Prison governors in England have been summoned to an urgent meeting with ministers following the wrongful release of two more prisoners, including a convicted foreign sex offender. The government is under mounting pressure over the issue, with an average of 22 people being wrongly freed each month in England and Wales.
Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones expressed fury over the “unacceptable” situation, blaming an “archaic” paper-based system within the prison service. She announced a “crack team” of digital experts would overhaul the system, which she said led to mix-ups due to identical names or multiple aliases. Davies-Jones also highlighted the impact of chronic spending cuts to the criminal justice system.
The latest errors involve Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, an Algerian sex offender who overstayed his visa and was wrongly released from Wandsworth prison last Wednesday. The Metropolitan Police were only informed on Tuesday. Separately, William Smith, 35, sentenced to 45 months for fraud, was freed in error from the same prison on Monday. These incidents follow the accidental release of Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian national convicted of sexual assault, from Chelmsford prison.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick accused Justice Secretary David Lammy of a “total dereliction of duty” for failing to disclose the latest wrongful release in the Commons. Lammy had ordered new checks after Kebatu’s release, but Jenrick claimed it took six days for the prison service to become aware of Kaddour-Cherif’s release and inform police. Labour ministers have pointed to the crisis in prisons inherited from the previous government.
A rapid review led by retired senior police officer Lynne Owens is expected to report within weeks. The meeting with prison governors is scheduled for Thursday, and Lammy is due to speak to the media after breaking ground on a new prison. Mark Fairhurst of the Prison Officers’ Association said the problem had been known for over 12 months and called for a royal commission.
