Murderers among 65 prisoners allowed to go free by mistake last year
PRISON inmates were released by mistake at a rate of more than one a week last year – the highest level since 2010.
A total of 65 prisoners were set free in error in a worrying lapse of security.
The Ministry of Justice said there were various reasons for the mistakes, including instances when the length of sentence was miscalculated, situations in which the wrong person was discharged and other cases where warrants were misplaced.
The increase is particularly concerning given that some of those released by mistake include inmates jailed for murder and other violent offences.
Lucy Hastings, of the charity Victim Support, said the figures were “alarming and frustrating”. She said: “We know it can be distressing and worrying when offenders are released from custody – releases made in error can make this many times worse.”
The figures have prompted renewed anxiety over safety within prisons, with assaults on staff reaching the highest level on record.
In the year to the end of March, there were 5,423 assaults on officers, up 40 per cent on the previous year and representing 15 attacks each day.
The overall assault count was up by almost a third to more than 22,000, while in the 12 months to the end of June there were 105 apparent self-inflicted deaths, compared with 82 in the previous 12 months.
Andrew Neilson, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Prisons are not only becoming more dangerous, they are becoming more dangerous more quickly.
“That more prisons have been awarded the worst-possible performance rating provides further indication of how the system is failing after years of rising numbers, chronic overcrowding and deep staff cuts.”
Mike Rolfe, national chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association, described the statistics as “damning” and said front-line prison staff were now three times more likely to be assaulted than they were five years ago.
Elizabeth Truss, the Justice Secretary, said more needed to be done to ensure prisons remained safe environments for inmates and staff, and she promised to tackle the problems caused by the ready availability of psychoactive substances such as synthetic cannabis in jails.
She said: “I am clear that safety in prisons is fundamental to the proper functioning of our justice system and a vital part of our reform plans,” she said. “There are a number of factors including the availability of psychoactive substances in prisons which must be tackled. I am determined to make sure our prisons are safe and places of rehabilitation.”
More than 30 per cent of juvenile offenders who are let off with a warning go on to reoffend, while 68 per cent of those who are released from custody get into trouble again, according to Home Office figures.