More than two dozen prisoners mistakenly released since 2022, figures show

Dozens of prisoners have been mistakenly released in Scotland over the last three years, figures have shown.

The Scottish Prison Service said 27 inmates had been accidentally released since 2022.

Eight “liberations in error” occurred in 2022/23, while seven happened in 2023/24 and nine in 2024/25.

Three inmates have been released mistakenly in the latest financial year up to October 22.

A spokesperson for the prison service said: “We work closely with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to ensure individuals are managed correctly and in accordance with their warrants.

“Where errors do occur – in a very small minority of cases – we are open and transparent and work with Police Scotland to ensure they are returned to custody.”

Scottish Conservative deputy justice spokeswoman Sharon Dowey said: “Scots will be furious that dangerous prisoners are accidentally being released on the SNP’s watch.

“These shocking mistakes are a disgraceful betrayal of victims, who have already had to cope with SNP ministers releasing dangerous offenders back into our communities without serving their sentences in full.

“The SNP’s relentless weakening of Scotland’s justice system is putting public safety at risk.

“We will continue to stand on the side of ordinary Scots, who expect prisoners to serve their sentences in full.”

It comes amid several high-profile cases in England of criminals being released by mistake.

A manhunt is ongoing to track Algerian national Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, who was mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth on October 29.

Police are also searching for another inmate, Billy Smith, 35, accidentally released from the same south-west London prison on Monday.

Kaddour-Cherif was serving a sentence at Wandsworth for trespass with intent to steal, but had previously been convicted for indecent exposure.

Smith had been sentenced to 45 months for multiple fraud offences on the same day he was accidentally freed.

It came two weeks after Hadush Kebatu, a migrant sex offender, was released in error from HMP Chelmsford instead of being sent to an immigration detention centre, triggering a two-day manhunt. The UK Government confirmed last week he had been deported back to Ethiopia.

According to figures published in July, 262 prisoners in England and Wales were released in error in the year to March 2025 – a 128% increase on 115 in the previous 12 months.