MPs urge pause on HMP Parc expansion amid ongoing safety concerns

Plans to expand HMP Parc should be halted until ministers can guarantee the safety of prisoners and staff, MPs have warned.

In a report published today, the Welsh Affairs Committee calls on the UK Government to reconsider proposals to increase capacity at the Bridgend prison, arguing that doing so now risks undermining fragile improvements following a series of serious failures.

The committee said the expansion — which could add more than 300 places — should be paused while work continues to address longstanding issues around violence, drug misuse and self-harm.

The intervention follows a turbulent period at the privately run prison, where 17 men died in 2024 — the highest number recorded at any prison in England and Wales that year.

While some of those deaths were from natural causes, others were linked to drugs and suicide, highlighting deep-rooted safety concerns.

A highly critical inspection in January 2025 found conditions at the prison had worsened across all key measures, including safety, respect and rehabilitation. Inspectors reported high levels of violence, widespread drug use, staff shortages and under-resourced mental health services.

A follow-up review in January 2026 found some progress, particularly in tackling drug supply, but said improvement had been “insufficient” in most areas of concern.

MPs said that while leadership at the prison had improved and early signs of progress were emerging, significant challenges remained.

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,” she said. “It is vital that improving the safety and wellbeing of men at the prison is at the forefront of any decisions.

“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.”

The report forms part of a wider inquiry into prisons, probation and rehabilitation in Wales and draws on two years of scrutiny, including site visits, evidence sessions and inspections.

HMP Parc, which opened in 1997 and is run by G4S, holds a complex population of prisoners, including those serving life sentences. It is one of the largest prisons in Wales, with capacity for around 1,800 inmates.

The proposed expansion is part of the UK Government’s 10-year prison capacity strategy, which aims to create an additional 14,000 places across England and Wales to ease pressure on a system that has been running at near-full capacity.

Plans for Parc would see around 345 additional places created, alongside increased staffing.

However, MPs said the timing of the expansion raised serious concerns.

“The expansion of the prison estate is needed,” the committee said, “but Parc is not currently the place for it.”

They warned that focusing on increasing capacity could divert attention and resources away from efforts to improve safety, particularly given ongoing issues around drug use, violence and access to healthcare and rehabilitation.

Delays

Inspectors also highlighted delays in key improvement work, including a programme to replace windows vulnerable to drones used to smuggle drugs into the prison.

Despite some progress, MPs said the scale of past failings — and the work still required to embed improvements — meant the Government should rethink its plans.

The committee concluded that ministers must consider whether expansion can be delivered “without jeopardising the safety of prisoners and prison staff”.

With the prison system under continued pressure and demand for places rising, the report underscores the tension between expanding capacity and ensuring safe, effective conditions behind bars.