Figures obtained under freedom of information show the Ministry of Justice has withheld £32.5 million from private prison operators since 2012, with two G4S jails facing the heaviest deductions.
Inspectors praised leadership, culture and the focus on children’s needs at the G4S-run YOI, though some young people left without settled accommodation or education plans.
The Welsh Affairs Committee says adding 345 places at the south Wales prison could put recent safety gains at risk, after 17 men died there in 2024.
A return visit to the G4S-run prison found significant improvement in only one of the 11 areas of major concern that inspectors identified in 2025.
The inspectorate's report on HMP Parc, published in October 2022, rated purposeful activity good and praised specialist units at the Bridgend prison, but found self-harm, violence and drug supply too high.
The inspectorate's report on HMP Oakwood, published in September 2021, found England's biggest prison safe and respectful, with strong prisoner-led initiatives, but rated rehabilitation and release planning not sufficiently good.
The inspectorate's report on HMP Parc, published in March 2020, found safety had improved at the large Bridgend prison, but mental health support, food and help for men convicted of sexual offences fell short.
