Downing Street has acknowledged the alarming revelation that over 90 inmates have been mistakenly released since April of this year, with concerns raised about a potential new case of an offender on the run.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy disclosed that three individuals are currently missing after erroneous releases, while authorities are looking into a possible additional release mistake on November 3, where the individual may still be at large.
This development coincided with the Ministry of Justice releasing updated figures indicating that 91 criminals were erroneously set free between April 1 and October 31 this year.
A spokesperson from No 10 informed the media, stating, “These figures highlight the ongoing challenges within a prison system that the Government inherited, which has been under significant pressure, reflecting a failing criminal justice system.”
Acknowledging the public’s shock over these incidents, the spokesperson noted that although rare, the number of errors has been increasing annually, from an average of nine per month in 2023 to 17 per month the following year. Immediate actions have been taken to address the prison crisis, including implementing stricter release checks, engaging prison governors, and deploying technology experts.
Mr. Lammy has announced a £10 million allocation to introduce new AI tools for frontline staff to accurately calculate sentences and modernize outdated paper-based systems. Additionally, an urgent independent review has been commissioned to analyze the surge in release errors.
The Ministry of Justice highlighted the strain on prison staff, who are currently navigating through over 500 pages of guidelines, which increases the likelihood of mistakes.
The issue of mistaken releases gained prominence following the highly publicized case of Hadush Kebatu, a deported migrant central to protests in Epping, Essex.
In a parliamentary statement, Mr. Lammy emphasized the need for a comprehensive reform of the prison release service and extended a sincere apology to victims whose perpetrators were released in error.
He attributed the occurrence of mistakes to an underfunded, understaffed, and overburdened prison system, stressing the imperative to reduce such incidents as they reflect the immense strain on the prison system.
Official statistics indicate that approximately 800 prisoners were mistakenly released under the previous government, with the numbers escalating annually, peaking at 115 in 2023/24. Under the current Labour administration, erroneous releases surged to 262 in 2024/25, partly due to the implementation of Labour’s early release initiative, necessitated by the state of the justice system inherited from the previous government.
Mr. Lammy defended proposals to release female offenders into the community after a communication error led to the plans being inadvertently sent to Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick. He emphasized the importance of exploring alternative approaches for dealing with female offenders, particularly considering their roles as mothers.