Displaying items by tag: criminal justice reform

Police are searching for two inmates who were wrongly released from Wandsworth Prison within days of each other. Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, an Algerian convicted sex offender, was mistakenly freed on 29 October, and 35-year-old William Smith, a convicted fraudster, on 3 November. The incidents have triggered fierce criticism of justice secretary David Lammy, who recently pledged to tighten controls after another mistaken release in Essex. Kaddour-Cherif, who overstayed a visa issued in 2019, was on the sex offenders’ register for five years, while Smith had received a 45-month sentence for multiple fraud offences but was wrongly recorded as having a suspended sentence. The ministry of justice has ordered an independent inquiry to uncover the causes of repeated failures. Prison officers report widespread confusion, overcrowding, and low morale at Wandsworth. The police are continuing the manhunt for both men, amid growing concern over the integrity of the UK’s prison system.

The Government is set to release over 1,000 recalled inmates early in an effort to relieve severe overcrowding in prisons. Offenders serving one to four-year sentences who breached licence conditions, but did not reoffend, will now be released after 28 days without parole board assessment. Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said the move, alongside a £4.7 billion prison-building plan, is necessary to prevent the system from collapsing, with England on course to run out of male prison spaces by November. Critics argue the policy puts public safety at risk. Victims’ advocates warned that the policy could endanger lives, especially where abusers are concerned. The justice ministry faces growing pressure to reform sentencing, with recommendations for expanded use of community-based alternatives expected soon. However, many argue that without stronger investment in probation, mental health services, and preventative support, early release schemes alone will not solve the crisis. See also