In a development that has sent shockwaves through the British justice system, more than 100 prisoners have been mistakenly released from jails in England and Wales since April 2025, with the latest blunders coming to light in the past three weeks. Justice Secretary David Lammy confirmed on December 2, 2025, that 12 additional inmates had been freed in error since his parliamentary statement in mid-November. Of these, two remain at large, though officials have emphasized that neither is a violent or sexual offender.
The numbers are stark. According to figures cited by BBC and Sky News, 91 prisoners were accidentally released between April and October 2025. The additional 12 cases since November 11 have pushed the total above 100 for the year, a dramatic increase from previous years. Ministry of Justice data shows that mistaken releases rose by a staggering 128% last year, leaping from 115 incidents in 2023-24 to 262 in 2024-25. This spike comes amid a broader context of rising prison releases overall, with more than 57,000 inmates completing their sentences in England and Wales in 2024-25—a 13% rise from the year before.
The scale and frequency of these errors have provoked outrage and concern across the political spectrum. Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick did not mince words, telling BBC, “The public are consistently being put at risk because of his shambolic management. When will this fiasco end?” Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller echoed these sentiments, calling the situation “utterly unacceptable” and demanding that “both the government and the Prison Service must own up to their failures and guarantee that these mistakes will stop happening once and for all.”
Justice Secretary Lammy, meanwhile, has acknowledged the gravity of the problem and the trauma it can cause victims. Reflecting on the case of Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian national and convicted sex offender who was mistakenly freed from HMP Chelmsford in October, Lammy said, “Any victim of crime who then finds out that the prisoner has been wrongly released should not be put through that trauma. And of course, I apologise, and I am sorry.” Kebatu was re-arrested after a two-day manhunt and subsequently deported to Ethiopia, but his case has become emblematic of the system’s failings.
Other high-profile mistaken releases include Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, an Algerian sex offender who was accidentally freed from HMP Wandsworth and apprehended nine days later, and William Smith, a fraudster who turned himself in after being mistakenly released on the same day he was jailed. All three have since been returned to custody, but the incidents have heightened scrutiny on the processes governing prisoner releases.
So what’s going wrong? At the heart of the issue, according to Lammy and prison inspectors, is the outdated, paper-based system still in use across much of the prison estate. Lammy told BBC Breakfast, “There would always be a ‘human error’ while prisons were using a paper-based system and that the situation would improve once a ‘completely digital system’ was adopted.” He added, “There had been a spike in accidental releases but it was now on a downward trajectory.”
Charlie Taylor, chief inspector of prisons, provided further context in comments to the BBC in October. He pointed to the challenges faced by inexperienced staff managing huge caseloads and adapting to a patchwork of early release schemes introduced by both the previous Conservative and current Labour governments. “Something is going badly wrong,” Taylor said, warning that the system’s reliance on officers from West African countries could be further strained by new Home Office visa rules.
Lammy has defended his approach, noting that he refrains from providing details about the two prisoners still at large to avoid jeopardizing police operations. “I’m not going to give details of those cases, because these are operational decisions made by the police, and you’ll understand if they’re about to arrest somebody they don’t want me to blow the cover,” he explained to ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
Nevertheless, opposition politicians have pressed for greater transparency. Sir Mel Stride, shadow chancellor, told Sky News, “I think it is appropriate that he comes forward and tells us a bit more about who they are, what they were convicted for, how dangerous they might be, so that we’re properly informed.”
Underlying the operational chaos is a legacy of policy and staffing challenges. Lammy has partly blamed the problem on the loss of 6,000 officers under the previous Conservative government, while Jenrick has pointed to “the confusion created by Labour’s botched early release scheme,” which was introduced to ease overcrowding. The figures on mistaken releases include not only those let out too early, but also those kept in custody beyond their intended release date, further muddying the waters.
In response to the crisis, the government has rolled out new security measures, including a clear checklist for prison governors to follow when releasing prisoners. There are also plans to invest up to £10 million in artificial intelligence tools designed to reduce human error and upgrade the antiquated paper-based system. Ministers have even agreed to the deployment of an AI bot to help prevent mistaken releases—a move that signals both the seriousness of the issue and the government’s willingness to embrace technology in search of solutions.
Additionally, the government has commissioned a review led by Dame Lynne Owens, former deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, to investigate the mistakes that led to Kebatu’s release and broader systemic problems. Her findings are expected in February 2026 and are likely to shape the next phase of reform in the prison service.
As the government scrambles to regain control, the public’s patience is wearing thin. The opposition, prison inspectors, and advocacy groups continue to demand accountability and rapid improvement. Lammy himself has admitted, “We have got a mountain to climb,” and while he insists the number of mistaken releases is now on a downward trend, the challenge remains daunting.
With two prisoners still at large and the spotlight firmly fixed on the Ministry of Justice, the coming months will be a critical test of whether new measures—and new leadership—can restore public confidence in the integrity of the prison system.
