Expansion of HMP Parc in Wales should be paused, MPs say

Plans to expand one of the most troubled prisons in England and Wales should be paused until serious failures surrounding staff and inmate safety are addressed, MPs have said.Seventeen men died at HMP Parc in Bridgend in 2024 – the highest number recorded at any prison in England and Wales that year – amid drug use, self-harm, violence and understaffing issues. Another three men died there in the first nine months of 2025.A Welsh affairs committee report released on Monday acknowledged the need for more prison places for adult men, but concluded that Parc is “not the right place to expand the prison population”.Despite the prison’s problems, pre-application approval for adding 345 inmates and 160 staff to the category B facility was granted in September 2024, after the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said England and Wales would run out of prison places in two months without urgent action. Parc, which is run by private firm G4S, can accommodate 1,670 prisoners and 676 staff.The committee chair, Ruth Jones, said the events of 2024 had “shone a light” on serious problems at the site.“Every preventable death is a tragedy. It is vital that improving the safety and wellbeing of men at the prison is at the forefront of any decisions,” the Newport West and Islwyn MP wrote.“While some improvements have been made, expanding the prison now would be a distraction that could put that progress – and the safety of prisoners and staff – at risk.”An unannounced visit by inspectors in January 2025 was highly critical, finding conditions across all key measures had worsened and high levels of drug abuse, self-harm and violence. They also noted that prisoners could be left in their cells for up to 21 hours at a time, poor quality food, staff shortages and under-resourced mental health and substance misuse services.A chief inspector of prisons visit in January 2026 found insufficient progress, but showed what the Welsh affairs committee report called “green shoots” of improvement.In a statement, Parc prison said: “Parc’s latest inspection report highlights that progress has been made in many areas, particularly in disrupting the supply of drugs.“This is significant and is helping to drive wider improvements throughout the prison, especially in reducing self-harm and violence.”The MoJ said: “We’re taking decisive action to address the prison crisis inherited by this government – building 14,000 extra prison places by 2031 and reforming sentencing to ensure we can always lock up dangerous criminals.”At 87,751, the prison population of England and Wales is close to the all-time record, while Scotland hit its own record of 8,452 this month. Numbers are on the increase as sentences are getting longer and more prisoners are being recalled after release, according to the Prison Reform Trust.Incarceration levels and lengths of sentences are higher in Wales than the rest of western Europe, a phenomenon researchers attribute to gaps and overlap between the English and Welsh systems.Welsh Labour, which leads the Cardiff Bay government, advocates full devolution of policing and criminal justice from Westminster, as per the recommendation of three independent commissions. Plaid Cymru, which polls suggest will succeed Labour in Wales after May’s elections, is also seeking a full transfer of justice, police, and prison services.