Ministers were warned last year about chaotic release procedures at HMP Chelmsford, the prison that mistakenly freed a convicted child sex offender, according to a watchdog report. The independent monitoring board's annual report, sent to prisons minister James Timpson in December, highlighted a 'litany of issues and errors' including a mix-up of release dates.
Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian national, was accidentally released from the Essex facility a week ago despite convictions for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman. He was supposed to be transferred to an immigration detention centre but was instead freed. He was recaptured in north London on Sunday and deported to Addis Ababa on Wednesday.
The IMB report detailed how an investigation into release processes was triggered by a complaint from a vulnerable prisoner who, hours before release, had no information about housing or probation contact. Errors included failure to collect the prisoner for a release briefing, a cancelled briefing due to a knife awareness course, and a release date mix-up.
Timpson responded with a two-page letter but did not address the release procedure issues. The Ministry of Justice declined to comment on whether failings were addressed due to an ongoing inquiry. Justice Secretary David Lammy blamed 'human error' and announced an independent investigation led by former Met deputy commissioner Lynne Owens.
Kebatu had arrived in the UK on a small boat and was housed at a hotel in Epping. His offences sparked public disorder and protests. At the prison, a delivery driver saw Kebatu returning multiple times in a confused state, only to be turned away by officers who told him to go to the town centre.
