Book and plan your visit to Brixton prison

To visit someone in Brixton Prison you must:

• be on that person’s visitor list
• book your visit up to 28 days in advance
• have the required ID with you when you go

At least one visitor must be 18 or older at every visit.

There may be a limit to the number of visits a person can have. You can check this with Brixton Prison.

Contact Brixton Prison if you have any questions about visiting.

Help with the cost of your visit

If you get certain benefits or have an NHS health certificate, you might be able to get help with the costs of your visit, including:

• travel to Brixton Prison
• somewhere to stay overnight
• meals

How to book family and friends visits

You can book your visit online or by phone.

Booking line number: 0208 678 1433

• Monday to Thursday: 1:15pm to 4pm
• Friday: 9am to 11:45am
  

Find out about call charges

Visiting times

Visiting times:

• Monday: A to D wings: 2:15pm and 4pm
• Tuesday: G wing - 2:15pm and 4pm
• Wednesday: A to D wings: 2:15pm to 3:15pm, G wing: 4pm to 5pm
• Thursday: A to D wings: 2:15pm and 4pm
• Friday: Court video links A to D wings, 3 sessions - 9am
• Saturday: A - D wings - 9:15am to 10:15am, 10:45am to 11:45am, 2:15pm to 3:15pm, G wing: 3:45pm to 4:45pm
• Sunday: A to D wings - 9:15am to 10:15am, 10:45am to 11:45am, A to D wing enhanced - 2:15pm to 4:15pm

You should arrive at the prison 30 minutes before your visit to allow time to get through security.

Please keep an eye out for our family service providers newsletter for details of additional family days and extended visits. There will be one off sessions during each school holiday: February, Easter, May, Summer, October, and Christmas.

How to book legal and professional visits

Legal and professional visits are offered face to face, via videolink or telephone.

You can book your visit by emailing: legalvisits.brixton@justice.gov.uk

Or you can book by telephone.

Booking line: 0208 588 6230 or 0208 588 6231
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm.

Only legal visits will be booked on this line, social visitors calling this number will be directed to the social visits booking line.

Legal visit times

A, B, C, D Wing:

• Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays: 8:30am to 9:30am, 10:15am to 11:15am, 2:15pm to 3:15pm, 4pm to 5pm

G wing:

• Tuesday: 8:30am to 9:30am, 10:15am to 11:15am, 2:15pm to 3:15pm, 4pm to 5pm

Getting to Brixton Prison

Find Brixton Prison on a map

Brixton Prison is about a mile from Brixton railway and underground stations. Several local bus routes pass the prison.

To plan your journey by public transport:

• use Transport for London journey planner
• use National Rail Enquiries

There is no visitor parking at the prison and local roads are restricted to permit holders.

Entering Brixton Prison

All visitors, aged 16 or older must prove their identity before entering the prison. Read the list of acceptable forms of ID for all visitors.

All visitors will need to be given a pat-down search, including children. You may also be sniffed by security dogs.

Brixton Prison has a strict dress code policy which means visitors should dress appropriately. You may be turned away if you are wearing items like vests, low-cut tops, high-cut shorts or dresses, ripped jeans, flip-flops or headwear other than that worn for religious reasons. Additionally, you cannot wear anything with offensive patterns or slogans and visitors over 13 cannot wear sports team clothing or logos. Ask in the visitors centre if you have questions about the dress code.

Snack bags are available from the PACT centre when you book in for your visit.

You can order food online.

You will need to register an account and have the full name which matches the name of the prisoner, date of birth and prisoner number.

All orders placed online will be cooked in the Clink Bakery and delivered to your loved one.  This is for enhanced prisoners only.

There are strict controls on what you can take into Brixton Prison. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in a locker or with security, including pushchairs and car seats. You will need a £1 coin for the locker.

You will be told the rules by an officer at the start of your visit. If you break the rules, your visit could be cancelled and you could be banned from visiting again.

Visiting facilities

There is a visitors centre run by the Prison Advice and Care Trust charity.

Email: brixton@prisonadvice.org.uk
Telephone: 07749 389326
Find out about call charges

You can purchase food and drinks via the Clinks bakery which will be

Keep in touch with someone at Brixton Prison

There are several ways you can keep in touch with a resident during their time at Brixton Prison.

Secure video calls

To have a secure video call with someone in this prison you need to:

• Download the Prison Video app
• Create an account
• Register all visitors
• Add the prisoner to your contact list.

How to book a secure video call

You can request a secure video call with someone in this prison via the Prison Video app.

You will receive a notification when your request has been accepted.

Read more about how it works

Phone calls

Prisoners now have phones in their cells which they can use by purchasing phone credits. The in cell phones shut of at 11pm.

They can phone anyone named on their list of friends and family. This list is checked by security when they first arrive so it may take a few days before they are able to call.

You can also exchange voicemails using the Prison Voicemail service.

Officers may listen to phone calls as a way of preventing crime and helping keep people safe.

Email

You can send emails to someone in Brixton Prison using the Email a Prisoner service.

You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies from the resident, depending on the rules at Brixton Prison.

Letters

You can write at any time.

Include the person’s name and prisoner number on the envelope.

If you do not know their prisoner number, contact Brixton Prison.

All post apart from legal letters will be opened and checked by officers.

National Prison Radio’s Family and Friends request show

National Prison Radio broadcasts into prison cells across England and Wales 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Family and friends can stay connected with their loved ones in prison by sending song requests, written messages and voice recordings. They are then read and played out on weekly episodes. 

