UK Government Admits Nearly 100 Prisoners Freed by Mistake in Seven Months
The UK government has revealed that nearly 100 prisoners were mistakenly released from custody between April and October this year, with three of them still on the run.
Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy disclosed the figures on Monday while addressing Members of Parliament, acknowledging that the blunders reflect a prison system under “horrendous strain.”
According to Lammy, 91 inmates were accidentally freed during the seven-month period, including one who has remained at large since August 2024. The fugitives include individuals jailed for offences such as aggravated burglary, drug possession, and failure to surrender to police.
“This situation is unacceptable. We are putting in new guardrails around an archaic system,” Lammy said, announcing a £10 million investment in artificial intelligence and other technologies over the next six months to strengthen checks and prevent future errors.
The disclosure comes amid growing criticism of the prison service following several recent high-profile blunders. Last week, two inmates were wrongly released from HMP Wandsworth — one, 24-year-old Algerian national Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, was later rearrested in Islington after being recognised by a member of the public. Another, William “Billy” Smith, handed himself in after his accidental release.
The latest cases follow the October incident at HMP Chelmsford, where convicted migrant s3x offender Hadush Kebatu was mistakenly freed, sparking public outrage and calls for accountability.
Lammy said an independent investigation and tighter security checks have been ordered, but prison officers insist the issue runs deeper, citing chronic understaffing and overcrowding.
“It’s a category B jail — prisoners are constantly moving in and out for court or visits, and we’re so understaffed,” one officer told Metro. “These mistakes are part of a wider problem of funding and capacity.”
The Justice Secretary pledged that the government would “do whatever it takes” to restore public confidence and ensure such errors are not repeated.
