Prison Sentences First days in prison Find a prisoner How do I find a family member/relative I think is in prison? If your relative has just been taken into custody then their solicitor may be able to advise you as to which prison they will be taken. If you are not present at court then you may be able to telephone the court and ask to speak to the cells who may advise you. If you wish to trace someone who you believe is in prison custody, who may have been there for more than a few days, but whose exact whereabouts you do not know, the Find a Prisoner Service can help you. Before using the service, bear in mind that prisoners can usually make a phone call within the first 24 hours of arriving at a prison, but it can sometimes take up to 72 hours (three days). If you receive a phone call, ask for their prisoner number and which prison they are in. You will need these details to book a visit or send them money. The Service cannot tell you where a prisoner is being held without their permission. After your initial enquiry, your details will be passed to the prisoner and permission sought to inform you of their location. If the prisoner does not want the person making the enquiry to know where they are being held then they can refuse permission. You can use the Find a Prisoner Service on Gov.UK or write to: Find a Prisoner Service PO Box 17594 Birmingham B2 2QP Email: [email protected] The enquiry should include the following information: Your full name Your date of birth Your full address, including postcode Reason for enquiry Full name of the person you want to contact Any other name/s by which they may have been known Their date of birth Their prisoner number The Find a Prisoner service does not provide any information by telephone and can only be contacted using the details above. If you are trying to find a prisoner in Scotland, visit the Scottish Prison Service website for further information. Page last reviewed: 17 July 2024 Download and print our fact sheets: Find a prisoner PDF Jargon buster PDF Manage Cookie Preferences