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.
READ MORE: Stephen Kerr accuses SNP minister of 'mansplaining' in HES row
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.”
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.
Billy Smith, 35, who was also mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth earlier this week, handed himself back in on Thursdsay.
Kaddour-Cherif was serving a sentence at Wandsworth for trespass with intent to steal, but had previously been convicted for indecent exposure.
READ MORE: Dave Doogan eyeing up role of SNP Westminster lead
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.
Share