Inquiry to re-open after 'very concerning' deaths at Parc prison (original) (raw)

An inquiry into Welsh jails is to be re-opened as controversy continues to hang over Bridgend's HMP Parc. The privately-run prison has seen 13 inmate deaths this year as well as rioting and allegations of rampant drug-dealing and corruption.

Labour MP Ruth Jones, chairwoman elect of the UK Parliament's Welsh Affairs Committee, described the issues at Parc as "very concerning" as she pledged the committee would re-open its inquiry into Welsh prisons. Last month, four of Parc's staff members were arrested on suspicion of assault and misconduct in a public office. The death toll for the jail's inmates stands at 13 since late February, some of which have involved drugs or self-harm, although this is not thought to be the case for the most recent three deaths.

Ms Jones told the Press Association: "We were part way through quite a few important inquiries and of course they've all fallen because of the general election. All being well, we'll be able to pick them up again. So the biggest one for me is prisons across Wales, especially HMP Parc, that's a big concern I'm sure for all the new members. And things like the steel industry [which is] obviously ongoing with Tata, and we have some dates in the diary, the pre-scrutiny of the S4C chair."

Before the general election the committee was told that staff at Parc had been taking illegal substances into the prison and that "drugs are everywhere, from cannabis to heroin". It came after WalesOnline reported allegations from many former Parc prisoners and staff members that drug use and violence were out of control amid chronic understaffing and a lack of mental health support. G4S, the private security giant that runs the jail, replaced the director of Parc by mutual agreement in June and the role was taken up by Will Styles, who previously ran another G4S jail, HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire.

Ms Jones, the MP for Newport West and Islwyn, said: "The prison inquiry itself was ongoing and we had planned — we had a date in the diary — to go and see Berwyn [prison] in north Wales. That all fell because the election was called so suddenly. So we would like to pick it up again because obviously we're comparing the four prisons but in particular I believe there have been another two deaths in HMP Parc which is very concerning."

As the chairwoman elect until the committee is formed, Ms Jones said she wanted to "harness" any ideas brought forward by new MPs. She said: "We will hopefully have quite a few brand new MPs on the committee and they will come with their own ideas and that will be great, and I want to harness those. But we want to make sure we don't lose anything that we've been working on."

In May the UK Government's then-prisons minister, Edward Argar, said four of the recent sudden deaths at Parc were believed to be drug-related and a further one was "potentially so". It came after Parc employees alleged to WalesOnline that the vast majority of drugs were being brought in by staff. The Government issued an improvement notice on G4S for urgent action on Parc's security. Shortly afterwards, grieving families marched outside the prison in a demonstration calling for G4S to be stripped of its £400million contract.

Responding to Ms Jones' comments, a G4S spokeswoman said: "Earlier this year Parc experienced a number of tragic deaths and our thoughts remain with the loved ones of those who died. Since then we have done a huge amount of work to make positive changes in the prison. We would welcome the opportunity to show Ruth Jones MP and other stakeholders the good work our staff are doing here and will be contacting her office to extend that invitation." The firm added that Parc's outcomes have been improving in "staffing, safety, security, drugs, regime and respect" over the last four months.

Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader and justice spokesperson Liz Saville Roberts said: “I welcome the new chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee’s commitment to re-opening the inquiry into prisons in Wales. Wales has a higher incarceration rate than any other part of the UK and among the highest in the whole of Europe. The Labour UK Government’s early release scheme sought to solve the problem of overcrowding, but its chaotic implementation has put victims in danger.

“Plaid Cymru is the largest opposition party when it comes to Welsh seats at Westminster. We look forward to playing our full part in holding the Labour Government to account through the Welsh Affairs Committee. We will be ensuring that the evidence-based arguments for devolving justice to Wales are heard loud and clear.”

If you would like to speak to WalesOnline about an issue at Parc prison, email us at conor.gogarty@walesonline.co.uk

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