UK prison scandal erupts after mistaken inmate releases

 London police said that a 24-year-old Algerian man listed on the sex offenders register was mistakenly released from Wandsworth prison in late October. According to the BBC, the prison service took six days to notify police of the incident.

Hours later, Surrey police appealed for help to locate another inmate, 35-year-old William Smith, who was also wrongly released from the same prison after being sentenced to nearly four years for multiple fraud offences.

The cases follow an earlier incident involving an Ethiopian national who was mistakenly freed after being arrested for harassment. Authorities have apologised and pledged to tighten prison controls and launch an internal investigation.

According to official figures, 262 inmates were mistakenly released in England and Wales in 2025 — a 128% increase compared to 2024.