Chief Inspector of Prisons sees green shoots at troubled Parc

 There have been some “green shoots” of improvement seen at troubled Parc prison, according to Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor.

He told the House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee that the new Director at the jail has “a little bit more of a grip”.

In April, Mr Taylor had published a report saying the situation at Parc was “enormously disappointing”. This, along with reports of a high number of deaths in custody at the facility, and outbreaks of disturbances, led the Committee to reopen an enquiry that had been halted by the General Election.

The Chief Inspector’s April report had said Parc, in south Wales, was failing to tackle an “alarming” quantity of drugs that had led to a “spate” of deaths, but he told MPs that a new boss had provided “a little bit more grip” although there was still “a long way to go”.

The April report, which followed an unannounced inspection of Parc in January, said drugs were “pouring into the prison”, with deliveries often by drone. Seventeen inmates are known to have died at Parc in 2024, more than any other UK prison. Of the 17 deaths, G4S, which runs the prison, confirmed that eight inmates had died from natural causes, and five deaths were believed to be drugs-related. Drugs were found on 900 occasions in 2024, and G4S said it had invested significant resources to tackle drugs in the prison, including the provision of more patrol dogs and detection equipment.

Parc had previously been judged as one of the most successful prisons, and Mr Taylor had described the January inspection as “enormously disappointing”.

Addressing the Welsh Affairs Committee at Westminster, Mr Taylor said the recent deaths had “an absolute catastrophic effect” on “the pride and that real sense of community” of both staff and inmates. However, he said, although the April report was very critical, there “were some positives there”.

He told MPs: “There was a little bit more grip by a new director who had been appointed. The number of deaths had diminished since that shocking high that there had been earlier last year.

“The regime wasn’t nearly good enough, but there were some reasonably credible plans to get prisoners out and about and doing some of the things that in the past we commented on reasonably positively.

“There was a sense amongst the leadership team and also amongst officers, that morale was beginning to improve. So there were some green shoots.”

However he warned: “I wouldn’t want to give you a false assurance on that. “We will be back at Parc within the year, and we’ll want to see that those improvements that we’ve begun to see have been sustained – but there is a long way to go.”

Following the April report, G4S had said “significant improvements” were being made.

my view:

If you can remember, I raised this issue some time ago—and sadly, it’s still as urgent and alarming as ever. Prisoners being locked down for 23 hours a day due to severe staff shortages is nothing short of a crisis. This isn’t just about inconvenience or discomfort; it’s about basic human rights and the safety of everyone involved—both inmates and staff. When prisoners are confined to their cells for nearly the entire day, it creates a powder keg of tension and frustration. The government needs to take a firm stance and refuse HMP Parc permission to build any new wings until there are enough trained, capable staff to keep all the existing wings properly open and running on green status.

What’s happening now is a ticking time bomb that’s only going to make things worse. Prolonged lockdowns and understaffing don’t just breed resentment—they fuel violence, abuse, drug use, and even the smuggling of drones, which has become a horrifying new challenge. When prisoners have no meaningful activity or supervision, the atmosphere becomes toxic, and criminal networks inside the prison grow stronger, unchecked. This isn’t just speculation—it’s a clear and present danger that everyone in charge seems to be ignoring.

HMP Parc needs to get itself in gear, and fast. Before they even think about expanding or adding new wings, they must prove they can manage what they already have responsibly and safely. Staff shortages are unacceptable in an institution where control and security are paramount. The government and prison management owe it to the public, the staff, and the prisoners themselves to fix these problems now—before it spirals further out of control. Expansion without stability is a recipe for disaster, and no one will benefit from that except those who profit from chaos.

Prison officer Matthew Powell from Warden avoids jail after sexually assaulting two women

 A senior prison officer who sexually assaulted two women has avoided a jail sentence but left one of his victims “living in constant fear”.

Matthew Powell, who worked at HMP Swaleside in Eastchurch, was accused of touching the women without their consent on two separate occasions.

A senior prison officer who sexually assaulted two women has avoided a jail sentence but left one of his victims “living in constant fear”.

Matthew Powell, who worked at HMP Swaleside in Eastchurch, was accused of touching the women without their consent on two separate occasions.

