Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice,how many prisoners (a) were released before their correct release date and (b) served time in excess of their correct release date in each of the last five years.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Figures on all releases in error are published as part of the HM Prison and Probation Service Annual Digest. The latest publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-hm-prison-and-probation-service-digest-2017-to-2018

Releases in error are rare and in the vast majority of cases offenders are returned to custody very quickly. We work closely with the police to recapture those at large and investigate each incident thoroughly to see what lessons can be learned.