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From Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA where not otherwise stated).
Photo by Deborah Tilley via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo by Adrian Dust via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo by Deborah Tilley via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo by John Lucas via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo by ceridwen via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo by Jaggery via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo by Clint Budd from About 15 miles North of Swansea, Wales via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Photo by Vouliagmeni via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
UK Local prison operated by HM Prison & Probation Service. Listed in the GOV.UK Find a prison directory.
Background
HM Prison Swansea (Welsh: Carchar Abertawe EF) is a Category B/C men's prison, located in the Sandfields area of Swansea, Wales. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
one of the most overcrowded in England and Wales. A cramped 19th century establishments. Yet despite these challenges we found that leaders had worked effectively over the previous 18 months to improve outcomes across all four of At the heart of this progress was a positive culture focused on encouraging at Swansea were more positive about staff than in similar jails. They told us they were more likely to report having a member of staff to turn to if they had a problem, they were receiving help to meet their sentence plan targets, and they Leaders had rightly incentivised engagement with education and work, which is likely to engage with the regime as a result.
Visiting
Visits booked online via the GOV.UK Prison Visits Booking service. Photo ID required. Visit frequency varies by the inmate's IEP level.
Mailing
Format: Prisoner Name & Number, HMP Swansea, HMP Swansea 200 Oystermouth Road Swansea SA1 3SR See map Help us to improve this page. Give us your feedback in this 2-minutes survey . Helpwch ni i wella’r dudalen hon. Rhowch eich adborth i ni yn yr arolwg 2 funud hwn .. Use Send Money to a Prisoner (GOV.UK) for funds — cash not accepted.
Practical info
establishments. Yet despite these challenges we found that leaders had worked prisoners to attend education, skills and work provision. In our survey, prisoners were being encouraged to attend education, skills and work. Leaders had rightly incentivised engagement with education and work, which is most prisoners were on remand and not compelled to work.
Known issues
environment. Violence against staff and prisoners were, for example, much
Contact & address
HMP Swansea 200 Oystermouth Road Swansea SA1 3SR See map Help us to improve this page. Give us your feedback in this 2-minutes survey . Helpwch ni i wella’r dudalen hon. Rhowch eich adborth i ni yn yr arolwg 2 funud hwn ., Swansea SA1 3SR
Higher risk than 0% of peer facilities in United Kingdom.
Capacity (beds)this: 460 · peers avg: 574 (20%)
Reports
HMIP20 Jun 2023
HMP Swansea is a category B reception prison which for some time has been
one of the most overcrowded in England and Wales. A cramped 19th century
site in an inner-city location, it faces all the limitations common to such
establishments. Yet despite these challenges we found that leaders had worked
effectively over the previous 18 months to improve outcomes across all four of
our healthy prison tests.
At the heart of this progress was a positive culture focused on encouraging
prisoners to attend education, skills and work provision. In our survey, prisoners
at Swansea were more positive about staff than in similar jails. They told us
they were more likely to report having a member of staff to turn to if they had a
problem, they were receiving help to meet their sentence plan targets, and they
were being encouraged to attend education, skills and work.
Leaders had rightly incentivised engagement with education and work, which is
essential in all prisons, but especially in reception prisons like Swansea, where
most prisoners were on remand and not compelled to work. Rather than the
tokenistic incentives we often find, those who worked could access regular
evening association, two additional gym sessions and some self-cooking
facilities. Prisoners we spoke to valued these activities and were much more
likely to engage with the regime as a result. In our roll check we found just 8%
of the population locked up during the working day, far less than in other
prisons.
Although our colleagues in Estyn still identified some weaknesses in the
provision of education, skills and work – most notably that there were not
enough spaces for all prisoners, and not all available work places were swiftly
filled – it was to the credit of leaders and staff that while time out of cell and
access to activity had increased, the prison remained a fundamentally safe
environment. Violence against staff and prisoners were, for example, much
lower than at the time of the previous inspection and among the lowest of all
reception prisons.
Work to rehabilitate prisoners and help them to reintegrate back into the
community had also improved. Prisoners received good support to maintain
contact with their family and friends, as well as help with employment and their
finances. However, too many prisoners had no sustainable accommodation to
go to when they were released.
Leaders had responded well to the 2017 inspection of HMP Swansea and had
worked hard to rectify the deficiencies we identified. The prison was now safe
and respectful and the new governor, appointed a month before our inspection,
had a solid foundation on which to build further progress.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
April 2023
