Former prison governor says David Lammy ‘needs to get a grip’ after another inmate is released in error
A former prison governor has accused the government of “incompetence, inefficiency, poor leadership and poor management” after the mistaken release of a second foreign prisoner from HMP Wandsworth.
Listen to this article
John Podmore, who once ran HMP Brixton and Belmarsh and is the author of 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Why Britain’s Prisons Are Failing', told James Hanson on LBC News that “absolutely nothing is working in prison and probation” and warned that Justice Secretary David Lammy “needs to get a grip”.
“Shabana Mahmood didn’t get a grip, and Lammy hasn’t either,” he said. “They inherited a broken system, but since then they’ve done nothing other than continue to promote from within the people responsible for that broken system.”
Podmore said Lammy’s handling of the crisis at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday was “embarrassing”, accusing him of confusing officials leading the inquiry into the blunders.
“He couldn’t even get the name of the person carrying out the latest inquiry right,” he said. “That doesn’t hold out much hope.”
The criticism follows confirmation that 24-year-old Algerian national Brahim Kaddour Cherif was released in error from HMP Wandsworth last week.
The Metropolitan Police said it was informed of the mistake on Tuesday and launched an urgent manhunt. Cherif, a registered sex offender, was convicted in November 2024 of indecent exposure and remains at large.
Read more: Embarrassment for HMP Wandsworth as TWO prisoners released in error in one week
A second case also emerged this evening after 35-year-old Billy Smith was wrongly freed on Monday following a fraud conviction. Both incidents have fuelled fresh questions about the management of Britain’s prisons.
Podmore told LBC News the Justice Secretary should “be calling someone in this afternoon and sacking them. It’s not time for inquiries, it’s time for accountability.”
He added: “Everything is broken. The control of prisons has been ceded to serious organised crime, assault rates are through the roof, suicide rates are through the roof. If David Lammy doesn’t sack someone by the end of the day, then maybe he should go.”
Lammy said he was “absolutely outraged” by the latest case, insisting he has “brought in the strongest checks ever” and ordered an independent investigation led by Dame Lynne Owens.
But Podmore said another inquiry would change nothing. “Inquiries are a great game,” he told LBC. “We’ve all watched Yes, Minister and The Thick of It. The time for inquiries has gone. The time for action is now.”
Dr Alan Mendoza, Executive Director, Henry Jackson Society, said: “The public deserves clarity and accountability when dangerous offenders are mistakenly released. It is deeply concerning that senior ministers were briefed in advance yet declined to be transparent in Parliament. The Government’s first duty is public safety - not political caution. Incidents like this highlight serious weaknesses in the management of high risk migrants and the communication between departments and law enforcement.”
Police are urging anyone who sees Cherif not to approach him but to call 999 immediately.