Deputy PM announces digital prison reforms to reduce release errors

The prison system is to undergo a digital overhaul in order to reduce the frequency of accidental releases, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has announced.

At the core of the reforms is the introduction of a new Justice ID system, which will see the creation of a biometric digital identity for all those who enter the prison system. This will replace the current paper-based system, called “shockingly outdated” by the government, under which the ability of some offenders to go by different aliases has generated confusion.

This comes as around 179 people were erroneously released from prison in the 12 months to March 2026, with the issue of accidental releases being subject to widespread media scrutiny at the end of 2025. This marks an increase from the 12 months to March 2024, when 115 people were mistakenly released, but a notable (32%) decrease from the same period last year, where the figure stood at 262.

The Deputy Prime Minister stated that the increase in release errors were the fault of a “broken system”, and the reforms would “bring the prison system into the 21st century”.

He said: “We are rolling out biometrics, a new Justice ID and up to £82 million to bear down on these errors and keep the public safe after years of chaos.

“£20 million of this will be used this year to digitise the archaic paper-based processes we inherited, as well as putting in more checks and more staff in place to stop these mistakes before they happen.”

The announcement of these measures followed the publication of an independent review into prison release errors by Dame Lynne Owens, which put forward 33 recommendations for the government, all of which have been adopted in full. These measures add to the action taken by the Deputy Prime Minister on this issue last year, which included the introduction of AI technology to minimise errors, and a standardisation of how cases are managed.

The rollout of the Justice ID system will commence this year, with its biometric element building on pre-existing uses of biometrics within policing.

Other measures adopted include the creation of ‘smart inboxes’ to automatically organise and redirect misdirected offender information, extending the use of compulsory body worn cameras to all uniformed prison staff working with prisoners and in the discharge process, and collaborating with the Office for National Statistics to improve data collection.