BUNGLING prison chiefs are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers cash on eye tests at Specsavers – but still losing five prisoners a week.
Ministry of Justice accounts show £49,000 was spent at the opticians from January to August this year.
And in October a new £232,000 contract was agreed with the high street chain to provide eyecare for MoJ staff and the Prison Service over four years.
The deal is to provide eye examinations and glasses for “safety purposes”.
It comes as Justice Secretary David Lammy is under pressure after it was revealed the Prison Service keeps accidentally letting people out.
Figures show 262 criminals were released in error in the year to March 2025 – a 128 per cent increase from last year.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Calamity Lammy’s forking out thousands of pounds for glasses, but doesn’t have the faintest clue what’s going on in front of him.
“He still can’t say how many prisoners he’s lost or where they are.
“He’s bungling from crisis to crisis, with no end to the chaos in sight.”
Ninety violent or sex offenders have been mistakenly released from prison in the last year, according to Telegraph analysis.
Algerian sex offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, was arrested on Friday after being accidentally freed from HMP Wandsworth more than a week ago.
Fraudster William Smith, 35, released in error by the same jail handed himself back on Thursday morning.
Both were mistakenly freed despite Mr Lammy implementing the “strongest checks ever” in the wake of the Epping migrant scandal.
Sex offender Hadush Kebatu sparked a 48-hour manhunt when he was accidentally released from HMP Chelmsford. He was then deported to Ethiopia.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “As a responsible employer, we are legally required to support access to eyecare for our staff.”
It comes after the Sun on Sunday revealed the taxpayer has forked out hundreds of pounds on Lego for prisoners.
