Four Prisoners Still At Large After Series Of Botched Releases

Four Prisoners Still At Large After Series Of Botched Releases

At least four inmates mistakenly freed from jails in England and Wales remain on the run, the BBC has revealed — as ministers face fury over a surge in prison blunders that critics call “an omnishambles.”

Figures show 262 prisoners were released in error in the year to March, more than double the 115 cases the year before. The revelation comes amid several recent high-profile mistakes, including the accidental release of Algerian sex offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, who was rearrested on Friday after being spotted in Finsbury Park, north London.

Kaddour-Cherif had been convicted of indecent exposure and placed on the sex offenders’ register but was wrongly freed from HMP Wandsworth on 29 October due to a clerical error. Another inmate, William Smith, also released in error from the same prison that week, handed himself in on Thursday.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson insisted “the vast majority of offenders released by mistake are quickly brought back,” but confirmed a handful remain unaccounted for.

The opposition accused ministers of losing control. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick slammed the government’s “incompetence,” demanding Justice Secretary David Lammy “come clean” about the true numbers. The Liberal Democrats called the situation “a disgrace,” saying the public shouldn’t have to rely on journalists to expose errors.

Lammy blamed a “prison system in crisis” inherited from the previous government and promised urgent reforms. “I’ve ordered new release checks and an independent investigation into systemic failures,” he said, admitting some prisons still rely on “archaic paper-based systems.”

Britain’s overcrowded prisons are now nearing breaking point, with only around 100 spaces left for male inmates last summer. To ease pressure, the government launched an emergency scheme releasing inmates after serving 40% of their sentence — a move critics say has worsened chaos and confusion behind bars.

Key Takeaways:

• At least four wrongly freed inmates remain missing after 262 mistaken releases last year.

• Two high-profile cases at HMP Wandsworth reignited fury over prison mismanagement.

• Justice Secretary Lammy vows reforms amid a deepening overcrowding and staffing crisis.

Source: BBC News