Crime

MPs warn overcrowded Welsh prisons are undermining safety and rehabilitation

Published

2 months ago

June 9, 2026

A DAMNING report by MPs has warned that overcrowding, staff shortages and rising pressure across Welsh prisons are undermining safety, rehabilitation and public confidence in the justice system.

The Welsh Affairs Committee says the prison and probation system in Wales is struggling with population pressures, workforce problems and increasingly complex demand.

Its report, Jagged Justice: Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales, follows a year-long inquiry into prisons and probation services.

MPs said the challenges in Wales are made worse by the split between UK Government control of criminal justice and Welsh Government responsibility for key services such as health, housing and education.

The committee said Welsh prisons are facing serious pressure, with overcrowding and staffing shortages limiting time out of cells and reducing access to education, work and rehabilitation.

It also raised concern over the lack of effective oversight at HMP Parc, where seventeen men died in 2024, and called for better resourcing of Independent Monitoring Boards across Wales.

Welsh women ‘far from home’

The report highlights the position of Welsh women in the criminal justice system, with no women’s prison in Wales.

Welsh women given custodial sentences are held in England, often far from their families and support networks.

MPs said short prison sentences for women were often damaging and ineffective, and expressed deep disappointment over delays and lack of transparency surrounding the proposed Swansea Residential Women’s Centre.

The centre was intended to act as an alternative to custody for women who had committed lower-level offences, but its future remains unclear.

The committee has called on the Ministry of Justice to confirm whether the centre will open and, if so, when.

Welsh language rights

The report also warns of persistent shortcomings in protecting the rights of Welsh-speaking prisoners.

MPs said prisoners should be able to speak Welsh wherever they are held and called for more consistent inspection of Welsh language provision in prisons.

The committee recommends that UK Government agencies such as HMPPS should follow Welsh Language Standards Regulations.

Higher imprisonment rate

MPs also called for a joint academic review into why Wales has a consistently higher imprisonment rate than England and much of Western Europe.

The committee said better Wales-specific justice data is needed to understand the problem and plan services properly.

Ruth Jones MP, Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, said: “Throughout our inquiry and visits to prisons across England and Wales, we found dedicated staff and genuine examples of good practice and innovation.

“But we also found a system that too often fails the people it is meant to serve.

“It’s a system struggling with population pressures, staffing shortages, and increasingly complex demand, all of which have serious implications for safety and rehabilitation outcomes.”

She added: “Welsh women who are serving their custodial sentences in prisons are often far from home, family and the support services they will be returning to.

“That’s why we are urging the Government to confirm its plans for the Swansea Residential Women’s Centre.”

The committee said the Ministry of Justice should meet Welsh justice unions to address recruitment and retention problems, including concerns over pay and conditions.

It also called for better support for probation staff, improved healthcare funding for prisoners in Wales, and earlier notification to councils when prisoners are due to be released and may need housing.

The report concludes that justice in Wales is being held back by overcrowded prisons, workforce pressures and policies that do not always reflect Wales’ unique devolved landscape.

MPs said improvement will require better data, sustained investment and closer working between the UK and Welsh Governments.

Crime

Haverfordwest cocaine dealer jailed after court hears of two-year supply operation

Published

12 hours ago

July 27, 2026

Court Reporter

A HAVERFORDWEST man who sent bulk messages advertising cocaine for sale has been jailed for two years and four months.

Callum Chadwick, aged 26, of Barn Street, appeared at Swansea Crown Court after admitting being concerned in the supply of cocaine over a period of almost two years.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply following a separate incident in Goodwick.

The court heard that Chadwick used his mobile phone to send messages to multiple customers detailing the drugs he had available.

Joseph Hocquard, prosecuting, said the dealing operation ran from June 27, 2024, until May 9, 2026.

Chadwick had initially claimed that he had supplied cocaine only to a small group of friends. However, that basis of plea was later withdrawn after the prosecution disputed his account.

The defendant had one previous conviction for drug-driving, for which he received a fine and a 12-month driving ban.

Daniel Griffiths, defending, said Chadwick began supplying cocaine to fund an addiction which had spiralled out of control.

He told the court that Chadwick and his former partner had been consuming significant quantities of the drug each day.

Mr Griffiths said Chadwick had cooperated with police after his arrest and provided officers with the PIN number for his mobile phone.

He added that Chadwick had admitted the offences at the earliest opportunity, regretted the distress caused to his family and had strong support from relatives who remained concerned about his future.

The court also heard that a probation officer believed Chadwick had a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

Sentencing him, Judge Paul Thomas KC described the operation as a “fairly substantial commercial venture”.

He told Chadwick that illegal drugs caused serious harm within communities and said the defendant had known the consequences he faced if caught.

The judge also rejected Chadwick’s earlier attempt to suggest that his dealing had been limited to a few friends.

“You have been less than honest about the scale and nature of your drug dealing,” he said.

Chadwick was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

Dyfed-Powys Police later released his custody photograph.

A further hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act is expected to take place at a later date.

Crime

BMW driver admits causing serious injury in A48 Cross Hands crash

Published

13 hours ago

July 27, 2026

Court Reporter

Max Dangerfield will be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after collision involving a BMW and Toyota Prius

A YOUNG driver has admitted causing serious injury in an early-morning collision on the A48 after his BMW failed to stop for police.

Max Dangerfield, aged 20, of Cwmllethryd Ganol, Felinfoel, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, July 23.

Dangerfield indicated a guilty plea to causing serious injury to Imran Ilyas by driving dangerously on the A48 at Cross Hands.

The offence involved a BMW M140i and happened on January 25, 2025, when Dangerfield was 18.

The collision occurred at around 4.20am on the westbound carriageway between Cross Hands and Pont Abraham.

The Herald reported at the time that the crash involved a black BMW and a white Toyota Prius.

Dyfed-Powys Police said four people were taken to hospital following the collision. Their injuries were initially described as not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.

Police also confirmed that the BMW had failed to stop for officers before the collision.

Because of the police contact before the crash, the force notified the Independent Office for Police Conduct and began a formal referral process.

The A48 was closed in both directions between Cross Hands and Pont Abraham for much of the day while collision investigators examined the scene.

Diversions were put in place, with motorists advised to avoid the area as emergency services and investigators continued their work.

Dangerfield has now admitted that his driving caused serious injury to Mr Ilyas.

District Judge Mark Layton committed the case to Swansea Crown Court for sentence.

A pre-sentence report was ordered and Dangerfield was placed under an interim driving disqualification.

He was released on unconditional bail and is due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday, August 13.

Crime

Man in custody accused of intentionally strangling woman in Haverfordwest

Published

14 hours ago

July 27, 2026

Court Reporter

Carl Rago is also awaiting sentence after admitting criminal damage to a police van and mobile phone

A CILGERRAN man has been remanded in custody after being accused of intentionally strangling a woman in Haverfordwest.

Carl Rago, aged 29, of Penffynnon, Cilgerran, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, July 23.

Rago is charged with intentionally strangling a woman in Haverfordwest on May 25.

No plea has yet been entered to the strangulation charge and the allegation has not been proved.

The court also heard that Rago had previously indicated a guilty plea to criminal damage following a separate incident in Haverfordwest on June 7.

That charge states that he damaged the inside of a Dyfed-Powys Police Vauxhall van and a Samsung mobile phone belonging to the force. The damage was valued at less than £5,000.

Rago was remanded in custody until his next hearing at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on August 13.

The court record states that the decision to refuse bail followed concerns that he could commit further offences, together with an alleged breach of bail conditions, the nature and seriousness of the alleged offending, and his previous record.