Jail processes tightened after man freed in error

Chelmsford Prison says the process around freeing inmates has been tightened up in the wake of the accidental release of a man jailed for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

Hadush Kebatu was sent to prison last September after he committed the assaults while living in an asylum hotel in Epping, Essex, but he was mistakenly freed in October. He was rearrested after two days.

The annual report by the jail's independent monitoring board does not cover that period.

But in it, co-chair Andy Taylor said: "The board understands that release protocols have since been strengthened across the prison estate, with HMP Chelmsford playing a role in helping to draft and implement the revised procedures."

The report covers other issues at the prison, including overcrowding, with cells designed for one person routinely used to accommodate two.

There were three deaths in custody reported during the year.

Meanwhile, there were 848 self-harm incidents, which was a fall of 4% on the previous year. The reduction was largely driven by the banning of razors within the prison, the board said.

The report found that the number of violent incidents fell for the third year in a row.

Chelmsford is one of the oldest prisons in England, and last year was the jail's 200th anniversary.

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