Breakdowns in communication, staffing and security show how years of neglect have left jails stretched beyond control
Met hunting two more criminals mistakenly freed from prison
The mistaken release of a second foreign prisoner has forced ministers to re-evaluate their security and release procedures, once again shining a spotlight on the well-documented problems at HMP Wandsworth.
Much of the concern centres on poor technology and poor communication between prisons, the Ministry of Justice and the courts – the three bodies responsible for overseeing the movement of England and Wales’s 87,000 inmates.
During the government’s emergency prison release scheme in September 2024 to tackle overcrowding, 37 inmates were freed in error after their offences were wrongly logged under repealed legislation.