However, on the first day of the hearing, he changed his plea to guilty.

He was handed a four-month prison sentence which was suspended for two years when he appeared at the same court in April.

Speaking since the sentencing, one of his victims, who did not want to be named, said: “Matthew Powell embarrassed me, intimidated me and touched me inappropriately for his own sexual gain.

“I did not initiate this, nor give him any reason to believe that this was something I wanted.

“I have been diagnosed with PTSD following historical sexual abuse.

“Matthew Powell’s actions triggered the PTSD and a huge decline in my mental health.

“This left me with severe anxiety and flashbacks of not only the sexual assault from him, but the abuse that I suffered in the past.

“I had worked hard with a therapist to minimise my flashbacks and the effects the previous trauma had on me.”

She added: “This has been emotionally and mentally draining for me and has again had a huge impact on my mental health, relationships, and work life.”

Powell was placed on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

A prison service spokesman said: “Matthew Powell has rightly faced justice for his despicable offences.

“We do not tolerate misconduct of any kind and where officers fall below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take robust action.

“An independent unit is being set up to address bullying and misconduct across the service, marking major reform to raise professional standards and protect staff.”

my view

I genuinely cannot believe what I’ve just read. Suspended for two years? For a crime as serious and devastating as sexual assault? What on earth is this justice system doing? It feels like a complete betrayal of the victims, of public trust, and of basic human decency. How can someone commit such a vile act—especially while in a position of power and responsibility—and walk away with nothing more than a suspended sentence? It's absolutely sickening. There seems to be more concern for the future of the offender than for the trauma and long-lasting impact inflicted on the victim. Where is the accountability? Where is the justice?

It makes me so angry and disheartened to see how people who are meant to protect, lead, or serve us can turn into predators—and somehow still find loopholes, sympathy, or leniency in a system that should be built to protect the vulnerable. This isn’t just a failure of one case—it’s a pattern, a disgraceful one. Every time someone in authority abuses their position and faces little to no real consequence, it sends a dangerous message: that power can shield you from responsibility, that victims will not be heard, and that justice is conditional. This is not the kind of society we should accept.

Honestly, I wish I were Prime Minister—because if I had the power, I would overhaul this broken system in a heartbeat. I would ensure that predators, especially those hiding behind uniforms, titles, or trusted roles, face the full weight of the law. No suspended sentences. No leniency. Just real justice for victims who carry scars for life. This country deserves better. Women deserve to feel safe. And people who use their authority to harm others deserve to lose everything—not walk away with a slap on the wrist and a second chance they never gave their victims.

Edinburgh prison officer who 'rehabilitated sex offenders' caught with abuse images

 

Peter Sugden, a prison officer at the HMP Edinburgh, was sentenced after he believed he was sending sexual messages to a child on social media.

A disgraced Scottish prison officer who delivered "intensive" rehab courses to sex offenders has been placed on the register himself after being caught with child abuse material and extreme porn including a woman having sex with a donkey.

Peter Sugden's home in Reddingmuirhead, Falkirk, was raided by police in June 2024 after he was caught in a “sting” set up London-based group of paedophile hunters.

The 46-year-old former HMP Edinburgh officer appeared for sentence at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Tuesday, May 20th, after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to communicating indecently someone he thought was a child called “Abbie”, but was in fact a adult female decoy named Sonia.

Sugden, now of Rumford, near Maddiston, and working as a driver, also admitted possessing and downloading child porn, and possessing extreme porn including images depicting the woman engaged in sexual activity with the donkey and men engaged in sexual activity with dogs.

The court heard that 12 child sexual abuse and exploitation images and one child sexual abuse and exploitation video were found. Two of the photographs were considered Category A, the most serious kind.

Solicitor Sarah McIlwham, defending, said Sugden had no previous convictions

She said: “Until the events which bring us to court today, he was a happily married man - married for over 20 years. There are two children of that union.

“Up until this offence, he'd been working in SPS as a prison officer for in excess of 22 years.

"These offences have caused great distress, not only to his ex-wife and daughters but also to his parents and immediate family.

"Mr Sugden is a man who never thought he would be in front of the courts but finds himself here after a significant lapse in judgement.

