Support at HMP Leeds

Directions

Booking a Visit

About Your Visit

Support for family & friends

Support for prisoners

Jigsaw @ HM Prison Leeds

Directions

Jigsaw Visitors Centre
c/o HMP Leeds
2 Gloucester Terrace
Leeds
LS12 2TJ

Contact Jigsaw at HMP Leeds: 0113 203 2771

Jigsaw Opening Times:
Mon-Wed: 1pm-7pm
Thu: closed
Fri: 1pm-5pm
Sat-Sun: 8.15-5pm

Arriving by Bus

Visit wymetro.com for bus routes and timetables.

Bus routes 15, 72 and X6 from Leeds stop near to Leeds prison.

Arriving by Car

There is limited parking at Leeds Prison. There are a small number of disabled parking spaces. On street parking is available nearby.

Jigsaw Visitors Centre has no parking. Please do not park at the industrial units opposite us as cars parked here are likely to be clamped.

Arriving by Train

Leeds Prison is around 1.5miles from Leeds train station (approx 10 minutes by taxi or 30 minutes walk)

Booking a Visit

Prison Visiting Times at HMP Leeds:
Mon-Wed: 2-3pm, 3.30-4.30pm, 6-7pm
Thu: no visits
Fri: 2-3pm, 3.30-4.30pm
Sat-Sun: 9-10am, 10.30-11.30am, 2-3pm, 3.30-4.30pm

Prison visits are 1 hour long at HMP Leeds.

Visits to prisoners on F wing take place on Tuesday at 2pm, Wednesday at 3.30pm, Saturday at 9am and Sunday at 3.30pm.

Every Wednesday evening visit is for prisoners coming into custody for the first time. This visit is called the Early Days in Custody visit.

Visits to prisoners on A to E wing can be booked for all visit slots apart from those reserved for F wing.
There are no visits on New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

​If you have a query about your visit to HMP Leeds, email socialvisits.leeds@justice.gov.uk. This email address cannot be used to make bookings.

Prison visit entitlement​​

The number of visits a prisoner can have depends on whether he is on remand or convicted.

Prisons operate an Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) scheme ​which has three levels: Basic, Standard and Enhanced. Prisoners start on the Standard regime when they arrive.

A Standard prisoner is entitled to 3 visits per week (remand) or 3 visits per month (convicted). If he progresses to Enhanced level he will be entitled to extra visits, and if he is moved to Basic he will get fewer visits. 

A prisoner’s IEP level depends on their behaviour in the prison.

You can book a prison visit online, by phone, or in person at HMP Leeds

Visits can only be booked for the following fortnight.

A maximum of three visitors aged 10+ can attend each visit, plus up to three visitors aged under 10. At least one adult visitor (18+) must be present on every visit.

To book online
Visit prisonvisits.service.gov.uk and follow the instructions on screen. Please book your visit at least 48 hours in advance. You will receive a confirmation by email if your booking is successful.​​​

To book by phone
HMP Leeds visit booking: 0113 203 2570. Mon to Fri: 8am-10am or 12noon-2pm.

To book in person
Go to the main entrance of the prison. Booking staff are available on Mon, Tue, Wed or Fri from 8.00-11.30am and 1.30-3.30pm. Or on Saturday or Sunday between 9.00-11.30am and 1.30-3.30pm.

About your visit

Download our quick guides to visiting HMP Leeds for adults and children.

ID requirements

You must bring ID on every visit, for every visitor. Acceptable forms of ID can be found on gov.uk.

For visitors aged under 18 you must bring their full birth certificate on every visit. Red books are accepted for babies up to 6 weeks old.

Only original documents will be accepted, not photos or photocopies.

Help with the cost of visiting someone in prison

If you are on certain benefits or have a health certificate, you can apply for financial help with the cost of visiting someone in prison. Full details of how to apply are on gov.uk.

Visitor centre staff can give you a form which you will submit to prove the date and time of your visit.

On the day of your prison visit:

You will need to go to the Jigsaw Visitor Centre at HMP Leeds. You should arrive at the visitor centre at least 30 minutes before your scheduled visit time to allow time to go through security and have your ID checked. If you arrive after your visit start time, the amount of time you have on the visit will be reduced. If you arrive more than 30 minutes after your visit start time, you will not be allowed to enter.

When you arrive Jigsaw staff will explain the checking in process, which items you need to leave in a locker in the visitor centre and can answer any questions you may have.

