Two prisoners 'still on the run' after being released in error, Justice Secretary admits
A dozen prisoners have been mistakenly freed in the past month with two remaining at large.
Two prisoners are still on the run after being released in error, David Lammy has told LBC.
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The justice secretary said a dozen prisoners have been mistakenly freed in the past month with two remaining at large.
He told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast that he could not give details of the circumstances of the two prisoners, but confirmed they are not violent or sexual offenders.
Mr Lammy, who is also the deputy prime minister, insisted there has been a "downward trend" in accidental releases since stronger security checks were brought in.
However, he admitted work still needs to be done to strengthen the system.
“I can't tell you the circumstances. I can give you the facts.
“We've got a paper based system, as you know. We need to move to a digital system... I've put in a new digital crack team to help our prisons. There's been a bit of a mission between our courts and our prisons,” Mr Lammy told Nick.
Read more: Three prisoners remain on the run after 91 released in error over past seven months
Earlier data showed 91 accidental releases took place between April 1 and October 31 this year.
Meanwhile, 262 prisoners were released in error in the year to March 2025, marking a 128% increase on the 115 in the previous 12 months.
The Justice Secretary admitted last month there is a "mountain to climb" to tackle the crisis in the prisons system after the police search for Algerian sex offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, who was freed in error from HMP Wandsworth.
Another prisoner, Billy Smith, 35, who was accidentally released from the same jail, handed himself back, while Kaddour-Cherif was arrested in Finsbury Park.
The blunders intensified pressure on Mr Lammy following the mistaken release of migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu, whose arrest for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman while living in an asylum hotel sparked protests in Epping, Essex.
Stronger security checks were announced for prisons and an independent investigation was launched into releases in error after the now-deported Ethiopian national was accidentally freed from HMP Chelmsford.
The government had promised to toughen up release processes at jails to prevent this.
Mr Lammy also told LBC this morning criminals are ‘playing the system’ by opting for jury trials in a bid to prolong their time on bail.
Speaking with Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, David Lammy said juries form the "cornerstone" of our court system but insisted he wants to "bring the backlog down" amid lengthy delays.
"I'm absolutely clear, juries are important, they will always be important," Mr Lammy told Nick, adding that the fundamental issue remains that "we need to recruit more magistrates".
It comes as the justice secretary is set to announce plans to scrap jury trials for either-way cases - cases that aren't categorised as the most serious crimes - including assaults and burglaries in a bid to tackle the massive crown court backlog.
Mr Lammy will lay out reforms to overhaul the system on Tuesday, amid suggestions reforms will see jury trials reserved for the most serious offences such as rape and murder.