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Justice Secretary David Lammy has confirmed that twelve prisoners have been mistakenly released from custody in the last three weeks, with two individuals currently remaining at large. This alarming revelation adds to the ninety-one inmates who were erroneously freed across England and Wales between April and October of this year.
Speaking on the ongoing issue, Lammy attributed the problem to a reliance on a paper-based system within correctional facilities, acknowledging that “human error” is an inevitable consequence. He emphasized that the situation is expected to improve once a “completely digital system” is fully implemented. While noting “a spike” in such accidental releases, the Justice Secretary stated that the trend is now on “a downward trajectory.”
Millenium TV has learned that Lammy offered assurances that the two prisoners still at large are not individuals convicted of violent crimes or sex offenses. He declined to provide further details on their cases, explaining that these are operational decisions for law enforcement, and revealing specifics could compromise ongoing efforts to apprehend them.
The issue of accidental releases garnered significant public attention following the mistaken freedom of Hadush Kebatu, who had been incarcerated after sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman. Kebatu, who was living in an asylum hotel in Epping at the time of his offenses, was subsequently re-arrested two days after his release and has since been deported to Ethiopia. This incident, alongside the erroneous releases of William Smith, who later surrendered to authorities, and Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, who was re-arrested, prompted the government to implement new security protocols for prisoner discharges.
The most recent series of accidental releases has occurred since November 11, the date Lammy addressed the House of Commons regarding government measures to tackle the problem. Millenium TV analysis indicates a stark increase in such incidents, with the number of prisoners mistakenly freed rising by 128% last year, from 115 in 2023-2024 to 262 in the subsequent year.
With over 57,000 prisoners completing their custodial sentences in England and Wales in 2024-25 – a 13% increase from the previous year – Lammy acknowledged the growing numbers. “I want to bring it down but we have got a mountain to climb,” he stated. He attributed part of the problem to the loss of 6,000 officers under the former Conservative administration.
In response, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick criticized the current government, blaming the rise on “the confusion created by Labour’s botched early release scheme,” a program designed to alleviate prison overcrowding. Commenting on the 12 new accidental releases, Jenrick asserted, “The public are consistently being put at risk because of his shambolic management. When will this fiasco end?”
Last month, Lammy outlined the government’s strategy to address the ongoing issue, including an investment of up to £10 million for new AI tools aimed at reducing human error and modernizing the outdated paper-based prison system. Additionally, Dame Lynne Owens, former deputy commissioner of the Met Police, has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive review into the mistakes that led to Kebatu’s release and the wider systemic errors within the prison estate.
© Millenium TV
