MPs Urge Government to Halt Parc Prison Expansion Over Fears It Could Undermine Safety

MPs say the planned expansion of HMP Parc should be paused while the UK Government reassesses whether the project can be delivered without putting prisoners and staff at further risk.

In a report published Monday, the Welsh Affairs Committee said it recognises the wider need for more prison places across the adult male estate. But it warned that expanding the Bridgend jail now would distract from essential safety improvements still being embedded.

The recommendation follows two years of scrutiny triggered by the deaths of 17 inmates in 2024, which exposed serious issues around violence, suicide, drug misuse and inadequate support services at the category B/C prison.

Inspectors still concerned despite progress

A full inspection in January 2025 found:

- High levels of violence  

- Widespread illicit drug use  

- Significant self‑harm  

- Under‑resourced mental health and substance misuse services  

- Staffing shortages  

A follow‑up inspection in January 2026 noted improvements and praised staff and leadership, but warned that more than half of inspectors’ concerns had not been sufficiently addressed.

Despite this, the UK Government’s 10‑year prison capacity strategy includes 345 additional places for Parc as part of its plan to create 14,000 new spaces nationwide.

Committee: Expansion risks undoing progress

The committee concluded that the scale of failings uncovered in 2024 — and the ongoing work to stabilise the prison — mean expansion should not proceed at this stage.

Committee chair Ruth Jones MP 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. Improving the safety and wellbeing of men serving sentences at the prison must be at the forefront of any decisions made by management and government.”

She warned that expanding the prison now would be “an unwanted distraction” that could jeopardise progress and compromise safety.

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

> Prisoners deserve safe environments that support rehabilitation, not violent settings that threaten their physical and mental health.”

Government urged to rethink plans

The committee is calling on the UK Government to reconsider whether Parc can safely absorb hundreds of additional inmates while still addressing the deep‑rooted issues highlighted by inspectors.

A final decision on the expansion has not yet been announced.