MPs Hear Alarming Details of Drug Smuggling and Deaths at HMP Parc

Prison officials report progress on safety but highlight challenges with contraband, staff misconduct, and drug-related deaths.

Seventeen inmate deaths were reported at HMP Parc in 2024, with five linked to drugs, eight due to natural causes, and three self-inflicted.
Organized crime gangs are using drones and other methods, such as smuggling through children’s nappies and visitor concealment, to bring contraband into the prison.
Prison officials acknowledged staff corruption as one of several routes for smuggling, though most staff are not involved.
Prisons minister Lord Timpson called for treating drug issues in prisons as a public health problem and emphasized rehabilitation efforts to reduce reoffending.
HMP Parc officials noted improvements in safety metrics since June, with no non-natural deaths reported in the latter half of the year.