The troubled Parc prison was hit by a series of concerning incidents over the weekend. One inmate was rushed to hospital after a suspected drug overdose, a second was arrested for allegedly attacking an officer, a third started a fire, and a fourth reportedly attempted to take his own life.
A source close to the Bridgend jail alleged there was a suicide attempt by a prisoner on Sunday evening. The man had reportedly suffered a beating after being moved onto a wing where inmates had previously threatened his life, it is alleged.
Other incidents had taken place earlier that weekend. G4S, the private security giant that runs Parc, said a “small fire” started by a prisoner on Saturday was “extinguished immediately” and that the fire service attended “as a precaution”. A spokeswoman for the firm also told us: “A prisoner attended hospital in relation to suspected drug-taking at the weekend. He has since returned to the prison.”
And South Wales Police is investigating an alleged assault on a prison officer which was reported shortly before 1am on Saturday. A force spokesman said: “At 10.40pm on Friday, January 10, a 43-year-old female prison officer was assaulted by a 33-year-old male prisoner. The matter remains under investigation.” It comes after assaults on Parc staff members increased by 109% last year.
On Saturday a prisoner’s family member was reportedly distressed to be locked in a dark room for an hour after she ended her visit early due to a panic attack. A G4S spokeswoman said: “It is unusual for visitors to want to finish their visits early and when this happens there can be a waiting period while a member of staff is made available to escort them to the gate. Parc is a prison. We work hard in trying to make the visiting experience a very positive one but we acknowledge that being behind locked gates and doors can be an uncomfortable experience for some visitors.”
The prison has seen 17 deaths in 11 months amid allegations of rampant corruption and drug-dealing. Earlier this month we published an interview with a former officer who made allegations of serious failings in connection to three recent inmate deaths, which you can read here.
If you would like to talk to WalesOnline about an issue at Parc prison contact our investigations editor at conor.gogarty@walesonline.co.uk
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