Pressure Mounts on David Lammy After 90 Violent Inmates Freed by Mistake
The number of mistaken prisoner releases has reached a record high, with 90 violent or sexual offenders freed over the past year. This figure is eight times higher than the previous year's total of 11 faulty releases.
Justice Secretary David Lammy faced growing criticism following revelations that multiple dangerous inmates were mistakenly released from prison. The controversy deepened after Lammy told MPs he withheld details about the failures because he "didn't have all the facts." He admitted there is still "a mountain to climb" before the prison system returns to stability.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer defended his deputy but acknowledged feeling "angry and frustrated" about the ongoing mistakes in the justice system.
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian sex offender, remains at large after being mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth over a week ago.
William Smith, a 35-year-old fraudster who was also wrongfully freed from the same facility, turned himself in yesterday morning.
Lammy explained that Kaddour-Cherif’s release happened before new safety checks were enforced, even though he previously told Parliament those safeguards had taken effect two days earlier.
Author’s Summary
A record number of wrongful prisoner releases intensify political pressure on Justice Secretary David Lammy, amid public concern over repeated failures in the UK prison system.