FAQ’s

I'm worried about a prisoner

Every prison has a safer custody hotline. You can phone or send an online message to report concerns about a prisoner’s physical health, mental health or any other worries. Remember to leave your name and contact details in the message.

You can find the contact numbers and contact forms for every prison here.

If you believe the prisoner is at immediate risk, these links give details of how to contact the prison in an emergency.

How do I book a prison visit?

In order to visit a prisoner, they must first add you to their Approved Visitor List. They can do this by filling in a form at the Prisoner Information Desk on their wing. Their visitor list will be checked by the prison so it may take a few days from them filling in this form before you can book a visit.

If you have been added to their visitor list you can make a booking either online or by phone.

You can find details of how to do this at HMP Leeds here or at HMP Wealstun here.

Why are my online visit requests being rejected?

If a prisoner has not added you to their Approved Visitor List then you will not be able to book a visit. It can take several days for you to be added to their visitor list after they make this request, so you may not be able to book a visit straight away.

Your visit request might be rejected if the visit is already full on the dates you have requested. At HMP Leeds there are 20 tables available for each visit slot.

At HMP Leeds, if you are visiting a prisoner who is on F wing you should request a visit on the slots which are reserved for prisoners on this wing. These are Tuesday at 2pm, Wednesday at 3.30pm, Saturday at 9am and Sunday at 3.30pm.

What happens on the day of my prison visit?

On the day of your visit you should arrive at the visitor centre at least 30 minutes before your scheduled visit time.

You need to bring ID on every visit. ID must be originals (not photos or photocopies).

If you are visiting with under 18s you must bring their full birth certificate for HMP Leeds. At HMP Wealstun you can bring either a full birth certificate or passport.

Read more about the dress code and buying refreshments during your visit to HMP Leeds here and HMP Wealstun here.

How do I bring a prisoner's own clothes?

The process for dropping off prisoner clothes is different at each prison. Please see the visitor information booklet for either HMP Leeds or HMP Wealstun. These give details of the clothing rules and amounts and how to drop off clothing.

Can children visit prison?

Before you can book a visit with a child, the prisoner must have added the child to their Approved Visitor List. They can do this at the Prisoner Information Desk on their wing. The prison will carry out checks to determine whether children can visit each prisoner.

All visitors aged under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and you must bring the full birth certificate of every child every time you visit.

The Prison Advice and Care Trust have created videos and books that you can use to help explain the prison visiting process to children. For children | Prison Advice and Care Trust

What shall I tell the children?

Parents and carers often worry about whether to and what to tell children about a family member being in prison, you are not alone. It is your decision about what you tell your children. Talking to your children about what has happened can help them to feel less anxious and gives them the chance to ask any questions they might have. Jigsaw’s Inside Out service can support you in talking to your children in an age-appropriate way, contact outreachservice@jigsawcharity.org for more information.

The Prison Advice and Care Trust have developed a book for parents and professionals to support them in talking to children: locked-out-digital.pdf