The prison was given a full inspection in February and March 2023, the full report can be read on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website, just follow the links below. In their latest report the inspectors said:
HMP Swansea is a category B local reception prison in Wales, run by HM Prison and Probation Service on a cramped Victorian-era site, holding 406 prisoners against a certified normal capacity of 265 and an operational capacity of 468. Inspectors rated safety Good, a marked improvement from Poor, and preparation for release improved to reasonably good from not sufficiently good, while respect remained reasonably good, unchanged, and purposeful activity declined to not sufficiently good from reasonably good. Leaders had worked effectively over the previous 18 months to improve outcomes, and a new governor, appointed a month before the inspection, had a solid foundation to build on.
Violence fell sharply, with prisoner-on-prisoner assaults down to 88 per 1,000 prisoners from 291 previously, and drug test positivity nearly halved to 13.06%, with most remaining positives now linked to misuse of prescribed medication rather than illicit drugs. Self-harm was much lower than at comparator prisons, shower access was excellent, and 59% of prisoners said staff encouraged them into education or work. Education was rated Good by Estyn for outcomes and wellbeing, family engagement work included weekly baby-and-toddler groups, and release planning had improved, with licence conditions typically issued around two weeks before release.
Inspectors nonetheless found chronic overcrowding remained the defining problem, with most prisoners doubled up in cells designed for one. Purposeful activity was the weakest area, with two vocational workshops non-operational and poor connectivity hampering e-learning, and only around half of prisoners were unlocked at any time at weekends, receiving roughly 90 minutes out of cell a day. Too many prisoners were still released without accommodation arranged, healthcare record-keeping was sparse, and only six safeguarding referrals were made to the local authority in the year, with outcomes not monitored. Two deaths in custody were under investigation at the time of the inspection.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
April 2023
To read the full reports, go to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website or follow the links below:
| Inspection report (PDF), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Swansea by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (21 February–10 March 2023, published 20 June 2023) | Easy read summary of the 2023 inspection report |
| Action plan, HM Prison and Probation Service action plan in response to the 2023 inspection of HMP Swansea | |