Mistakenly released UK prisoner turns himself in as search continues for second freed convict

One of two inmates who were mistakenly released early from a London prison surrendered Thursday after a brief taste of freedom, casually waving to reporters and smoking a cigarette on the steps of HMP Wandsworth before turning himself in.

Billy Smith, 35, returned to the Victorian-era lockup three days after his erroneous release on Monday — the same day he had been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for multiple fraud offenses.

The administrative error marks the latest blunder in a series of mistaken releases that have plagued Britain’s prison system, creating a significant political challenge for the Labour government just as it did for their Conservative predecessors.

Police are still searching for a second mistakenly freed inmate, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, who was released from Wandsworth on October 29. Kaddour-Cherif was serving time for trespass with intent to steal and is also a registered sex offender following a conviction for indecent exposure.

Adding to the political sensitivity of the case, authorities confirmed Kaddour-Cherif is an Algerian national who entered the UK legally in 2019 but had overstayed his visa. He was in the initial stages of deportation proceedings when incorrectly released.

Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones announced that prison chiefs were summoned to an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss the errors and examine potential reforms to the system. One focus area is the outdated administrative process that still relies heavily on paper prison records rather than a modern digital system.

HMP Wandsworth, built in southwest London in the mid-19th century, was already under heightened scrutiny following a high-profile escape two years ago when a prisoner fled by clinging to the underside of a food delivery truck.

These inadvertent releases follow the implementation of what were supposed to be more stringent control measures after another embarrassing incident on October 24. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an asylum-seeker who had been sentenced to 12 months for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, was mistakenly freed from Chelmsford Prison east of London. His release sparked anti-immigrant protests across the country before authorities captured him after a two-day search and quickly deported him to Ethiopia.

Following the Kebatu incident, the government announced enhanced security checks in prisons and launched an independent investigation into the systemic failures. However, these additional measures appear to have been insufficient to prevent the latest errors.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who also serves as justice minister, expressed being “absolutely outraged” by the continued administrative failures and attempted to place blame on the previous Conservative government’s management of the prison system.

The situation reflects a troubling trend. Government figures reveal that 262 prisoners were released in error in the year ending March 2025, representing a dramatic 128% increase compared to the previous 12-month period.

Conservative opposition figures have countered Lammy’s assertions, arguing that the Labour government must take responsibility for the sharp increase in erroneous releases. They contend the spike is directly linked to Labour’s recent policy decision to release certain prisoners earlier than scheduled to alleviate overcrowding in the nation’s prisons.

The ongoing crisis highlights the deep-seated challenges facing Britain’s prison system, which critics across the political spectrum acknowledge has suffered from chronic underfunding and resource constraints for many years. As the hunt for Kaddour-Cherif continues, questions about prison security, administrative competence, and political accountability remain at the forefront of public debate.