Regime restrictions leaving prisoners locked up for long periods despite progress tackling drugs

STAFF shortages at Parc Prison are continuing to severely restrict daily life for inmates despite improvements in tackling illegal drugs, according to inspectors.

A report published on Monday (Feb 16) by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons found that progress at the Bridgend jail was being significantly undermined by ongoing recruitment and retention problems, delays in vetting new staff, and the need to escort prisoners to outside hospital appointments.

Inspectors said these pressures meant many prisoners were spending long periods locked in their cells with limited access to education, work, or rehabilitation activities.

The findings come from a targeted independent review of progress carried out between January 5 and January 7, 2026, rather than a full inspection.

Staffing crisis restricting daily regime

Inspectors concluded that staffing shortages were the main factor preventing improvement across multiple areas of the prison.

The report found that regime restrictions had “severely hampered” progress, with prisoners often unable to access purposeful activity or support services needed to prepare for release.

Limited time out of cell is widely recognised as one of the key indicators of prison instability and poor outcomes.

Drug reduction efforts showing results

Despite the challenges, inspectors identified one significant area of progress.

Leaders and staff had made what the report described as “considerable effort” to reduce the supply of illicit drugs entering the prison.

Measures included:

• Installation of secure windows
• Increased use of technology
• Targeted deployment of resources

These steps were credited with contributing to a decline in drug use among prisoners — a notable development given previous concerns about drug-related instability at the jail.

Concerns over rehabilitation and sentence progression

However, inspectors warned that prisoners were not receiving enough support to progress through their sentences.

Weaknesses in offender management meant some inmates were missing opportunities to complete programmes or move forward in their rehabilitation, potentially affecting their preparation for release.

Public protection weaknesses identified

The report also highlighted concerns around public protection processes, including aspects of risk management for certain offenders.

Such findings are considered particularly significant because they relate directly to the safety of the public after prisoners are released.

Partial recovery after troubled period

HMP Parc, a large Category C resettlement prison operated privately, has faced increasing scrutiny in recent years following a period of serious deterioration identified in earlier inspections.

The latest review suggests that while some improvements have been made — particularly in tackling drugs — fundamental operational pressures remain.

Inspectors made clear that without resolving staffing shortages and restoring a full daily regime, wider progress across the prison will remain limited.

G4S responds

A HMP Parc spokesperson said: “We are encouraged that this report highlights progress at the prison in many areas, particularly in our work to disrupt the supply of drugs.

“This is significant and will drive wider improvements throughout the prison, especially in reducing self-harm and violence.

“Staffing levels are continuing to rise, which will allow us to increase access to education, training, employment and rehabilitation activities.

“Resources are now in place to manage the increased volume of public protection monitoring work.”

Despite the strong criticisms of the jail, the prison management wanted to highlight the current positives from the report:

• ‘Leaders had put considerable efforts into reducing the ingress of illicit drugs; secure window installation was progressing well, and leaders were making good use of technology and resources. As a result, there had been a decline in drug use.’

• ‘In the last six months, 24% of random tests had been positive in the last 6 months, compared to 31% before the last inspection.’

• ‘Partnership working, both between providers and among departments, was working much more effectively to tackle the challenges that we had identified.’

• ‘Oversight within the safety function had improved. The safety team was now more established and had worked hard to embed basic processes and improve the collation of data.’

• ‘The introduction of bespoke peer support roles … was positive. These initiatives included training in supporting emotional regulation and conflict resolution. Peer supporters we spoke to were enthusiastic with a strong sense of purpose.’

• ‘Prisoners had benefited from the provision of in-cell tablet computers’