"It's something for which he's deeply remorseful and regretful of. However he takes full responsibility.

"He's had his life turned upside down by these offences.

"He was put out the family home. He has not returned, he has no chances of reconciliation with his wife and quite frankly he is too ashamed to try.

"Similarly, the relationship he has with his two daughters is strained.

"There was a lapse in judgement. His mental health prior to this offending had been significantly down. He's currently medicated for that. He doesn't see himself coming off this medication for some time.

"He is a man somewhat broken by his actions.”

The court heard that Sugden has already paid to undertake rehab work the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and has been engaging with child abuse prevention charity Stop It Now!

Sheriff Craig Harris placed Sugden under supervision for three years and on the sex offenders register for the same period.

My view

This is an absolute disgrace and a damning reflection on the state of the UK justice system. How many more times are we going to see people in positions of power and trust abuse that responsibility, only to be handed sentences that barely scratch the surface of justice? This individual used their authority to exploit and harm others—something that should never, ever be taken lightly. Yet once again, the system seems more concerned with leniency than with protecting the vulnerable or setting a strong example.

It’s heartbreaking and infuriating to watch another offender slip through the net with what feels like a slap on the wrist. There should be no room for mercy when it comes to crimes like this—especially from someone who was supposed to uphold standards and safeguard others. Once someone crosses that line and preys on innocence, there should be no turning back. Once a predator, always a predator—and the law needs to treat it as such. The victims deserve justice. Society deserves better.

Low morale and manipulation: why prison officers are having relationships with inmates

Kerri Pegg, ex-governor of HMP Kirkham, is latest in series of convictions of corrupt staff amid Prison Service crisis

As the former prison governor Kerri Pegg begins a stretch behind bars, marking the spectacular fall from grace of a woman once seen as a “rising star” within the service, she becomes the latest in an increasing number of corrupt staff experiencing the other side of a jail cell.

On Friday, Pegg, 42, was given a nine-year jail sentence for misconduct in a public office, after she entered into an inappropriate relationship with one of her prisoners, a convicted drugs boss.

Anthony Saunderson is serving 35 years after being convicted of drug trafficking. He was previously one of Merseyside’s most-wanted criminals over his part in a plot to import £19m of cocaine in shipments of corned beef from Argentina.

Saunderson, known to criminal associates as Jesse Pinkman after a character in the television series Breaking Bad, had started a relationship with Pegg when she was a governor at HMP Kirkham in Lancashire, to where he was moved as he came to the end of a previous 10-year sentence for drugs conspiracy and money laundering.

Pegg’s case is the latest in a string of convictions of corrupt prison officers, several of whom have entered into inappropriate relationships with inmates.

Toni Cole, 29, was jailed for 12 months in February, after she admitted to sharing thousands of texts and calls with a 28-year male inmate at HMP Five Wells; in January Linda De Sousa Abreu, 31, was jailed for 15 months after she was filmed having sex with a prisoner in his cell at HMP Wandsworth; and in March, Katie Evans, 26, who had boasted to a former prison officer that she had performed oral sex on an inmate, was jailed for 21 months by a judge who said she had been “manipulated by an experienced criminal”.

In March, a female prison officer, was suspended from her job at HMP Feltham in London over claims of an inappropriate relationship with an inmate.

And in April, another prison officer was charged with having relationships with two serving prisoners, and conspiring to bring drugs into the category B HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent.

Cases such as these are evidence of a Prison Service in crisis, experts have said, with poor vetting, high turnover and low morale contributing to a situation in which hardened criminals often have more control than staff.

“The majority of prison staff who work within prisons are honest, hard-working and conscientious,” Mick Pimblett, the deputy general secretary of the Prison Officers Association, said. However, problems with staff retention, the recruitment process and training were leading to increased corruption, he said.

“When I joined the Prison Service in 1991, I had to do an exam, I had to attend an interview and it was only then that I was successful in my application,” Pimblett said. “What happens now is it’s all done online, and prison managers or governors cannot create a real good impression of people just by online application. So we’d like to see that changed.”

