Paper-based systems will be replaced by 'cutting edge technology' to end the spate of mistaken prison releases currently dominating news headlines, the deputy prime minister has said.  

David Lammy was speaking at the groundbreaking of a new prison in Gartree Leicestershire following two releases in error this week from HMP Wandsworth.   

The deputy prime minister and lord chancellor said that a specialist team of engineers, analysts and designers will be deployed to roll out cutting-edge technology to more prisons, reducing human error and modernising the archaic processes that have led to mistakes.    

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy departs HMP Gartree in Market Harborough

Lammy at the new prison in Gartree Leicestershire

Source: Alamy

'I’m sending in crack teams to deal with some of the technology issues that we’re seeing in our prisons, because this is a paper-based system. We have a paper-based system that depends on human beings, not technology, and that will need to change.'

Lammy has ordered an independent investigation, led by Dame Lynne Owens, into the release errors. 

Further details on these measures will be revealed in due course, the Ministry of Justice said.  

The issue of mistaken releases continues to dominate the political agenda, with the Daily Telegraph today reporting Ministry of Justice data showing that 87 violent offenders were released in the year to March 2025, up from nine the previous year.