Biometric checks after 179 prisoners released in error in year to March

Biometric checks after 179 prisoners released in error in year to March

The Ministry of Justice announced plans to implement biometric verification in prisons following the release of 179 individuals who were incorrectly freed during the year ending March. This decision follows an independent review that pointed out the recent errors as a reflection of systemic issues. Dame Lynne Owens, the review’s author, was tasked with examining the incident after Hadush Kebatu was mistakenly released from an Essex prison in October 2025.

Kebatu had been incarcerated for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman while residing in an asylum hotel. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy emphasized that the review exposed a “serious problem” in the prison system, with the “unacceptable” number of wrongful releases. He stated the government would “modernize the prison system” through biometric technology. The report also noted that errors in release could stem from misplaced warrants, miscalculated sentences, or mistakes by courts and other officials.

“We need to bring the prison system into the 21st century,” Lammy said, highlighting the need for “digitizing outdated paper-based procedures” and improving oversight. He accepted all 33 recommendations from the review, including trials of fingerprint and facial recognition systems to begin within six months. A full rollout of these measures is expected before the end of the current parliamentary session.

The number of mistaken releases has decreased from 262 in the previous year to 179, though it remains higher than the 115 recorded in 2023-24. Lammy also expressed his “deep condolences to victims” of those wrongly released, especially Hadush Kebatu’s female victim. He met with the victim’s family in December to discuss the case. Kebatu was initially taken to a deportation center but was instead released from HMP Chelmsford. A public search ensued, with protests near the Bell Hotel in Epping sparked by his detention in an asylum facility.

Within two weeks of Kebatu’s release, two additional men were found to have been freed in error—both from HMP Wandsworth in London. William Smith surrendered himself, and Brahim Kaddour-Cherif was re-arrested. These incidents prompted the government to introduce a “detailed checklist” for prison governors to prevent similar errors. Additional security protocols were also adopted to address the issue.