Letting prisoners out by mistake is one of the most reputation-tanking mistakes a government can make, and if Labour cannot do better than the Tories on such a basic issue, they are utterly clueless, says John Rentoul N owadays people do not seem to break out of prison, they seem to be let out by mistake . Indeed, the job of justice secretary today seems to chiefly involve presiding over the farce of prisoners not only released when they weren’t meant to be, but also pleading to be rearrested .