‘Victims will be absolutely terrified!’ Michelle Dewberry erupts at ‘appalling’ MoJ prison release blunder

Michelle Dewberry, speaking on GB News, has strongly criticised the mistaken release of 37 prisoners, emphasising the fear this could cause victims.

“When you have someone harassing you, threatening you, and you have a restraining order on them, that gives you a small sense of comfort,” Dewberry said.

She added: “To know that that individual that has put you through hell is now out and about when they should not be, there will be victims who will be absolutely terrified by this.”

Dewberry called the situation “appalling”, expressing particular concern about the impact on efforts to combat abuse towards women and girls.

The Ministry of Justice confirmed that 37 prisoners were mistakenly released on 10 September due to their offences being incorrectly logged under outdated legislation.

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Five of these prisoners have not yet been returned to custody, whilst the majority have been brought back to jail.

The error occurred because the offenders were charged and convicted under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 instead of the Sentencing Act 2020.

This oversight meant their sentences were not identified as ineligible for the early-release scheme.

The Ministry of Justice stated that the convictions remain valid and that the released offenders have been monitored since their release.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Public safety is our first priority. That is why we took decisive action to fix the broken prison system we inherited and keep the most dangerous offenders locked up.”

The spokesperson added: “We are working with the police to urgently return a very small number of offenders – who were charged incorrectly and sentenced under repealed legislation – to custody.”

The Ministry emphasised that they had blocked the early release of domestic abuse offences such as stalking and controlling behaviour.

They assured that the released offenders would “soon be back behind bars”.

The mistaken releases occurred under the government’s emergency prison scheme, aimed at reducing overcrowding in jails.

This scheme, initially proposed by Labour, has faced criticism for its implementation.

The Ministry of Justice has emphasised their efforts to address the “broken prison system” they inherited.

However, the incident has raised questions about the effectiveness of these measures.

Political commentator Aaron Bastani suggested the mistaken releases might not be a PR disaster for Labour unless one of the freed prisoners commits a serious offence.

This view contrasts sharply with Michelle Dewberry’s concerns about victim safety and the broader implications for tackling abuse towards women and girls.