Recommendation 39

Welsh-speaking prisoners should be able to exercise their rights to speak Welsh no matter where they are held in the prison estate: not just for the sake of the language, but for the sake of their rehabilitation. Reports of HMPPS failing to protect and respect the rights of Welsh-speakers are deeply concerning: however, we acknowledge the candour shown by the Department in this area, along with its willingness to address the findings of the Welsh Language Commissioner’s investigation into this matter. Ensuring consistency in the Welsh language obligations placed on Crown agencies operating either side of the England-Wales border should help to improve compliance and to drive the cultural change needed to embed respect for the language within prisons across the estate. (Conclusion, Paragraph 153)