You can send in a message, and hear the show, at nationalprisonradio.com

Send money and gifts

You can use the free and fast online service to send money to someone in prison.

You can no longer send money by bank transfer, cheque, postal order or send cash by post.

If you cannot use the online service, you may be able to apply for an exemption - for example if you:

• are unable to use a computer, a smart phone or the internet
• do not have a debit card

This will allow you to send money by post.

Gifts and parcels

Residents can apply for permission to receive parcels from loved ones.

Ask in the visitors centre for more information on what’s allowed and how it works.

Friends and families of prisoners are permitted to send books directly to their loved ones, or can order books from approved retailers, which can source and send the books on to prisoners.

For the full list of approved retailers, you can read the HMPPS Incentives Policy, Annex F.

All prisoners are entitled to an annual clothing exchange, this has to be pre-approved by the reception staff. Please do not post parcels until your family member/friend has this authority or parcels will be rejected.

Life at Brixton Prison

Brixton Prison is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where prisoners can learn new skills to help them on release.

Security and safeguarding

Every person at Brixton Prison has a right to feel safe. The staff are responsible for their safeguarding and welfare at all times.

For further information about what to do when you are worried or concerned about someone in prison visit the Prisoners’ Families helpline website.

Arrival and first night

When a resident first arrives at Brixton Prison, they will be able to contact a family member by phone. This could be quite late in the evening, depending on the time they arrive.

They will get to speak to someone who will check how they’re feeling and ask about any immediate health and wellbeing needs.

Induction

Each person who arrives at Brixton Prison gets an induction that lasts about a week. They will meet professionals who will help them with:

• health and wellbeing, including mental and sexual health
• any substance misuse issues, including drugs and alcohol
• personal development in custody and on release, including skills, education and training
• other support (sometimes called ‘interventions’), such as managing difficult emotions

Everyone also finds out about the rules, fire safety, and how things like calls and visits work.

Accommodation

Around 800 prisoners are at Brixton across 5 wings. These are A, B, C, D and G wings. G wing is reserved for vulnerable residents.

Brixton Prison has a diverse, multi-faith chaplaincy team providing support to residents.

Education and work

Prisoners have access to education and training provided by Novus. Subjects include English, maths and writing skills. They also have access to a range of work-based courses on radio production, health and safety, retail and customer services, fashion, business, cleaning services, horticulture and more.

Brixton Prison partners with several local businesses to provide work experience to residents as well as work opportunities on release:

• Bounceback (painting and decoration)
• Handmade Alliance
• The Clink Charity (catering)
• The Clink Bakery

Prisoners can also gain work in various roles throughout the prison.

Organisations Brixton Prison works with

Brixton is a venue for the The Clink Restaurant, a public restaurant run by residents in partnership with The Clink Charity. The residents study for NVQs in cooking, food service and cleaning while they work. They also receive mentoring upon release, including support with employment and accommodation.

The Prison Radio Association (PRA) produces radio programming for and by prisoners.

St Mungo’s helps prisoners find housing as they approach release.

Support for family and friends

Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends.

If you would like support with rebuilding family ties or general queries regarding friends and family support please email brixton@prisonadvice.org.uk.

The Head of Operations and Operations Custodial Manager are the lead and champion for Family and Significant others should you wish to direct any queries specifically to them.

Befriending services

Having a loved one go to prison is frightening and traumatic. Having support and someone to talk to who knows the prison experience and what families are going through makes all the difference. We have a dedicated team of trained volunteer Befrienders who can offer sympathetic, reliable, non-judgemental support. If you would be interested in weekly supportive calls please email the befriending team at: r2cbefriending@prisonadvice.org.uk. Please include your full name, contact phone number and/or email as well as your loved one’s full name and prison number.

Please include your full name, contact phone number and/or email as well as your loved one’s full name and prison number.

Support at Brixton Prison

Forward Trust Family support service provides support and guidance to families and prisoners affected by substance misuse.

Concerns, problems and complaints

Contact category	Phone number	Additional information
Non-emergency	0208 588 6156	Call this number if you have concerns about a prisoner’s safety or wellbeing which are serious but not life-threatening or complete a safer custody contact form on the Prisoners’ Families Helpline website.
Health concerns	0117 240 1193	If you have a health concern about someone in HMP Brixton, call the Prisoner Health Information and Liaison Line (Call PHILL) to speak to the health team confidentially.
Staff Integrity Hotline	0800 917 6877 (24 hours answering machine)	This number can be called anonymously. If you are concerned about a prisoner being bullied by a member of staff, you can use this number. As this line is managed separately from the prison, you can call this number anonymously.
Prisoners’ Families Helpline	0808 808 2003	The Prisoners’ Families Helpline can provide confidential support, advice and guidance.
Unwanted Prisoner Contact	0300 060 6699	If a prisoner is contacting you and you want them to stop, you can use the Unwanted Prisoner Contact Service. You can complete the Stop prisoner contact online form, email unwantedprisonercontact@justice.gov.uk or contact by phone.

Problems and complaints

If you have any other problem contact Brixton Prison.

Inspection reports

HM Prison and Probation Service publishes action plans for Brixton Prison in response to independent inspections.

Contact Brixton Prison

Governor: Mia Wheeler

Telephone: 020 8588 6000
Fax: 020 8588 6283
Find out about call charges

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Address

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