In a significant development concerning the UK's prison system, a prisoner initially believed to have been freed by mistake was actually released lawfully, Justice Minister Lord Timpson has told Parliament.
Minister Corrects the Record on Prisoner Status
Lord Timpson provided an update to the House of Lords on Thursday, 13 November 2025, clarifying the status of several inmates. He confirmed that a foreign national offender, previously counted among those 'released in error', had their status changed to a lawful release following additional checks.
This correction came alongside news that another inmate, freed in error, had been swiftly apprehended and was now back behind bars. This individual was returned to police custody on the same day as their mistaken release and was back in prison the following morning.
Lord Timpson specifically thanked Leicestershire Police for their diligent work in this recapture.
Current Scale of the Problem
These updates mean the current total of prisoners unlawfully at large now stands at two. However, the minister cautioned that "things can change quickly" in these operational matters.
The issue of accidental prisoner releases has been under intense scrutiny. Official data from the Ministry of Justice revealed that 91 accidental releases occurred between 1 April and 31 October this year alone.
The problem was thrust into the spotlight following the high-profile case of sex offender Hadush Kebatu, who was mistakenly freed from HMP Wandsworth. Kebatu, a migrant central to asylum hotel protests in Epping, Essex, has since been deported.
A System 'Stretched to its Limits'
Responding to the situation, the Labour frontbench described these blunders as "symptomatic of a system stretched to its limits".
Lord Timpson elaborated on the systemic challenges, pointing to a paper-based system where individual prisoners' sentences must be manually recalculated each time they arrive at a new prison. He highlighted that prisons are full, almost to breaking point, creating an even more challenging environment for staff.
The minister also drew attention to significant staff cuts under the previous government, noting there are around 6,000 fewer prison staff today. A direct consequence is that over half of all frontline prison staff now have less than five years of experience, a factor that makes mistakes more likely.
Lord Timpson acknowledged the complexity of the issue, stating the previous government had 14 years to address it but failed. He committed his department to developing a "sensible and achievable plan" to tackle the problem.
In response, peers with historical experience acknowledged this is not a new issue. Labour's Lord Reid of Cardowan, a former home secretary, confirmed that inadvertent prisoner releases occurred frequently under previous administrations.
Lord Carter of Haslemere, a former top legal adviser, added that sentence calculation has become "fiendishly difficult" due to a complex and messy statute book, compounded by the fact that every prisoner's situation is unique regarding additional days served and remand time.
In the wake of the controversy, the government has announced stronger security checks for prisons and launched an independent investigation into the release errors.
