Twelve further prisoners mistakenly released, says David Lammy

Twelve further prisoners mistakenly released, says David Lammy

Justice Secretary David Lammy has revealed that over the last three weeks, 12 prisoners have been mistakenly released, with two still not back in custody. This recent figure adds to an earlier count, where 91 prisoners were accidentally freed between April and October. Lammy acknowledged to the BBC that errors are inevitable while relying on a paper-based system and expressed optimism that a fully digital system would reduce these mistakes.

The issue of wrongful releases became particularly prominent following the case of Hadush Kebatu, who was serving time for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and another woman at an asylum hotel in Epping but was mistakenly released. This incident prompted the government to introduce additional safeguards for prisoner releases. Statistics show a significant increase in accidental releases over the past year, jumping from 115 in 2023-2024 to 262 in the following year.

David Lammy described the recent surge in mistakenly freed prisoners as a “spike” and stressed his commitment to reducing the numbers, acknowledging the challenge by stating, “We have got a mountain to climb.” He linked part of the problem to the loss of 6,000 prison officers during the previous Conservative government’s tenure, which has impacted the system’s efficiency.

Meanwhile, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick criticized the rise in accidental releases, attributing it to “the confusion created by Labour’s botched early release scheme.” The broader context highlights ongoing difficulties within the prison system as it transitions from outdated processes toward modernization, aiming to prevent future human errors in prisoner management

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