(Title Image: Mirror)
Prison staff in EnglandandWales staged a walk-out protest on September 14th to highlight what unions say is a growing problem of inmate violence.
Privately-run Parc Prison in Bridgend was recently singled-out for high levels of violence and self-harm by an inspectorate report, while the issue of violence and drugs have been raised by staff at the Wrexham’s Berwyn “super-prison” since it opened in 2017.
Strike action by prison staff is illegal and the UK Government have applied for an injunction to prevent similar action being taken in the future.
Prisons, policing and criminal justice are non-devolved matters, but there have been growing calls inside the Senedd for criminal justice to be devolved to Wales. The issue is currently the subject of a review by the Commission on Justice in Wales.