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Written question asked by John Hayes (Conservative) on Tuesday, 6 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 8 January 2026. It was answered by Jake Richards (Labour) on Tuesday, 13 January 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.


HMP Lincoln: Prisoners' Release

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been released in error from HM Prison Lincoln since July 2024.

Answer

Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point national action plan to reduce releases in error, which includes strengthening release checks across prisons and an independent review led by Dame Lynne Owens.

Totals for releases in error, including a breakdown by releasing prison (or Prisoner Escort Custody Services), are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab), and provide data up to March 2025.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
103196
Session
2024-26
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Maladministration Prisoners' release HMP Lincoln
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk