One Welsh prison is one of the most overcrowded in England and Wales
It was confirmed this week that around 5,500 prisoners in England and Wales are expected to be released early throughout September and October in order to 'avert a disaster'
By Robert Harries
Senior Reporter
15 SEP 2024
Inside Swansea Prison (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)
The most overcrowded prison in Wales has been revealed after it was announced that thousands of prisoners would be released early across the country. The UK Government is trying to tackle a long-standing problem which has seen jails operate way over their capacity.
It was confirmed this week that around 5,500 prisoners are expected to be released early throughout September and October, with as many as 1,700 convicts allowed to leave on Tuesday (September 10) alone. Burglars, shoplifters, and fraudsters who are serving short sentences are among those expected to be released early.
The plan, which will be reviewed in 18 months’ time, will apply to prisoners in most prisons bar high security (Category A) ones, with varying amounts released from each. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said she was forced to trigger the emergency measure “to avert a disaster” as there were only around 1,000 jail places available, adding that she had no choice but to reduce the automatic release point for certain sentences to free up space in the prisons system.
Ministry of Justice figures can reveal just how overcrowded prisons are in Wales - with one in particular making the list of the 10-most crowded prisons in both England and Wales. Wales has five prisons - in Cardiff, Bridgend, Swansea, Usk, and Wrexham. According to prison numbers in July, four out of those five were above capacity, meaning they were above the ‘certified normal standard’ of one prisoner per cell, a metric used to create a ‘level of crowding’.
Only HMP Berwyn in Wrexham actually came out at below 100% full, according to the data, but only just. With 2,000 cells in use, it had a prison population of 1,982. At HMP Parc in Bridgend, a prison population of 1,810 is way over the number of cells (1,159), giving it a ‘level of crowding’ of 116%.
The situation is even worse elsewhere in south Wales. At HMP Prescoed in Usk there was 476 prisoners and 373 cells in use, resulting in a ‘level of crowding’ of 128%, while Cardiff had a ‘level of crowding’ of 139%, with 743 prisoners and 534 cells in use. The most overcrowded prison in Wales however is in Swansea, a Category B/C prison for adult males. With a prison population of 380 and only 265 cells in use, it has a much higher ‘level of crowding’ of 143% - making it the tenth most crowded prison in England and Wales.
While Swansea has the most overcrowded prison in Wales, the situation is even more serious in parts of England, with overcrowding at higher levels at prisons in Exeter, Altcourse, Doncaster, Preston, Wandsworth, Bedford, Lincoln and Leeds. But the most overcrowded prison in England and Wales is HMP Durham. In July it had a prison population of 984, and 573 usable cells to accommodate them.
The most overcrowded prison in Wales has been revealed after it was announced that thousands of prisoners would be released early across the country. The UK Government is trying to tackle a long-standing problem which has seen jails operate way over their capacity.
It was confirmed this week that around 5,500 prisoners are expected to be released early throughout September and October, with as many as 1,700 convicts allowed to leave on Tuesday (September 10) alone. Burglars, shoplifters, and fraudsters who are serving short sentences are among those expected to be released early.
The plan, which will be reviewed in 18 months’ time, will apply to prisoners in most prisons bar high security (Category A) ones, with varying amounts released from each. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said she was forced to trigger the emergency measure “to avert a disaster” as there were only around 1,000 jail places available, adding that she had no choice but to reduce the automatic release point for certain sentences to free up space in the prisons system.
Ministry of Justice figures can reveal just how overcrowded prisons are in Wales - with one in particular making the list of the 10-most crowded prisons in both England and Wales. Wales has five prisons - in Cardiff, Bridgend, Swansea, Usk, and Wrexham. According to prison numbers in July, four out of those five were above capacity, meaning they were above the ‘certified normal standard’ of one prisoner per cell, a metric used to create a ‘level of crowding’.
Only HMP Berwyn in Wrexham actually came out at below 100% full, according to the data, but only just. With 2,000 cells in use, it had a prison population of 1,982. At HMP Parc in Bridgend, a prison population of 1,810 is way over the number of cells (1,159), giving it a ‘level of crowding’ of 116%.
The situation is even worse elsewhere in south Wales. At HMP Prescoed in Usk there was 476 prisoners and 373 cells in use, resulting in a ‘level of crowding’ of 128%, while Cardiff had a ‘level of crowding’ of 139%, with 743 prisoners and 534 cells in use. The most overcrowded prison in Wales however is in Swansea, a Category B/C prison for adult males. With a prison population of 380 and only 265 cells in use, it has a much higher ‘level of crowding’ of 143% - making it the tenth most crowded prison in England and Wales.
While Swansea has the most overcrowded prison in Wales, the situation is even more serious in parts of England, with overcrowding at higher levels at prisons in Exeter, Altcourse, Doncaster, Preston, Wandsworth, Bedford, Lincoln and Leeds. But the most overcrowded prison in England and Wales is HMP Durham. In July it had a prison population of 984, and 573 usable cells to accommodate them.
That means the prison was 172% full. The jail’s operational capacity was only one higher than the number of prisoners housed in July, although some of them may have been on authorised absence, for example, if a prisoner was ill and needed hospital treatment.
The figures reveal that in July there was a prison population of 87,479 offenders in jails across England and Wales, which is just 1,383 below the operational capacity - the number of places needed to accommodate different classes of prisoner by age, sex, security category, and conviction status.
The figures reveal that in July there was a prison population of 87,479 offenders in jails across England and Wales, which is just 1,383 below the operational capacity - the number of places needed to accommodate different classes of prisoner by age, sex, security category, and conviction status.
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