Committees

Cardiff hosts HM Prison and Probation Service discussion

10 September 2018

The Welsh Affairs Committee hears from Dr Robert Jones of the Wales Governance Centre, representatives from Berwyn, Parc and Swansea prisons, and the head of HM Prison and Probation Service in Wales.

Criminal justice in Wales is currently the responsibility of the UK Government. Welsh adult offenders in receipt of custodial or community sentences are the responsibility of Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), an executive agency that operates across England and Wales, under the Ministry of Justice. The Welsh Government has jurisdiction over policy areas such as health, education, housing and substance misuse.

The Committee's work on this inquiry so far has featured testimony from witnesses including prison officials, union representatives, prison reform charities, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Acting Prisons and Probations Ombudsman, and the Welsh Language Commissioner. The Committee has also travelled to Berwyn, Parc and Swansea prisons on fact-finding visits. In this session, the Committee is expected to focus on the placement of prisoners, the treatment of and conditions for prisoners in Wales, and the role of HMPPS. The Committee will also ask the witnesses about the overall performance of Welsh prisons.

Witnesses

Monday 10 September, Committee Room 4, Ty Hywel, Cardiff Bay

From 9.45am

  • Dr Robert Jones, Research Associate, Wales Governance Centre

From 10.20am

  • Graham Barrett, Governor, HMP Swansea
  • Nick Dann, Deputy Project Director, HMP Berwyn
  • Janet Wallsgrove, G4S Director, HMP Parc

From 11.30am

  • Amy Rees, Executive Director, HM Prison and Probation Service (Wales)

Chair's comments

Ahead of the evidence session, Committee Chairman David T.C. Davies MP said:

"Our inquiry so far has focused on areas such as prison services, the differences between public and privately-run facilities, and the conditions under which inmates are housed.

We are looking forward to hearing from our witnesses on these and other key issues relating to criminal justice in Wales, as well as further examining the role played by HMPPS in ensuring all prisoners are given the best possible chance of rehabilitation."

Further information

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