It may sell newspapers but the headline in the current Free Press, which reads “Denbigh? Ruthin? St Asaph? New prison is planned”, suggests Dyffryn Clwyd will be the site for a dumping ground for North Wales’ worst.
The actual article is somewhat more circumspect. It quotes a report that up to 500 male prisoners should be housed in a north Wales prison, to ease police cell overcrowding, to stop premature releases owing to shortages of space, and to assist those who need to travel to visit the imprisoned. It seems that nowhere in Wales has adequate facilities and this appears especially true of the north.
In spite of the headline, there’s nothing firm to suggest Dyffryn Clwyd will see a prison. Has the Free Press stirred up an issue that is simply unlikely to materialise? Can it be accused of preying on people’s fears?
But you can imagine it, can’t you. Rhuthun is sufficiently accessible yet also nicely tucked out-of-the-way to be a suitable site for such a facility, perhaps even in the less densely populated surroundings. Its small number of residents aren’t known for their mass protests.
Yet, if the assembly government wishes to house its criminals nearer to where they live in the north, the logical sites must be places other than Rhuthun. We all know where these are. If you believe the Free Press, there have been several articles recently to suggest crime is falling in De Sir Ddinbych/South Denbighshire. If that’s the case, Rhuthun should be at the bottom on the list for jails in the region.
The actual article is somewhat more circumspect. It quotes a report that up to 500 male prisoners should be housed in a north Wales prison, to ease police cell overcrowding, to stop premature releases owing to shortages of space, and to assist those who need to travel to visit the imprisoned. It seems that nowhere in Wales has adequate facilities and this appears especially true of the north.
In spite of the headline, there’s nothing firm to suggest Dyffryn Clwyd will see a prison. Has the Free Press stirred up an issue that is simply unlikely to materialise? Can it be accused of preying on people’s fears?
But you can imagine it, can’t you. Rhuthun is sufficiently accessible yet also nicely tucked out-of-the-way to be a suitable site for such a facility, perhaps even in the less densely populated surroundings. Its small number of residents aren’t known for their mass protests.
Yet, if the assembly government wishes to house its criminals nearer to where they live in the north, the logical sites must be places other than Rhuthun. We all know where these are. If you believe the Free Press, there have been several articles recently to suggest crime is falling in De Sir Ddinbych/South Denbighshire. If that’s the case, Rhuthun should be at the bottom on the list for jails in the region.
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