A cross-party committee of MPs has called on the Ministry of Justice to pause plans to expand HMP Parc. The MPs warned that a bigger prison could undo the improvements of recent years.
The Welsh Affairs Select Committee published its report on 30 March 2026 after a two-year investigation. It said expansion would risk the safety of both prisoners and staff.
The deaths of 17 men at Parc in 2024 prompted the inquiry. Its findings pointed to problems with violence, suicide and drug misuse at the category B/C prison, which G4S runs.
The MPs accepted that the adult male estate needs more prison places. But they said expanding Parc would be a distraction. Inspectors still had concerns about the welfare of the men held there.
What inspectors found
HM Inspectorate of Prisons inspected Parc in January 2025. It found high levels of violence, illicit drug use and self-harm. Mental health and substance misuse services lacked resources, and staffing levels were inadequate.
Inspectors returned for a follow-up visit in January 2026. Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, praised staff and leaders. He said the prison had made progress in several areas. However, he warned that progress fell short against more than half of the inspectorate’s concerns.
The inspectorate singled out repeated delays to new windows designed to block drones. The installation date has slipped twice in two years, and the work is now due for completion in October 2026.
Capacity plans
The Government’s 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy aims to create 14,000 more prison places, with 345 of them at Parc. The committee said ministers should reconsider whether that expansion could go ahead safely. It cited the scale of the failings exposed in 2024 and the work still needed to embed improvements.
Ruth Jones, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, said the deaths had exposed problems at the prison. She named suicide, self-harm and drug use. “Every preventable death is a tragedy, and it is therefore vital that improving the safety and wellbeing of men serving sentences at the prison is at the forefront of any decisions made both by management and the Government,” she said.
She said the committee was satisfied with the current leadership and recognised some safety gains. But she warned that expanding the prison now could distract from that work. It could put progress at risk, along with the safety of prisoners and staff. “The expansion of the prison estate is needed, but Parc is not currently the place for it,” she added.
A spokesperson for HMP Parc pointed to its latest inspection report, published in February 2026. The report recorded progress 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 spokesperson said.
The Ministry of Justice said the prison estate grew by fewer than 500 net places in the 14 years to April 2024. A spokesperson said the Parc expansion would deliver almost 350 places.
The department said it was investing up to £7 billion between 2024/25 and 2029/30. It aims to add 14,000 places and has already delivered 3,100. On Parc, it said the availability of drugs and other illicit items showed the crisis the Government inherited. Its response to drones includes physical security measures, technology and intelligence. It is also strengthening legislation and working with international partners.
