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Inmates who speak Welsh have reported being instructed to use English by staff members at the largest prison in Wales, according to accounts from former prisoners who spoke to researchers at Cardiff and Liverpool universities. The individuals, who were previously incarcerated at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, described facing hostility from prison staff towards the Welsh language. One ex-prisoner mentioned being told not to speak Welsh during a private meeting with their solicitor, which raises concerns about the rights of Welsh speakers not being adequately considered.
The Welsh language commissioner expressed apprehension over the research findings, suggesting that there may be a lack of regard for the fundamental rights of Welsh-speaking individuals. Despite the Welsh Prison and Probation Service’s commitment to creating a bilingual environment and promoting the rights of Welsh speakers, researchers Dr. Robert Jones and Dr. Gregory Davies found that at HMP Berwyn, the Welsh language is not treated equally to English. Several former inmates recounted instances where they were confronted by prison officers for speaking Welsh, with some being asked to switch to English.
Prisoners shared experiences of significant delays in receiving correspondence written in Welsh, with one individual stating that letters in English arrived within days while those in Welsh took weeks or went missing. Comparisons were made with conditions at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool, where greater tolerance for the Welsh language was reported. Despite HMP Berwyn being designated as a Welsh-speaking prison, interviewees felt that it fell short of meeting this standard. The facility, which housed 84 Welsh-speaking inmates in 2024, has stated that English-only communication in certain instances is a security measure.
Welsh Language Commissioner Efa Gruffudd Jones will engage with Berwyn prison management to address the issues highlighted in the research and ensure that linguistic rights are fully respected. Conducted by Dr. Robert Jones and Dr. Gregory Davies, interviews with eight former Welsh-speaking prisoners who were previously held at Berwyn shed light on the challenges faced by Welsh speakers within the prison system. Discussions around the research are slated to take place in a meeting of the Welsh language committee at the Senedd
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