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Prison Sentences

Asked by Sarah PochinReform UKMinistry of JusticeTabled Answered 16 December 2025UIN 98274

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of prisoners who are held in custody beyond their lawful release dates.

Answered by Jake Richards

Release inaccuracy is yet another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those errors that do occur, and this includes unlawful detentions.

On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps which includes an independent inquiry which will report its recommendations to prevent further inaccuracies. The Government is determined to fix release inaccuracies and ensure the public is properly protected.

The data requested comes from internal management information and is not centrally collected. It is not quality assured and does not meet the standard required for publication.

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