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Prisoners Freed by Mistake: 2 Still Missing!
2 Dec, 2025
Summary
- 12 prisoners were accidentally released in the last three weeks.
- Two of the recently released prisoners remain at large.
- Prison accidental releases have risen sharply in recent years.
In a concerning development, 12 prisoners have been unintentionally released over the last three weeks, and two of them are currently at large. Justice Secretary David Lammy stated that these incidents are partly due to ongoing human error within the prison system's paper-based processes. Lammy expressed confidence that a move to a completely digital system will significantly reduce such mistakes.
The number of accidental prisoner releases has seen a considerable increase, rising from 115 during 2023-2024 to 262 in the following year. This trend has prompted the government to implement additional checks, particularly following the mistaken release of migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu.
While Lammy noted a recent "spike" in these errors, he assured that the situation is now on a "downward trajectory." However, the fact that two individuals remain at large highlights the persistent challenges in ensuring the secure custody of prisoners within the current administrative framework.
