Visiting prison

How many visits is a prisoner allowed?

Visit entitlement can vary from prison to prison and also depends on whether a prisoner is being held on remand or has been convicted. Convicted prisoners are generally allowed 3-4 visits a month but this can increase as the prisoner progresses through the system. Remanded prisoners are allowed a minimum of 90 minutes visiting per week up to a maximum of seven visits per week.

It is always best to check with the prison on the amount of visits a prisoner is allowed, this can be done by phoning the prison directly or you can find prison visiting information on the Justice website or on the Scottish Prison Service website for prisons in Scotland.

When can I book my first prison visit?

A prisoner will not be processed and appear on the prison system until the first working day following a court appearance. This is the earliest that someone will be able to telephone to book a visit. All visits need to be booked 24-48 hours in advance (depending on the prison) so there is usually a day or two delay before you can make your first visit. Visits to Category A prisoners may be further delayed due to security clearance by the police. Read more about prisoner categories.

How do I book a prison visit?

The GOV.UK website or Scottish Prison Service will tell you what methods to book a visit are in operation at the prison you wish to visit. You can also use the online service to book a prison visit (England and Wales only).

Most prisons allow bookings to be made by telephone and an increasing number now allow bookings to be made by email. Please bear in mind that there can sometimes be long waiting times when booking visits over the phone.

Some prisons, however, only allow bookings to be made by the prisoner. The prisoner books the visit for their visitors and it is the prisoner’s responsibility to notify their visitors of the date and time of the booking.

When booking a visit via telephone or email you will need to provide details of all the people listed on the visiting order. Only the people named on the visiting order will be allowed to visit. The details required will include names, addresses and dates of birth. People named on the visiting order can choose not to attend but no one can attend in their place. Anyone attending who is not listed on the visiting order will be refused entry to the prison

Booking a prison visit in Scotland

In Scotland, prisoners’ visits are booked by the prisoners themselves and it’s their responsibility to inform their family or friends of the date and time. They are entitled to no fewer than 2 hours in any 28 day period.

Visits to a prisoner on remand are booked by the prisoner’s family/friends. Remand prisoners may have one 30 minute visit daily. If you visit the SPS prison section you can find direct telephone numbers for each prison.

How many people can visit a prison at once?

Usually a maximum of three adults will be allowed to visit at any one time. The amount of children allowed can vary from establishment to establishment but a child is classed as an adult for seating purposes at 10-12 years old (depending on local policy).

What happens when I first arrive at the prison?

Facilities at prisons will vary but generally on arrival visitors will normally be expected to go to the prison’s visitor centre. Where this facility is available it will generally be a small building situated outside of the prison grounds. On arrival at the visitor centre, (or prison reception where this facility is not available) visitors should have their visiting order checked by staff. Visitors who do not have a visiting order, or who forget their visiting order, will not be allowed entry to the prison regardless of circumstance or distance travelled.

It is important to arrive at the prison at least half an hour prior to the visit time. This allows visitors time to check in with staff, hand any property in, use the facilities (toilets, baby changing, refreshments) and put personal belongings into a locker. No personal belongings can be taken into the visits hall by visitors with the exception of a small amount of money and essential baby items. Visitors should take a pound coin with them on the visit to make use of the locker facility as visitor centre staff are unable to provide change for this purpose. Visitors may be required to show their identification to visitor centre staff, although in a lot of establishments it is prison staff that must see the identification.

What identification do I need to visit a prison?

From April 2021, there have been changes to the type of identification (ID) that you will need to provide when you go to visit a loved one in prison. These changes have been made to help make prison visits safer and more secure for everyone. The changes apply to adult visitors over the age of 16 years.

You can download the official HMPPS poster to give you an overview of the changes.

What are the new ID rules?

You will need to bring one or more forms of identification with you to all your prison visits.

If you have photographic identification (ID with your name and picture on - for example, a passport or driving licence) then you will only need to show this one form of ID. Please note that for some prisons, photo ID is mandatory.

You can use any one of the following documents with your photograph on:

Your passport.
An identity card from a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) country.
A UK photocard driving licence.
An Northern Ireland Electoral identity card.
A United States passport card.
A proof of age card recognised under the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) with a unique reference number. This includes the Citizen Card. Remember: Prisoners' families can get a £10 discount on the cost of a Citizen Card when applying online. Contact [email protected] for the discount code.
An Armed Forces identity card
A UK biometric residence permit (BRP).

If you do not have photographic identification, you will need to show two different forms of ID before you are allowed to visit.

One of these forms of ID must be:

A Home Office travel document (convention travel document, stateless person's document, one-way document or a certificate of travel).
An older person's bus pass.
A Freedom Pass.
Proof of age card recognised under the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) without a unique reference number.

