Wrexham super prison set to open another wing this month

Prison chiefs say another wing at Wrexham’s HMP Berwyn super jail is on target to open this month.

Alwen wing will be the second at the £212 million facility to take prisoners in May after it opened on Wrexham Industrial Estate in February earlier this year.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) bosses also confirmed the third and final wing – Ceiriog – is on schedule to open in July bringing the total capacity of inmates to 2,100.

Bala was the first wing to open, housing 702 men, at the UK’s largest jail.

Alwen and Ceiriog will have the same inmate capacity.

Each wing will be further split into eight communities of 88 prisoners.

An MoJ spokesman said: “The opening of Alwen House and Ceiriog House is on schedule (top open in May and July).”

The jail took in its first prisoner, who is from Wrexham, in February on the same day the Daily Post was given an in depth tour of the facility.

Opponents of the prison were spilt into broadly two camps, with one side arguing jails are not working and should be abolished and the other side claiming HMP Berwyn could be too soft on offenders.

Prison governor Russ Trent claimed the unique environment would give prisoners every opportunity to turn their lives around and reduce crime in the community.

The jail features colourful environments with wall art, showers and phones in the prisoners’ rooms which can only be used under strict conditions and when earned as a privilege.

There is also a college style facility to learn new skills including joinery, carpentry and brick-laying.

It has new gyms, five-a-side pitches, a library and a visiting room with play area for children.

Speaking to the Daily Post when the prison opened, Mr Trent said: “They will be treated decently with decent conditions and will be given every opportunity to live law abiding lives.

“People who have committed crimes have been taken away from their families and communities and that is their punishment.

“It is our job to do everything we can to get them to better themselves.”