A former inmate shared insights into the reactions of prison guards upon discovering that two prisoners were mistakenly released earlier in the week.
Proinsias O’Doherty was discharged from HMP Wandsworth around 3:30 p.m. last Thursday after completing a two-week recall for missing a probation appointment. Having previously served four months for carrying a bladed item, the 28-year-old from Clapham Junction acknowledged his extensive criminal history, having spent eight years across eight different prisons.
When asked about the inmates’ response to the news of the erroneous releases, O’Doherty described a scene of humor and excitement inside the prison, with fellow detainees jokingly clamoring for their own release upon hearing the announcement. He highlighted the light-hearted atmosphere among some inmates, contrasting it with the apparent surprise and chaos among prison staff affected by the incidents.
Regarding the recurring issue of mistaken releases, O’Doherty attributed it to flaws in the NOMIS system rather than the prison staff themselves, emphasizing the challenges faced by personnel in navigating the digital fingerprint system. He advocated for a return to traditional pen-and-paper methods for record-keeping, suggesting a dual approach combining digital systems with physical backups to prevent such errors.
In a more serious tone, O’Doherty proposed a unified and efficient system for all prisons to streamline prisoner management and urged authorities to invest in comprehensive solutions rather than prison-specific initiatives. Reflecting on his time at HMP Wandsworth, he commended the treatment and conditions at the facility while expressing concerns about the high number of recall prisoners contributing to overcrowding.
Meanwhile, another wrongly released inmate, William ‘Billy’ Smith, voluntarily returned to HMP Wandsworth, where he was greeted by a laughing guard before surrendering himself. The sequence of events surrounding Smith’s mistaken release and subsequent surrender highlighted the confusion and procedural errors within the prison system.
The incidents involving Smith and another released prisoner underscored the need for a systematic overhaul to prevent future errors and ensure the effective management of inmate records. The Ministry of Justice responded to the situation by convening prison officials for urgent discussions and initiating efforts to modernize the outdated paper-based record-keeping system.
