Twelve additional inmates mistakenly released, with two still unaccounted for, according to Lammy

Justice Secretary David Lammy revealed that 12 inmates have been unintentionally released over the last three weeks, with two still not back in custody. This follows 91 prisoners mistakenly freed between April and October.

Speaking to the BBC, Lammy acknowledged that human error is inevitable under the current paper-based prison system, and expressed confidence that the situation would improve once a fully digital system is implemented. He noted a recent surge in accidental releases but said the trend is now declining.

In comments to ITV, Lammy stated that the two inmates currently at large are neither violent offenders nor sex offenders. He declined to provide further details to avoid compromising ongoing police operations.

The issue of accidental releases gained attention after Hadush Kebatu, previously jailed for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman while living in an asylum hotel, was mistakenly freed. Soon after, two additional prisonersWilliam Smith, who surrendered voluntarily, and Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, who was rearrestedwere also released in error. These incidents prompted the government to introduce stricter verification checks for prisoner releases.

The most recent accidental releases occurred after Lammy's statement to the House of Commons on 11 November, where he outlined government measures to address the problem. The number of erroneous releases has risen significantly over the past year, from 115 in 2023-2024 to 262 in the following year. Lammy admitted the figures are concerning, noting the challenge ahead to reduce them.

He attributed part of the issue to the loss of 6,000 prison officers under the previous government. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick criticized the rise, linking it to confusion from a Labour-introduced early release program designed to ease prison overcrowding.

Last month, Lammy detailed government actions to curb mistakes, including investing up to 10 million in AI tools to minimize human error and modernize the paper-based system. Additionally, former Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Dame Lynne Owens, has been asked to review the errors that led to Kebatus release and assess systemic problems across the prison service.

Kebatu was re-arrested two days after his release and has since been deported to Ethiopia.

Author: Sophia Brooks