The UK government has announced up to £82 million to overhaul its prison management system following an independent review that found 179 prisoners were released in error in England and Wales between April 2025 and March 2026, including sex offenders, driven by sentence miscalculations, mistaken identity and poor inter-agency communication. Central to the reforms is a new Justice ID system creating a single digital identity for every person entering the criminal justice system from first contact with police through to release. For the first time, fingerprint and facial biometrics will be used to verify prisoner identities at key points, including release. Phase one rollout is planned for 2026. An immediate £20 million injection will digitise paper-based processes, and body-worn cameras will be extended to all uniformed prison staff working with prisoners. The review, led by Dame Lynne Owens, accepted in full with all 33 recommendations, describes the current system as simply one symptom of a broken system.
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Saturday, April 18, 2026