The Government has announced an £82 million package to ‘digitalise the archaic paper-based prison system’, in an effort to reduce the number of mistaken releases. This will include a new ID system, which will track individuals from arrest, through the courts, into custody and back into the community. For the first time, biometric technology – such as fingerprints and facial scans - will be used on all prisoners to verify their identities.
This latest announcement forms part of the government’s work to rebuild a ‘broken justice system’ and follows Dame Lynne Owens’ Independent Review into Release Errors, which found that 179 releases in error took place between 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
Pia Sinha, Chief Executive of Prison Reform Trust, commented:
“As Dame Lynne Owen’s comprehensive report reveals, chronic under‑resourcing, high staff turnover, the loss of experienced sentence‑calculation specialists, fragmented IT systems, and an ever‑growing complexity of release rules have created conditions in which serious errors are far more likely. Lasting progress will depend on whether prisons are given sufficient, experienced staff with the time, tools and confidence to calculate sentences accurately. New systems and simpler rules will help, but unless staffing pressures are resolved, the system will remain vulnerable to further errors in future.”
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