HMP Berwyn will be Europe’s largest prison when it is fully operational, with a capacity of 2,106. It is a £250 million Category C men’s prison in Wrexham, Wales. Opened in February 2017, it is operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service, although some of its services are outsourced. Concerns over violence and the availability of drugs were raised in the first report on the prison, where the governor was recently suspended amid undisclosed allegations against him.

Drugs “Readily Available” at Berwyn Prison

Drugs are “readily available” at Berwyn Prison, according to a report published in July 2018. The Independent Monitoring Board’s first report on the jail found that 20 per cent of inmates felt unsafe and drugs were a common reason given for violence. The report said inmates were treated with respect and dignity but there were “very real concerns about the ingress of illicit drugs, which appear to be readily available in the establishment”. Prisons Minister Rory Stewart said: “We’re already taking action to combat this including training sniffer dogs, rolling out body scanners and investing £14 million a year to disrupt organised crime in prison.”