The UK government will introduce biometric verification in prisons following revelations that 179 inmates were mistakenly released over the past year, prompting a major overhaul of what an independent review called a "broken system."
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy announced the rollout after Dame Lynne Owens's report highlighted a troubling pattern of errors, including the high-profile case of Hadush Kebatu. Kebatu, convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman while living in an asylum hotel, was accidentally freed from HMP Chelmsford in October 2025, sparking a nationwide manhunt before his re-arrest and deportation to Ethiopia.
"These mistaken releases are unacceptable," Lammy stated. "We are bringing the prison system into the 21st century to keep the public safe after years of chaos."
While the 179 erroneous releases in England and Wales for the year ending March mark a decrease from 262 the previous year, they remain significantly higher than the 115 recorded in 2023-24. The Ministry of Justice attributes such mistakes to factors like misplaced warrants, sentence miscalculations, and administrative errors by courts or authorities.
Lammy pledged to implement all 33 recommendations from Dame Lynne's review, including trials of fingerprint and facial recognition technology within six months, with full deployment expected before the end of the current parliamentary term. A £82 million investment will support these efforts, with £20 million allocated this year to digitize outdated paper-based processes and enhance staffing and checks.
The Kebatu incident, followed by the mistaken releases of two other men from HMP Wandsworth within weeks, led to immediate interim measures, such as a "clear checklist" for prison governors. Lammy extended his "profound sympathies" to victims affected by these errors, noting he had met with Kebatu's victim's family in December.
As the government moves to tighten security, the focus remains on preventing future lapses through technological upgrades and systemic reforms aimed at restoring public confidence in the prison release process.