Jigsaw are there to support you before and after your visit. Please approach a member of staff if you have any questions or concerns.

Before going into your visit

You will need to leave items such as phones, keys, wallets, watches, hats and scarves in a locker in the visitor centre.

​The items that you will take into the prison are your ID, cash if you would like to buy refreshments during your visit, and your locker key. ​If you’re visiting with children you are allowed to take a nappy, wipes and baby formula (made up into liquid, not powder) into the visit hall in a clear plastic bag which the visitor centre can provide. You may also bring a pram or car seat into the visit.

​There is step free access into the visit room for wheelchair users. If you need to take medication or inhalers into the visit, please make staff aware of this when you arrive.

Visitor dress code:

There is a dress code for visitors. You are not permitted to wear steel toe caps or spiked shoes; no shorts or skirts shorter than knee length; no clothing with large rips; no sports team logos; no headwear or scarves other than for religious purposes.

​​You are allowed to wear jewellery and a belt in the visit room. However. you’re not allowed to wear watches, or headwear other than religious items.

Refreshments during your visit:

Drinks and snacks can be bought from the refreshment bar in the visit room.

HMP Leeds: each adult can bring up to £30 to spend in the visit room. This can be in coins or notes but not bank cards.

Support for family & friends at HMP Leeds

Family Support Workers

Our family support staff are based in the Jigsaw Visitors Centre at HMP Leeds. They offer visitors support, information and advice in person or by phone, including guidance on ID requirements, staying in touch with someone in prison, sending money and information about local support services.

We’re always there to support you on the day of your visit, please speak to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Food parcels

We understand that having a family member in prison can impact on family finances. If you and your family are struggling, Jigsaw can provide small food parcels to support your family. Food parcels can be picked up from the Jigsaw Visitor Centre at HMP Leeds.

Family Visits

Family Visits are two hour visits which take place on Friday mornings throughout the year. On visit days Jigsaw organise a craft activity or quiz and some snacks. The prisoner must fill in an application form on the Prisoner Information Desk if they would like you to attend one of these visits.

Some of these visits are for Parents and Tots and are for prisoners with children aged 0-4. During school holidays we organise family visits for those with school age children. We also organise adult only family visits to give prisoners without children the opportunity to have a two hour visit.

Storybook Dads

This project allows fathers at HMP Leeds to record a story on a DVD which will be posted to their child. The recording is edited to add music and sound effects to bring the story to life and provides children with something to remember their parent by during the period of separation. Further information on this project is available at https://www.storybookdads.org.uk/.

If a prisoner would like to take part, they should fill in a Storybook Dads application on the prisoner information desk on their wing. Recording sessions are organised by Jigsaw regularly throughout the year.

Family Forum

Online family forums take place to allow families to speak with one of the Governors of HMP Leeds. Holding these forums online means that families don’t need to travel to the prison but can join by downloading the Microsoft Teams app. Speak to a member of Jigsaw staff to find out more about how to attend.

Support for prisoners at HMP Leeds

Early Days in Custody (EDiC) support

We understand that the first weeks in custody can be particularly challenging. Our Early Days in Custody (EDiC) worker meets with men in their first few days of arriving at HMP Leeds and shares information about how to stay in contact with their family and friends. If any men would like additional family support (for example, to make contact with their family, learn more about prison life, talk about child-contact or family court issues) they can request one to one support from the EDiC worker.

Virtual Parents Evening

HMP Leeds are offering the opportunity for Dads in prison to attend an online parents evening with their child’s school teacher or to have a school report sent to them. This will only be done with the consent of the child’s mother or legal guardian and is subject to the availability of the school. If the person you are visiting would be interested in this, please speak to a member of the Jigsaw Leeds team or email info@jigsawcharity.org.

Jigsaw Family Engagement Workers

Our specialist Family Engagement Workers provide one to one casework support to prisoners at HMP Leeds to build and maintain their relationships and support their wellbeing. We also support prisoners who have limited or no social contact with family or friends. Our casework support can help prisoners to:

  • maintain contact with their family and friends
  • navigate complex family contact issues
  • maintain and develop their parenting role with their children
  • improve relationships between family members
  • access support from other professionals within the prison and in the community
  • improve their emotional wellbeing and sense of hope for the future.

Family learning

Jigsaw delivers a parenting programme to fathers in custody, providing men with the opportunity to reflect on their role as fathers, develop their communication skills and enhance their parenting.

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