisoners mentally but also on their families as we are all punished and serve our sentences.

“This is a wreck and they should be helping us clean it up now.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “We have reduced the number of unreleased IPP prisoners by three-quarters since abolition in 2012, with a 12% reduction last year alone when the parole board deemed prisoners safe for release.

“We have also taken decisive action to shorten license terms and continue to help people still in custody secure release, including improving rehabilitation programs and mental health support.”