Parc Prison Improvements Must Not Be Jeopardised by Expansion

12.00.00am GMT Mon 7th Jan 2008

Today three Welsh Lib Dem MPs visited Parc Prison to see for themselves the impact of the Government's prison-overcrowding problems.

The prison population in Parc Prison has risen by a higher margin than any other prison in Wales.

Three Welsh Lib Dem MPs, Jenny Willott, Roger Williams and Mark Williams visited the prison today, to meet with prison staff and inmates to gain a further insight into the problems they are facing and the work being done.

Following today's visit to the prison, Jenny Willott commented:

"It is in everyone's interest for prisons to act as more than incarceration units. In order to avoid prisons suffering from the 'revolving door' syndrome, it is imperative that prisons are places where real character reform can take place, including providing opportunities for drug rehabilitation and skills training.

"It is essential that these efforts are made in an environment that can sustain them. Parc is trying to offer individual programmes of support and training to ensure prisoners can settle successfully back into the community and not reoffend. This needs staff time and resources to succeed.

"The Government plans to increase the capacity of Parc Prison by 450 and although we support this, the increase in capacity must go hand in hand with extra resources for skills and personal development so reoffending rates can be brought down."