The planned expansion of HMP Parc should be paused while the
Government reconsiders whether it can be achieved without
jeopardising the safety of prisoners and staff, MPs say.
In a report published today the Welsh Affairs
Committee acknowledges the overall need for more prison
places in the adult male estate, but warns that expanding the
South Wales prison would be a distraction from the improvements
being made there at a time when inspectors still have concerns
about inmate welfare.
The recommendation follows two years of scrutiny from the
Committee, after the deaths of seventeen men in 2024 highlighted
issues with violence, suicide and drug misuse at the category B/C
prison.
A formal inspection in January 2025 by the prisons' inspectorate
identified several problems at HMP Parc, including high levels of
violence, illicit drug use and self-harm; as well as
under-resourced mental health and substance misuse services, and
inadequate staffing levels.
Following the latest inspection in January this year, Charlie
Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, praised the prison's staff
and leadership and said that progress had been made in several
areas, but warned that there had been insufficient progress areas
against over half of their concerns.
As part of the 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy, the Government
is aiming to create an extra 14,000 prison places, with an
additional 345 earmarked for HMP Parc.
The Committee's report concludes that given the scale of the
failings that were exposed in 2024, and the work that remains to
embed improvements, the Government should reconsider whether the
expansion of HMP Parc can be achieved without jeopardising the
safety of prisoners and prison staff.
MP, Chair of the Welsh Affairs
Committee, said:
“The deaths of 17 inmates in 2024 have shone a light on the
problems with suicide, self-harm and drug use that have been
plaguing HMP Parc. Every preventable death is a tragedy and it is
therefore vital that improving the safety and wellbeing of men
serving sentences at the prison is at the forefront of any
decisions made both by management and the Government.
While some safety improvements have been made and we're satisfied
with the current leadership, an expansion of the prison now would
be an unwanted distraction that could put progress at risk and,
crucially, the safety of prisoners and staff. The expansion of
the prison estate is needed, but Parc is not currently the place
for it.
Prisoners deserve safe environments that are conducive to
rehabilitation, not violent settings that pose a risk to their
physical and mental health.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
The report from the cross-party Welsh Affairs Committee, is an
interim report part of the Committee's inquiry into Prisons, Probation and
Rehabilitation in Wales.
