Two prisoners were mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth within days of each other this week, triggering a manhunt and renewed scrutiny of Britain's prison system. Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old registered sex offender and Algerian national, was freed on October 29 and remains at large. William Smith, 35, who was jailed for fraud, was released on Monday and handed himself back in on Thursday.
Justice Secretary David Lammy faced sharp criticism after refusing to answer questions about the releases during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday. He defended his silence, telling reporters on Thursday: «I took the judgment that it is important when updating the House and the country about serious matters like this that you have all of the detail. I was not equipped with all of the detail and the danger is that you end up misleading the house and the general public.» Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called his performance "embarrassing" and said there had been «an explosion in accidental prisoner releases».
The incidents expose a broader crisis in the prison system. Official figures show 262 prisoners were released in error in the year to March 2025 - more than double the 115 released the previous year. The Prison Governors Association described such releases as «neither rare nor hidden» and «deeply concerning». The organisation noted: «While that may appear to be a small percentage, in a system managing tens of thousands of releases and transfers each quarter, it does represent a significant operational failure.»
Archaic systems blamed
Prison officials point to outdated technology as a key factor behind the errors. Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones said digital experts are being deployed to overhaul what she called an "archaic" paper-based record system. Former Justice Secretary Lord Michael Gove told Sky News the prison service still relies on «pen and paper» and «fax machines», prompting surprise from interviewer Sophy Ridge.
HMP Wandsworth, a Victorian Category B prison in southwest London, has a troubled history of security failures. Daniel Khalife escaped from the facility in 2023, and prison inspectors found in May 2024 that staff could not account for all prisoners during the working day. A prison officer told the BBC: «There are more comings and goings now, and that means we're dealing with more checks, more paperwork, more calculations of sentences, and this just means more mistakes are happening. It's inevitable.»
Lammy told reporters during a visit to HMP Gartree: «The rate of release by error is too high. It has to come down. That's why I've asked Dame Lynne Owens to look at this.» Commander Paul Trevers of the Metropolitan Police confirmed a manhunt is underway for Kaddour-Cherif, who had a six-day head start before police were notified of his release.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
