Positive 'green shoots' at troubled jail - inspector
BBCThere have been some "green shoots" of positive actions at the troubled Parc prison, near Bridgend, the most senior prisons inspector in Wales and England has said.
Earlier this year a report from Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said the situation at Parc was "enormously disappointing".
The damning report said Parc was failing to tackle an "alarming" amount of drugs that have led to a "spate" of deaths.
However, he told MPs on Wednesday that a new boss, Will Styles, had provided "a little bit more grip" although there was still "a long way to go".
The report, which followed an unannounced inspection of HMP Parc in January, said drugs were "pouring into the prison", with deliveries often by drone.
Seventeen inmates are known to have died at Parc in 2024, more than any other UK prison.
Of the 17 deaths G4S, which runs the prison, confirmed that eight inmates had died from natural causes, and five deaths were believed to be drugs related.
Drugs were found on 900 occasions in 2024, and G4S said it had invested significant resources to tackle drugs in the prison including patrol dogs and detection equipment.
Parc had previously been judged as one of the most successful prisons, and HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor called the January inspection "enormously disappointing".
Addressing MPs on the Welsh Affairs Select Committee at Westminster on Wednesday, Mr Taylor said the recent deaths had "an absolute catastrophic effect" on "the pride and that real sense of community" on both staff and inmates. However, he said, although the January inspection was very critical there "were some positives there".
He told MPs: "There was a little bit more grip by a new director who had been appointed, the number of deaths had diminished since that shocking high that there had been earlier last year.
"The regime wasn't nearly good enough, but there were some reasonably credible plans to get prisoners out and about and doing some of the things that in the past we commented on reasonably positively.
"There was a sense amongst the leadership team and also amongst officers, that morale was beginning to improve. So there were some green shoots."
However he warned: "I wouldn't want to give you a false assurance on that.
"We will be back at Parc within the year and we'll want to see that those improvements that we've begun to see have been sustained but there is a long way to go."
Following the report in January, G4S, which runs the prison, said "significant improvements" were being made.