Drugs pouring into Parc Prison, Bridgend, by drone, inspector says

BBC News

23-04-2025

One of the UK's largest prisons is failing to tackle an "alarming" amount of drugs that have led to a "spate" of deaths, a damning report has said. An unannounced inspection of HMP Parc in Bridgend in January found drugs were widely available, with deliveries to cell windows via drones. Seventeen inmates are known to have died at Parc in 2024, more than any other UK prison. The prison said "significant improvements" were being made.
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 latest inspection "enormously disappointing". He said drugs were "pouring into the prison" and 30% of inmates surveyed said they had developed a drug problem since arriving at the prison. "We know drugs is a huge issue at Parc, we know drones can fly in to specific cell windows and drop off packages very quickly," he said. "Parc isn't unique we see this in jails in England, but it has a destabilising effect on the prison. "The report highlighted how installation of new windows that would restrict trafficking via drones had only started recently and facilities for enhanced gate security were still not in place. "It's often very worrying types of drugs that are finding their ways in and synthetic opioid, Nitazene, might have been behind some of the tragic deaths at the prison," Mr Taylor added.About 70% of inmates on the main A and B units of the prison said it was easy to get illicit drugs.
Eight of the deaths at the prison occurred between February and May 2024, which one staff member said was a "very traumatic time for everyone".
The inspection report said the prison had "weathered two years of turbulence" and described the root of problems were linked to a new management contract at the prison with security firm G4S and the departure of the former director.Long standing and "well respected" director, Janet Wallsgrove, departed in August 2023 after 17 years and replaced by interim director, who was in the post for less than a year.The report described new interim director and management "unable to grip the problems it faced."Parc Prison held 1,700 inmates at the time of inspection, with an average of 225 new arrivals each month. Mr Taylor said it showed prisons were "fragile places" and "when things start to go wrong... they start to unravel quickly", which had been reflected at Parc.
The inspectorate's survey of inmates found 54% of inmates saying they felt unsafe at some point during their time in prison, while almost a quarter said they currently felt unsafe. A total of 44% said they had been bullied by staff and 41% by other prisoners. The report said G4S "failed to maintain the high standards for which Parc was renowned".Mr Taylor described G4S as failing to deliver on the terms of its contract after bidding successfully for the 10-year contract to operate the prison in 2022.He said you get "lawlessness" when a prison is destabilised by drugs, with drugs debts leading to violence and potentially self harm.
The report also described the adjudication system as being in "disarray", which would send a message of "if you behave badly here there isn't going to be a consequence", leading to prisoners feeling unsafe. The report also found a failure to allocate prisoners to work, training or education meant many were stuck in their cells for up to 21 hours a day.
The report found:A high number of violent incidents High levels of recorded self-harm, and not enough being done to address the causes of thisUnder-resourced mental health and substance misuse services Gaps in public protection arrangements with checks of new arrivals delayed, inadequate arrangements for offence-related monitoringNot enough was being done to support prisoners to reduce their risk or progress in their sentenceFood served at mealtimes was not always adequate, and the prison shop did not sell sufficient healthy items, including fresh fruit and vegetables
Inspectors found two examples of notable positive practice during this inspection, they included how the prison worked with Bath University to provide "innovative drug detection technology in efforts to tackle the ingress of illicit substances". It also highlighted Parc Tank as an excellent initiative for those who were due for release and interested in starting their own businesses and were awarded prizes to invest into their ideas on release if they successfully pitched to a panel.The report also said a new and experienced director, who started in June 2024, had implemented a well-communicated plan to tackle the basic failings at the prison and prevent further deaths.It described Will Styles' self-assessment report as honest and was consistent with their findings at the inspection, and a two-year improvement plan was now being developed.
G4S said additional resourcing to further enhance security processes was being made available and reducing violence was a priority. HMP Parc said the first six months of 2024 were "extremely difficult" and its thoughts remained with the families of the inmates who died. "Since then, considerable work has been carried out to make significant improvements at the prison."We are encouraged that HMIP recognises that we are making solid progress and noted positive developments in tackling violence, self-harm rates and use of force."It said its "comprehensive improvement plan" included all of the inspector's recommendations.