NEW FACTFILE PUBLISHED ON PRISONS IN WALES

Wales Governance Centre, which forms part of Cardiff University’s School of Law and Politics, has published its latest 2024 Prison Factfile, which draws together Ministry of Justice data as well as previously unseen data obtained via the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Key findings on prisons in Wales include:

• Throughout 2024, there was a 2% increase in prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, a 22% increase in assaults on staff and 11% increase in incidents of self-harm across the estate. 

•  Despite reaching record levels in 2023 (730), the number of Welsh prisoners on remand rose by a further 10% in 2024 to 804. (At HMP Cardiff, 56% of all prisoners in 2024 were on remand)

 • The number of prison leavers without a fixed address to return to increased by 34% in 2024 – with 560 such individuals rough sleeping on the first day of their release.

 • Throughout 2024, there were a record 21 deaths across the Welsh prison estate – 17 of which were recorded at HMP Parc. 

 • Throughout 2024, there were 4 self-inflicted deaths recorded  – 3 of which were at HMP Parc. 

The report concludes by acknowledging ‘another difficult year’ for prisons in Wales, particularly in regard to deteriorating safety levels and rising homelessness upon release from prison. It is hoped that the data presented in this latest Factfile will trigger a renewed or radically different approach to incarceration in Wales. 

For further information, click here.