Ever since I was leader of Wrexham Council I have argued that there is a strong case for a new prison located in North Wales.
Many prisoners from north Wales are imprisoned a long way outside of the region, which can then lead to a huge amount of emotional and financial strain for their families who have to travel such a long distance to visit. There are also issues in regard to Welsh speakers.
Significant overcrowding issues in prisons within the North West of England could also be tackled by siting a new super prison in North Wales which, together with the planned closure of Shrewsbury Prison, makes a North Wales site even more attractive.
There are significant jobs and economic development gains for North Wales should this project go ahead and we must work on a cross party basis with our six local authorities, as well as Welsh and UK government ministers, to ensure that our region is properly considered.
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