A spokesperson for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) said that the prison had been named after the Welsh mountain range.

[5] The original shortlist of six names was: Bridgeway, Marcher, Cerrig Tân, Dee Vale, Whittlesham and Y Berwyn.

[10][better source needed] Prior to the design of Berwyn, the Prison Service worked on the basis that one person to a cell was the norm.

[citation needed] In 2023, Liz Saville Roberts, Plaid Cymru MP, raised concerns about the prison, stating it had almost surpassed the 2,000 cell capacity for the first time since operating.

[16] In March a Freedom of Information request found that 18 female members of staff were either suspected of, or had inappropriate relationships with inmates.