Book and plan your visit to Wandsworth

To visit someone in Wandsworth you must:

• be on that person’s visitor list
• book your visit 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 Wandsworth.

Contact Wandsworth 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 Wandsworth
• somewhere to stay overnight
• meals

How to book family and friends visits

You can book your visit online or by telephone.

Telephone booking line: 0300 060 6509

Find out about call charges

The booking line is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm.

Visitors needing additional mobility support, please make us aware when booking your visit.

Visiting times

• Monday to Thursday, 10:30am to 11:30am, 1:30pm to 2:30pm and 3:30pm to 4:30pm
• Friday, no visits
• Saturday and Sunday,9am to 10am, 10:30am to 11:30am, 1:30pm to 2:30pm and 3:30pm to 4:30pm

Available to all prisoners, maximum 3 adults and 3 children per visit.

How to book legal and professional visits

HMP Wandsworth face to face legal visits

To book a legal visit face to face please email LegalvisitsWandsworth@justice.gov.uk

Any visit needs to be booked at least 3 days in advance.

We cannot book in advance by more than 2 weeks.

Legal visits are Monday to Thursday:

• 8:30am to 9:30am
• 10:30am to 11:30am
• 1:30pm to 2:30pm
• 3:30pm to 4:30pm

HMP Wandsworth Virtual Visits. (Via Video Link):

• Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm

All sessions are usually one hour in duration.

To book a video link legal visit please contact VCCWandsworth@justice.gov.uk

All requests are advised to give as much notice in advance as possible.

Getting to Wandsworth

Find Wandsworth on a map

The closest railways stations to Wandsworth are Wandsworth Town, Wandsworth Common and Earlsfield which are all about a mile away. Clapham Junction station is just over a mile away. Local bus routes 77 and 219 come to near the establishment from Clapham Junction Station. If travelling on 77, you need to get off at stop Heathfield Road and if travelling on 219, then you need to get off at stop County Arms.

To plan your journey by public transport:

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

If coming by car, use the postcode SW18 3HU for sat nav.

You will need to find parking outside of the prison. There is no visitor car park at the prison and most local roads are limited to permit holders.

Entering Wandsworth

On your first visit to Wandsworth, you will have your fingerprints taken for the security system. These will be used to confirm your identity on future visits.

You will also need to bring ID to every visit.

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

All visitors will need to be given a rub-down search, including children. Security dogs may also be in operation.

subject to a search from a passive drugs dog

Wandsworth has a family-friendly dress code 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 or ripped jeans. Additionally, you cannot wear anything with offensive patterns or slogans. You will need to remove scarves, gloves, watches, sunglasses and hats (except religious head coverings) before you go in. Ask in the visitors centre if you have questions about the dress code.

There are strict controls on what you can take into Wandsworth. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in a locker or with security. This includes pushchairs and car seats.

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 (PACT) charity. Family and friends can relax, buy refreshments and get advice and support from the staff.

Email: wandsworth@prisonadvice.org.uk
Telephone: 020 8874 4377
Find out about call charges

There are lockers in the visitors centre to store your belongings. You will need a £1 coin for this.

Family days

Wandsworth holds monthly family days giving prisoners more time to spend with their children in a more relaxed setting.

They also host a monthly Homework Club for prisoners to help their children with homework.

Prisoners can apply for these visits.

Keep in touch with someone at Wandsworth

There are several ways you can keep in touch with a prisoner during their time at Wandsworth.

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 have phones in their cells and are able to make outgoing calls. They have to buy phone credits to do this.

Phones do not accept incoming calls so they will always have to call you.

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 Wandsworth using the Email a Prisoner service.

You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies from the prisoner, depending on the rules at Wandsworth.

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 Wandsworth.

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

Friends and family can drop off books, socks and underwear for prisoners at Wandsworth whenever the visitors centre is open. These should be left in the property drop box in the visitors centre.

Prisoners must apply for permission to receive any other items. They can do this using a kiosk.

They are given a list of approved items that can be handed in and can receive one parcel in the first 28 days of custody. After that, they will normally be allowed one parcel a year if they are under 50 or one parcel every six months if 50 or over.

Parcels should be handed in at the property garage next to the visitors centre. The property garage opening times are:

• Tuesday, 8:30am to 11:45am, 1:30pm to 3:45pm
• Thursday, 8:30am to 11:45am, 1:30pm to 3:45pm
• Saturday, 9am to 11:45am

Make sure to include the person’s name and prisoner number on the parcel.

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 parcels will be opened and checked by officers.

Contact Wandsworth or ask at the visitors centre for more information.

Life at Wandsworth

Wandsworth 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 Wandsworth 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.

The Samaritans also train prisoners to be ‘listeners’ to help support other prisoners going through difficult times.

Arrival and first night

When a prisoner first arrives at Wandsworth, 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 Wandsworth 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 1600 prisoners are accommodated at Wandsworth across 5 wings. These are A, B, C, D and E. There is a mixture of single and shared cells. Each wing has its own showers and canteen.

Other buildings hold the visiting halls, gyms, sports hall, library, classrooms and workshops.

Wandsworth also has a diverse, multi-faith chaplaincy team providing support to prisoners.

Education and work

Prisoners can choose from a broad range of learning opportunities, including:

• English
• maths
• information and communication technology (ICT)
• English for speakers of other languages (ESOL)
• barbering
• catering
• bicycle repair
• gardening and horticulture
• construction skills
• radio production

Other opportunities include:

• a befriending and support service for foreign nationals
• embroidery lessons and workshop
• Liberty choir
• yoga
• parenting skills
• employability skills
• musician in residence
• mindfulness

Work is also available throughout the prison.

Organisations Wandsworth works with

Shannon Trust helps prisoners with their reading skills and trains prisoners to be peer mentors.

StandOut helps prisoners with their employability skills, CVs and disclosure letters and works to create employment opportunities for them as they approach release.

Catch22 is a foreign national and rehabilitative support for prisoners.

Change grow Live (CGL) is a charity that helps prisoners with drug, alcohol and well-being challenges.

GamCare provides support for problem gambling.

Hepititis C Trust a charity to support those with Hepatitis C.

Liberty Choir is a choir who work with prisoners to encourage social development.

Pathway 2 Progress provides support for employment and housing.

Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) is a support provider for prisoner’s and their families.

St Mungo’s a homelessness support.

Shaw Trust provides support for education and employment.

Support for family and friends

Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends.

Support at Wandsworth

The Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) team provides a range of information, guidance and support to families and friends of prisoners. You can call or ask in the visitors centre to speak to someone.

Concerns, problems and complaints

Contact category	Phone number	Additional information
Non-emergency	0208 588 4593	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 Wandsworth, 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 Wandsworth.

Inspection reports

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

Contact Wandsworth

Governor: Andy Davy

Telephone (24 hours): 020 8588 4000
Find out about call charges

Follow Wandsworth on Twitter/X

Address

See map