In addition to one of the above documents, you will also need to provide one of the items from the following list:

Your birth or adoption certificate.
An education certificate from a regulated and recognised educational institution (such as an NVQ, SQA, GCSE, A Level or degree certificate)
A rental or purchase agreement for a residential property (signed and dated).
Your marriage or civil partnership certificate.
A bank, building society or credit union current account card (which has your name on it).

Any combination of the above documents should be accepted, but you will need one from the first list, and one from the second list.

Example 1: You could provide your Freedom Pass and your marriage certificate.

Example 2: You could provide your proof of age card and your building society current account card.

You must have one document from the first list and one document from the second list. If you can't provide both of these forms of ID, then you may be refused entry to the prison.

In exceptional circumstances, if you do not have access to any of the ID listed above, you can ask permission to attend a visit in advance from the duty Governor at the prison. You will need to provide a reason why you don't have appropriate ID. Each case will be reviewed individually.

For more information about the new ID policy, and for discount codes for Citizen's ID Cards, click here.

Will I be searched when I visit the prison?

From the visitor centre, visitors will make their way to the main prison. Before arriving at the visits hall all visitors will be searched, including babies, children and disabled visitors. Searches will include a pat down/rub down search. Female visitors will only be searched by a female officer but males can be searched by either sex. Male visitors who object to being searched by a female officer on religious or cultural grounds can ask to be searched by a male officer. The search process will also involve metal detectors (similar to those seen at the airport) and sometimes the use of a passive drug detection dog. The dogs used in the detection of drugs at prisons are trained to detect the smell of drugs on a person. They are kept on a lead at all times and will not bark at visitors. If the dog detects the scent of illegal substances it is trained to sit quietly next to the visitor. Visitors who are ‘sat on’ by the dog may be subject to further searches. If no drugs are found then the visitor may be offered a closed visit. If drugs are found the police will be called and the visitor will be arrested. Anyone caught trying to smuggle drugs into a prison will face a ban from the prison and potentially a lengthy prison sentence themselves.

What happens in the prison visits hall?

Once visitors have been searched they will make their way to the visits hall. In some prisons the prisoner will already be seated waiting for his visitors. In other prisons the visitors will be seated first. Seating is dictated by prison staff and security. If there is a security concern regarding a particular prisoner or visitor then they will be seated where they can be best observed. Prisons will generally only allow minimal physical contact at the start and end of each visit, long or passionate embraces or kisses are not permitted and may result in a visit being terminated. Once seated the prisoner is not allowed to leave his seat and move around the visits hall, although visitors can go to the tea bar, toilet or play area. If a visitor needs the toilet, they will be accompanied by an officer and searched before and after they go. If a prisoner needs the toilet then many prisons will terminate the visit.

What facilities are there in the visits hall?

During the visit, where facilities allow, visitors are able to purchase hot and cold drinks and snacks for themselves and their prisoner. The prisoner can only eat these items during the course of visit. Facilities can vary from vending machines to fully staffed canteens or tea bars and products can also vary depending on the security category of the prison.

Many prisons provide play facilities for children under twelve years old, but like everything in the prison system this can vary. Some prisons simply provide a few toys but some have fully staffed and equipped play areas.

Special visits

A lot of prisons are beginning to recognise the value of good quality family time. This benefits the prisoner as well as the family and can contribute to good order and discipline on the wing. The types of special visits that may be offered include:

Family visits
Lifer’s days
Family learning visits

All of these visits give prisoners the chance to spend some quality time with their loved ones in a more relaxed environment and outside the constraints of a normal visit. These visits usually give families the chance to participate in activities and there is often the opportunity to share a meal together.

All the above visits are dependent on a prisoner submitting an application and being subject to the appropriate security clearances.

Prison visit restrictions

People need to be over the age of 18 to visit a prisoner. If a child is visiting then they need to be accompanied by an adult. Governors do have the discretion of allowing people aged 16-18 yrs to visit unaccompanied by an adult with parental consent.

If a prisoner has committed a sexual or violent offence visitors under the age of 18 will not be permitted to visit. In some cases, clearance needs to be granted which can take several months to obtain.

Closed visits

Closed visits are when a prisoner and a visitor are portioned by glass and cannot make physical contact. If the prison suspects that a visitor has tried to smuggle in unauthorized items, then the prisoner may be put on closed visits for a specified length of time and all visitors will have to have a closed visit.

I haven’t received a visiting order

Only one visiting order will be issued per visit so if the people listed on the visiting order live at different address then the lead visitor will receive the visiting order. The prison or visitors centre will be able to tell you if there has been a problem issuing a visiting order.

Click here for more detailed information about specific prisons including: