Edith Hejberg
n the year leading up to March 2025, 262 prisoners were mistakenly released, a sharp increase from 115 in the previous year
Police are urgently searching for a 24-year-old Algerian man who was mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth in London on October 29, 2025, two days after the UK Justice Secretary announced new checks in prisons.
Second Foreign Prisoner Released by Mistake
This release follows the earlier accidental freeing of Ethiopian national Hadush Kebatu from Chelmsford prison on October 24, 2025, despite his serious criminal convictions.
Convict Released by Error
Kebatu, convicted of sexual assaults, was mistakenly released and later arrested in north London. He was deported after receiving a £500 discretionary payment.
Stronger Checks Introduced Immediately
In the wake of these errors, Justice Secretary David Lammy ordered tougher checks in prisons to prevent further releases and announced an investigation into the mistakes led by former police chief Lynne Owens.
Metropolitan Police Only Informed on November 4
The Metropolitan Police were not informed of the Algerian man’s mistaken release until November 4, five days after he was freed. An urgent manhunt is underway to locate him.
Convicted for Trespass with Intent to Steal
The Algerian prisoner was incarcerated for trespassing with intent to steal. Details about his case are sparse, but he was released despite ongoing concerns in the prison system.
Political Leaders Demand Accountability
Both Downing Street and Labour leader Keir Starmer called the incident unacceptable. Both parties are demanding answers from the Ministry of Justice and accountability for the errors.
Local MP Calls for Urgent Answers
Rosena Allin-Khan, MP for Wandsworth, expressed shock and concern over the mistaken release. She is calling for immediate clarification from the government and the Ministry of Justice on how this could happen.
Opposition Parties Question Lammy
At Prime Minister’s Questions, the Conservative Party pressed Justice Secretary Lammy about the number of asylum-seeking offenders mistakenly released. The tension in Parliament highlighted increasing scrutiny over the handling of such incidents.
Rising Number of Accidental Releases
In the year leading up to March 2025, 262 prisoners were mistakenly released, a sharp increase from 115 in the previous year. This surge in errors has raised alarms across the UK prison system.
Justice Secretary’s Outrage Over the Mistakes
David Lammy expressed his outrage over the release errors, calling the situation unacceptable. He vowed to tackle the systemic issues causing these failures and pledged to take immediate action.
Prison Service Faces Growing Challenges
Prison service sources suggest that the error may be related to missing or misplaced warrants, which have been an increasing issue during prisoner transfers. This has led to several prisoners being freed by mistake.
Prison Officers’ Association Calls for Reform
The Prison Officers’ Association has called for a full overhaul of the sentencing and discharge process. They warned against blaming individual officers for systemic failures that have plagued the prison system for over a year..
This article is made and published by Edith Hejberg, who may have used AI in the preparation
