Welsh courts

What we found

Staff working in Welsh court custody facilities were polite, kind and caring and there was now a much more proportionate approach to handcuffing and searching.

Staff did not do enough to shield detainees from public view when they alighted from vehicles, compromising their privacy and dignity, and the physical conditions of many cells in court custody facilities were grubby and some toilets lacked privacy, toilet paper dispensers, soap and towels.

Points to note: Staff routinely provided detainees with the means to get home, but in most release interviews staff did not ask sufficient questions about detainees’ personal circumstances and missed opportunities to support them with problems such as homelessness or addiction.