Life and Time: Release
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What happens when a prisoner is mistakenly released?
This is Drama of the Week.
Life and Time. Three Days. By James Fritz.
A person's life is their record. A person's record is their life. In prison, you know, there's very little difference.
The manhunt continues today for the prisoner Lee Kirk, who is still at large two days after being mistakenly released from prison. Kirk, who is serving a nine-year sentence, was accidentally released on Monday. Prisoner at large Lee Kirk. Lee Kirk.
Police have requested anyone with information about prisoner Lee... ...information about his whereabouts to contact police immediately. The Ministry of Justice has released... If cited, the prisoner should not be approached by anyone... Accidentally released prisoner Lee Kirk. Lee Kirk not approached.
Public are advised not to approach... And now to the story of Lee Kirk. The police are still looking for information about his whereabouts. He's considered extremely dangerous.
A man is on the loose. A system is in crisis. And everyone, everywhere is asking the same question.
How could something like this happen? How could something like this happen? The prison service are reviewing security measures while the police are urging anyone who has information to please come forward.
Accidentally released. Accidentally released. Accidentally released. Accidentally released.
This is Lee Kirk. Lee is currently the focus of a nationwide manhunt.
How does the media react to Lee Kirk's release?
He just doesn't know it yet. Lee's currently buying a Snickers at a newsagent because he still believes he is a free man. Two days ago, he had what he thought was his last conversation in prison with me.
Thanks for everything, yes.
Well, good luck, Lee, and I hope this is the last I see of you. He left prison with a handshake, the properly signed paperwork and a hundred quid discharge grant. No one chased him out the door. No alarms went off. No one even batted an eyelid.
This is Claire.
Claire is Lee's sister. She hasn't thought about her brother in a long time. She hasn't had the headspace.
Kids, now please!
She is halfway out the door when she gets a news alert. And when she clicks on the story, sees Lee's face staring back at her. Oh my God. Quickly followed by a knock at the door. To properly tell the sad story of Lee Kirk, we could go back 200 years or more, but we'll start in a courtroom two years ago and see how far we get.
All rise.
It is the end of Lee's trial, and he takes a deep breath as his sentence is read out.
One sentence of five years, four months, and one sentence of three years, eight months, to be served consecutively.
This is worse than he'd expected. Consecutive sentences, nine years back to back.
Okay. Okay. Okay.
This is Alex.
Morning, team.
Alex is tired. Alex is tired because he works very hard as a clerk of the court.
Has anyone got a schedule for court two on the 14th?
He's been up against it all week, all month, all year as the backlog is yet to be cleared after the courts closed during the pandemic. And things are still a little busy.
Which courtroom is the Johnson trial?
CPS are asking you to file this. CPS are waiting.
Alex loves his job. He cares about his job. So determined is he not to let the backlog get the better of his team that he works flat out from the moment he gets in to the end of the day, which is when he processes Lee Kirk's sentence and enters it into the system.
Lee Kirk, court two.
What are the implications of clerical errors in the justice system?
As his exhausted eyes stare at the sentencing remarks, where the judge clearly said...
Two sentences to be served consecutively.
As in, back to back, he reads... To be served concurrently. As in, all at once, he stares again. It definitely says... Consecutively. But he reads... Concurrently. And ticks the wrong box, signs off the paperwork and sends it on its way. The record is filed in a box that travels with Lee to the prison that he will call home.
It is two years later. Lee Kirk's box is about to be opened. Carly, it's nearly seven. How many more you got? That's me, Yaz. I work in the offender management unit at Lee's prison. Morning, pal. You all right? The OMU is at the heart of prison life. We spend our time talking with prisoners.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What happens when a prisoner is mistakenly released?
0:00–1:45
2
How does the media react to Lee Kirk's release?
1:45–4:23
3
What are the implications of clerical errors in the justice system?
4:23–8:22
4
How does Lee Kirk's family react to his unexpected release?
8:22–12:26
5
What challenges do prison staff face in managing releases?
12:26–22:54
6
How does the prison system respond to overcrowding issues?
22:54–25:55
7
What leads to the manhunt for Lee Kirk?
25:55–44:42