The imposing façade of Wandsworth prison is enough to instill fear in even the most mature individuals.

Located in the verdant south-western part of London, this Victorian-era establishment – characterized by its stark brick walls and a foreboding entrance – ranks among the largest correctional facilities in the UK.

The atmosphere inside is equally daunting. A visit several years back left a lasting impression, particularly due to the pervasive odor of urine emanating from the gutters lining the cell blocks.

Throughout my career, I’ve toured various prisons, but none have come close to the unease that Wandsworth evokes.

Like many other facilities, it faces severe overcrowding and accommodates nearly double the number of prisoners it was originally built for.

Security at the prison is notably lax; just a couple of years ago, Daniel Khalife, who was awaiting trial for a breach of the Official Secrets Act, managed to escape by hiding beneath a food delivery truck.

The recent accidental release of two inmates within a week has once again put the spotlight on this Category B facility.

One active prison officer described the state of security as “laughable.”

They expressed their frustrations, stating: “It’s utter chaos in there, and errors occur constantly. There’s a palpable sense of panic following this latest mistake, and I find myself questioning how much longer I can endure this job when incidents like this make us look incompetent.”

An independent monitoring board’s report issued last month revealed that a third of the staff is absent on a daily basis, while a 2024 inspection report flagged security as a critical issue.

Wandsworth prison has gained notoriety as one of the most problematic facilities in the nation, receiving an urgent notification in May 2024 after an unannounced visit by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor.

An “urgent notification” represents a formal communication in which the chief inspector alerts the justice secretary about serious and immediate concerns. Among these urgent issues were assaults on staff, overcrowding, and staff’s inability to track prisoners.

In a letter to then-Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Mr. Taylor noted: “Inspectors identified serious deficiencies in numerous aspects of security. Wings were disorderly, and personnel in most units could not confirm the location of all prisoners during the working day.”

Currently, little information is available regarding the circumstances that led to the wrongful release of Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a sex offender.

The Metropolitan Police were not informed of this error for nearly a week, and the reasons behind this delay remain unclear.

As for a second individual, William Smith, it is understood from the BBC that his erroneous release stemmed from a clerical mistake in court records. He has since turned himself in.

Insiders suggest that prison staff might not have realized Kaddour-Cherif was missing for several days following his release.

Sources indicate that Andy Davy, the governor of HMP Wandsworth, was absent on the day of Kaddour-Cherif’s erroneous release because he was engaged in an inquiry regarding the accidental release of Hadush Kebatu from Chelmsford prison in Essex. That investigation is now reportedly finalized.

Nearly two weeks ago, the Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, implemented additional measures following Kebatu’s unintentional release aimed at preventing similar occurrences in the future.

However, these new checks are being viewed as a “significant burden” by at least one senior prison employee, who remarked, “All they’ve done is increase the paperwork.” They added, “In some instances, it now takes an entire day to complete the necessary checks for a release, which is unhelpful given the staffing crisis.”

The early release program, introduced last summer to alleviate overcrowding as prisons approached full capacity, has added extra pressure to staff and contributed to the rise in accidental releases.

This emergency measure permits some inmates to be freed after serving just 40% of their fixed-term sentence instead of the typical 50%.

“There are more movements now, which means we’re grappling with additional checks, more paperwork, and more calculations regarding sentences, leading to an inevitable rise in mistakes,” explained one prison officer.

Over the past year, more than 200 individuals were released by mistake, a situation the government deems unacceptable. Some staff members are infuriated, claiming the prison system has long been in distress, yet the recent errors have finally prompted political attention.

“How severe must the situation become before they take action?” questioned one staff member. “It’s a complete disaster.”