What is the objective of the North Wales Day of Action?
The Day of Action is a strategic mobilization designed to disrupt the construction of the Wrexham „Titan” prison and expose the corporate entities profiting from incarceration. This event serves as a direct intervention against the state’s plan to build Europe’s second-largest detention facility. It continues the long history of community action on prison expansion, targeting both the physical construction site and the supply chains enabling it.
The protest operates on two primary fronts:
- Corporate Disruption: Targeting multinational contractors and local suppliers to increase the reputational and economic cost of the project.
- Prisoner Solidarity: Establishing presence at local prisons to support the „Smash IPP” campaign, connecting activists with families of those serving Indeterminate Sentences for Public Protection.
Key Insight: Resistance is not just about stopping a building; it is about challenging the moral legitimacy of caging human beings for profit.
Why is the Wrexham Prison project controversial?
The Wrexham project represents a significant escalation in the prison industrial complex in the UK. With a construction budget of £250 million and a capacity for over 2,100 individuals, this „mega prison” prioritizes economies of scale over human dignity or rehabilitation.
Critical issues regarding this facility include:
- Warehousing: The sheer scale of the facility ensures that individual care is impossible, leading to increased violence and isolation.
- Displacement: Prisoners from across the UK will be moved to North Wales, severing vital ties with their families and support networks.
- State Priorities: The government pushed the contract through in May 2014, months before planning permission was actually granted in November, demonstrating a disregard for democratic process.
Who profits from the new prison construction?
The primary beneficiary of the Wrexham contract is Lend Lease, an Australian construction giant. This highlights the role of prison profiteers who view the expansion of the carceral state as a revenue stream rather than a social failure. By outsourcing construction to global corporations, the state ensures that taxpayer money flows into private dividends rather than community investment.
Who will be incarcerated in Wrexham?
Contrary to government rhetoric about public safety, the demographic reality of who fills these cells is clear. The expansion of the prison estate disproportionately targets marginalized groups. We can expect the cells of Wrexham to be filled by:
- Individuals from poor, working-class backgrounds.
- People suffering from mental health crises and learning disabilities.
- Survivors of domestic and systemic abuse.
- People of color and immigrants.
To understand why building more cells does not equal more safety, read our analysis on busting prison myths.
Contact and Participation
To join the resistance or receive updates on the ground during the day of action:
Email: Info@cape-campaign.org
Learn more about our mission: About CAPE