CASES in which prisoners have been mistakenly released are a damning indictment of systemic mismanagement, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) warned today.

Official figures show that 262 prisoners were released in error in the 12 months to March 2025, more than double the 115 recorded the previous year.

At least four offenders are reportedly still on the loose: two prisoners known to be still at large were mistakenly released last year, while another two freed in error in June 2025 are also understood to be missing.

Attention was drawn to the crisis after migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu was accidentally released two weeks ago.

Writing in the Telegraph, chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor said the mistakes were the result of an overcomplicated sentencing framework and a symptom of “a system that is close to breaking point.”

Implementing the government’s early release scheme means that prison staff have had to repeatedly recalculate every prisoner’s release date, he explained.

POA deputy general secretary Mick Pimblett said: “These incidents are not mere oversights — they represent a serious breach of public safety and a damning indictment of the systemic mismanagement within the prison service.

“Let us be clear: front-line prison officers are not responsible for these errors. 

“Our members are being forced to operate in environments plagued by understaffing, outdated systems and chaotic leadership. They are expected to maintain order and uphold justice while the infrastructure around them crumbles.

“We demand immediate accountability from those in charge of prison operations, and the POA will co-operate with any investigation into how these failures were allowed to occur.”

He said the POA “will not stand by while our members are scapegoated for failures they did not cause.”

Justice Secretary David Lammy has set up an independent inquiry to look into the errors.