The drug-flooded prison where inmates collect drone drops through open windows

Wales Online

23-04-2025

The drug-flooded prison where inmates collect drone drops through open windows
A lucrative 10-year contract was at the root of many problems at Parc prison, a report has found
Self-harm has risen by 58% at Parc Prison in Bridgend
(Image: Conor Gogarty )
A damning report into Bridgend's Parc prison has found a failure to tackle an "alarming" flow of drugs led to "a spate of tragic deaths". The inspection concluded that standards had "declined significantly" from 2022 because of private security giant G4S winning a 10-year contract to run the jail.
Chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, pointed to serious deficiencies including cell windows that can be easily opened from inside, allowing drugs to be pulled in from drones — a problem previously revealed by WalesOnline. Last year there were 17 inmate deaths at Parc — more than any other UK prison — of which five were drug-related, three self-inflicted, eight of natural causes, and one of unknown causes.
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Nearly a third of random drug test results were positive, some 57% of prisoners said it was easy to get illegal drugs, and 34% had developed a drug or alcohol problem since arriving at the prison, which has a population of around 1,700 inmates.
A cluster of five drug deaths between February and May last year were "likely" caused by synthetic opioids, according to the report.
The report reads: "With staff morale low, and higher levels of sickness and more staff leaving than could be recruited, the effects of poor supervision and a thriving drug market contributed to high levels of violence."
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At the previous inspection in 2022 the jail received a generally positive report including a 'reasonably good' rating for safety. But that same year G4S won a £400m decade-long contract and then allowed the prison to be "destabilised", according to the new inspection report, which dubbed this contract "the root" of many of the jail's problems. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
The report found leadership suffered after the 2023 retirement of "highly effective" longstanding governor Janet Wallsgrove. She was succeeded by Heather Whitehead, whose tenure coincided with a cluster of deaths as well as reported rioting and whistleblower allegations of rampant drug use, corruption and threadbare staffing. Ms Whitehead was replaced last June by mutual agreement.
Bereaved families protested outside Parc prison in April 2025
(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne )
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Since the last inspection, self-harm has risen by 58% — with some 1,962 incidents from the last 12 months alone. Mr Taylor described this as a higher self-harm rate than in similar prisons, although he noted a downward trend in recent months.
The new inspection found Parc had "begun to recover" under new director Will Styles, but added: "Far too many drugs were still getting into the prison and a failure to allocate prisoners to work, training or education meant many were stuck in their cells for up to 21 hours a day."
"Food served at mealtimes was not always adequate, and the prison shop did not sell sufficient healthy items, including fresh fruit and vegetables," wrote Mr Taylor.
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"Not having enough to eat" was among the factors behind high violence levels — along with "long periods locked up" and "boredom" — according to prisoners interviewed by the inspector.
"Installation of new windows that would restrict trafficking via drones had started only recently and facilities for enhanced gate security were still not in place," the report reads.
At the time of the previous inspection, waits for routine dental care were around 18 months. Since then the service had reduced further with inmates only getting treatment for "urgent" cases. The report found: "The lack of progress on increasing dental surgery space was inexcusable, given the timeframe and the poor outcomes for dental health."
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Mr Taylor added that not enough was being done to address self-harm and that mental health and addiction services "did not meet the needs of the population". He also pointed to "gaps in public protection arrangements" including inadequate oversight of high-risk prisoners before release.
The report found Parc had struggled to fill vacancies amid a high staff turnover under the previous director but that there had been improvements to "recruitment, retention and morale" under Mr Styles.
In conclusion Mr Taylor wrote: "Inspectors left the jail with some assurance that Parc had begun to recover, morale was better, and pride was beginning to return.
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"Practically, if G4S and the prison service are able to expedite the replacement of windows which are vulnerable to drone deliveries and to provide enhanced gate security, that will help to reduce supply of drugs."
Earlier this month, leaked text messages from Parc prison officers appeared to show them making fun of self-harm incidents and gloating about beating inmates. One officer wrote: 'Let's push him to go tomorrow so we can drop him.'
Last month we revealed six officers at the troubled Parc prison had been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, which you can read more about here.
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Bereaved families recently gathered outside Parc to call for G4S to be stripped of the contract following the deaths of loved ones in the jail. One of the protestors was Claire Jones, whose 29-year-old son Ross died in the prison in 2023. She said: "Ten days before Ross died another boy passed away and they were warned then to make improvements... There was a spate of a ridiculous amount of deaths and still nothing is changing."
The inspection found outcomes for prisoners were 'poor' for safety and 'not sufficiently good' for respect, purposeful activity, and preparation for release.
What G4S says
G4S says it has completed phase one of a window replacement programme and is "in discussions with the Ministry of Justice on further work". It also says negotiations are taking place with the Prison and Probation Service over "additional resourcing to further enhance security processes".
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The firm has begun drug-testing staff and will carry out a review of its catering provision. It vowed to "expand the range of goods in the prison shop to provide fresh fruit and vegetables".
A G4S spokeswoman said: 'The first six months of 2024 were extremely difficult and our thoughts remain with the families and loved ones of the men that passed away. Since then, considerable work has been carried out to make significant improvements at the prison.
'We are encouraged that [the report] recognises that we are making solid progress and noted positive developments in tackling violence, self-harm rates and use of force. We are determined to ensure the men in our care are safe, supported and can feel optimistic about their futures, and we are working tirelessly on a comprehensive improvement plan to once again deliver excellent services at HMP Parc. Our plan includes all of HMIP's recommendations.'
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Healthcare at the prison, including dentistry, is the responsibility of Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board, which we have approached for comment.
If you would like to speak to WalesOnline about an issue at Parc prison, email us at [e-mail]