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179 prisoners freed 'in error' in England and Wales in single year
The ministry said administrative mistakes and miscalculated sentences accounted for the releases, while an independent review blamed years of underinvestment and overcrowding.
- On Wednesday, the Ministry of Justice disclosed that 179 inmates were wrongly released across England and Wales between April 2025 and March 2026, citing administrative failures including misplaced warrants and sentence miscalculations.
- Releases classed as "in error" stem from procedural failures within the prison system; though the figure dropped from 262 prisoners wrongly freed the previous year, the recurring pattern signals persistent systemic instability.
- High-Profile errors included migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu's wrongful release from HMP Chelmsford in October, triggering a two-day manhunt. William Smith and Brahim Kaddour-Cherif were separately freed from HMP Wandsworth in November.
- Justice Secretary David Lammy accepted all 33 recommendations from Dame Lynne Owens' independent review, which described the issue as a "symptom of a broken system."
- Officials plan to implement biometric fingerprint and facial recognition checks within six months, with a full rollout before parliament ends. The government will invest £82 million into digital upgrades to "bear down on these errors and keep the public safe.
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David Lammy responds as damning report reveals almost 200 prisoners were mistakenly released in one year
David Lammy has responded to a damning new report which has revealed almost 200 prisoners were accidentally released in the space of one year.Addressing the review, the Deputy Prime Minister vowed to accept "all 33 recommendations" outlined by author Dame Lynne Owens.Mr Lammy said: "We asked Dame Lynne Owens to look at this carefully. She has provided a 200-page report, 33 recommendations, and I'm accepting all of those recommendations. "And the…
·London, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources9
Leaning Left1Leaning Right4Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Right
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources lean Right
57% Right
14%
C 29%
R 57%
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