G4S has been commissioned to design, build and operate a new 216-cell house block at the Category B all-male prison.

The new block will boost Parc’s operational capacity to 1,723 sentenced and remanded male adults and young offenders. In addition, a new two-storey industrial workshop and education building will be constructed, along with a new visitor centre and gatehouse. The work will also include a new 350-space car park, extended perimeter walls and security fencing.

HMP & YOI Parc has been run by G4S since it opened in 1997, and was recently awarded a Level 4 ‘exceptional’ score by the government’s Prison Rating System, the only privately-run prison to be given this rating.

Preparatory construction work to clear land has already begun, with construction partner Galliford Try expected to complete the site ready for the first prisoners to arrive by December 2014.

David Morgan, Managing Director of G4S Care & Justice Services, said:

“This is an exciting time for the team at Parc, and we are pleased to have been selected to deliver this project on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. As well as providing new jobs for the area, the new house block, when completed, will allow more prisoners to be located nearer to their homes and families, which has been proven to be an important factor in helping prisoners in their rehabilitation on release.”

An additional 78 jobs are expected to be created by the expansion, including 43 new Prison Custody Officer positions.