A record number of UK prisoners were wrongly released last year, figures show. A Conservative MP has described the data as “very alarming” and held former Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood accountable.
The figures show a total of 262 prisoners were freed in error in the 12 months to March. By comparison, this figure was 115 between 2023 and 2024, meaning a huge rise of 128%, which is the biggest year-on-year increase. According to HM Prison and Probation Service, some of the prisoners were incorrectly let out under Sir Keir Starmer’s early release scheme. The scheme, which was introduced by the Labour Government to combat prison overcrowding, allowed some prisoners to be released on licence after serving 40% of their sentence.
However, as reported by The Sun, some prisoners, jailed for breaching restraining orders, were wrongly released as their crimes were logged incorrectly.
The Ministry of Justice has reassured the British public that a “specialist team” is working to reduce the number of prisoners that are wrongly released.
Tory MP Sir Alex Shelbrooke said: “These figures are very alarming. There should be accountability when a prisoner is released early in error – and it has to go right to the top of the chain, including the Justice Secretary.
“Nobody wants to live in a lawless society. The idea that multiple people a week can be set free by mistake is scandalous.”
The Ministry of Justice said: “We’ve set up a specialist team to clamp down on those releases.”
Labour announced a policy in September 2024 that would see prisoners released after serving 40% of their sentences rather than 50%.
Then-Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood labelled it an “emergency measure” needed “to avert a disaster”.
She cautioned that prisons across the UK could overlflow without immediate action. This could leave police powerless to make arrests with “looters running amok, smashing in windows, robbing shops and setting neighbourhoods alight”.
The early release scheme was not put in place for everyone. Those serving time for violent or sexual crimes, specifically if their sentences exceed four years, are ruled out, along with domestic abuse offenders who’ve violated restraining orders.
