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 yesterday 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.
Chair comment
Ruth Jones MP, Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, yesterday 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.”
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