Two prisoners stay at massive after being launched in error, David Lammy admits

Two prisoners remain at large in the UK after being released in error in the past month, David Lammy has revealed.

The Justice Secretary confirmed there have been two more accidental releases of “violent offenders or sex offenders”, and a total of 12 further accidental releases since November. Earlier data showed 91 accidental releases took place between April 1 and October 31 this year, a number that has now risen again.

Mr Lammy told BBC Breakfast: “Well, I said to Parliament a few weeks ago, I released data at that point, and there had been 91 releases in error up to that point, there have been 12 since then, two are currently at large.”

He said he was “pleased that the trend is downwards” after he put some improvements in place in the system.

Pushed for more detail on if he knows where these two prisoners are, Mr Lammy said he doesn’t want to give a “running commentary”.

Downing Street previously admitted it was “shocking” that more than 90 inmates have been wrongly set free since April this year.

Last month Mr Lammy announced £10million to roll out new AI-powered tools to frontline staff so they can accurately calculate sentences and vital upgrades to the archaic paper-based systems. He has also ordered an urgent independent review to understand the spike in errors.

The MoJ said already under pressure prison staff are currently having to wade through more than 500 pages of guidance, making mistakes more likely.

The issue of prisoners released by mistake was thrown into the spotlight after the high-profile jail blunder of Hadush Kebatu, the now-deported migrant at the heart of protests in Epping, Essex.

Around 800 prisoners were released in error under the Tories, according to official stats. In 2012, just 42 people were incorrectly freed. But numbers steadily increased each year under the former Conservative government, reaching 115 in 2023/24.

In 2024/25, the first year under a Labour government, the number of incorrect releases increased to 262. Labour’s early release scheme – which it was forced to introduce after inheriting a justice system on the brink of collapse – has contributed to the increase.