He said the training prison officers received was “basically inadequate. I initially did two weeks’ training in an establishment and then I did a nine-week training course. What happens now is that they do, I think, five weeks in total. The new prison officers now are going into the Prison Service, and they are just not prepared for what they are going to face.”

He said new staff were also “overstretched” and “not given any time to work on their skills and how to develop relationships with the prisoners without being manipulated”.

John Podmore, a former governor of Belmarsh prison and an honorary professor at Durham University, said although there had been an increase in reported corruption cases, “I still think it’s tip-of-the-iceberg stuff”.

He said many more cases were probably going undetected, adding: “Until you sort out the staffing crisis, you’re not going to get anywhere.”

At Five Wells, a private prison that opened in March 2022 in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, Podmore said: “The first year or so they employed 750 prison officers. Two years later, they were left with 200 – they are not staying.

“I’ve worked all around the world, and prison officer training in England and Wales is the worst in the world; it is the shortest in the world.”

In some countries, he said, training could last for two years, in some cases with qualifications at degree level, “but here, what have they done? They’ve made it shorter and shorter.”

Like Pimblett, he highlighted problems with online recruitment: “You can become a prison officer just by filling in a form.”

He said recruitment and vetting was poor, which risked allowing in those “who want to join for criminal purposes”, while “the vast majority will be so badly trained, so badly led, so badly supported, it’s like throwing the sheep to the lions”.

Podmore said: “The power balance needs to be with the prison officer and, increasingly, with inexperienced staff and sophisticated, serious, organised criminals and drug dealers, the power balance is with them. And I think we’re increasingly seeing that power balance manifests itself in corrupt activity.”

In 2019, the then justice secretary, David Gauke, set up a counter-corruption unit, with specialist staff working alongside the police to support their investigations.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “While most prison staff are honest, we are catching more of the minority who break the rules through our corruption unit and stronger vetting. Where officers fall below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take robust action.”

More female prison officers in court as investigations into misconduct triple

 Two more women ex-prison officers have appeared in court charged with misconduct, as the Ministry of Justice revealed that investigations into the offence had tripled over five years.

In the first case, a female prison officer accused of having sexual relationships with two inmates at once appeared at Southwark Crown Court on 23 May, with her case being sent for a full trial in October.

The 23-year-old allegedly had relationships with a prisoner aged 33 and another aged 28 while working at HMP Swaleside between September 2021 and December 2022. She is also accused of conspiring to smuggle drugs into the high-security Kent prison.

The ex-officer, who described herself as a “seasoned Prison Officer with two years of experience” and has a degree in criminology and law from City of Portsmouth College, was charged with two counts of misconduct in public office. In both counts, she is accused of having “an inappropriate sexual relationship with a serving prisoner”. She is also charged with conspiring with one of the men and others to “bring, throw or convey” drugs into Swaleside. Others charged in connection with the alleged crimes will appear later.

In a separate case, a former woman officer has been sentenced to eight years and six months in prison for smuggling drugs into prisons. The 32-year-old was described as having “a total disregard for the law” as she worked as an officer at HMP Aylesbury whilst committing the offences. She pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison and one of misconduct in a public office when she appeared in Aylesbury Crown Court on 3 June. The offences occurred between September 2018 and June 2022 when she conspired with two men to smuggle the illegal products into HMP Woodhill, HMP Springhill, and HMP Erlestoke. One of the men received four years and six months in jail, the other three years.

The woman officer arranged for others to throw the drugs over the walls of prisons, and for it to be collected by men already inside the jail once delivered. She was eventually suspected of criminal activity, and arrested.

A police spokesperson commented: “This woman had a total disregard for the law. She was organising drugs and contraband to be thrown into prisons for financial gain, and despite being arrested and released, continued to engage in the same activity. Her conduct has betrayed public confidence and hindered His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service Counter Corruption Unit’s efforts to rehabilitate offenders, all whilst she was employed as a serving prison officer. I hope this sentence demonstrates that anyone attempting to organise the supply of drugs into HMP establishments will be identified and prosecuted.”

Figures released by the MoJ show that the number of prisoner officers investigated over alleged inappropriate relationships has tripled in five years, from 51 in 2020 to 144 in 2024. The figures also show that there has been an increase of 86 per cent in officers smuggling contraband into prisons.