Please can anyone help? Someone I know has been sent to prison

[BirraMoretti]

Obviously don’t want to disclose details but they were sent down earlier in the week and their family still don’t know for definite where they are or if they’re ok.

Family have sent their contact details to the prison they’re believed to be in as the person didn’t have them and the prison says they need to consent to being contacted.

Family are obviously beside themselves worrying, does anyone know how it all works? Prison are unable/unwilling to give out any information.

The individual has a right to confidentiality. The family have no right to know their location.

You can apply to find out a prisoner’s location. It won’t be shared without the prisoner’s permission. But start here: www.gov.uk/find-prisoner

In my experience it takes several days for the prisoner to be set up with phone access to contact family and friends. You will be asked if you are happy to be on the contact list. Then each time they call you will get a recorded message that this call is coming from a prison.
You may get a call from the prison letting you know where they are but the first couple of weeks are chaos and people often get moved.

Thank you @Scutterbug i guess that may be the case. @applegrumbling rhanks theyve done that.

I appreciate it could be anyone trying to track them down but it feels like the family are being punished rather than the criminal.

Find a prisoner takes weeks. Do you know their solicitor? If so; they can pass on your number directly with the prisoner and that will be quicker.

You cannot get in touch until the following:

1. your number is checked for criminal activity and then approved on the system and the prisoner chooses to call you (they will need money to do this)
2. you know their prisoner number and prison

You will need to send them money so they can call you. It takes weeks from being taken into remand and getting hold of them.

Your best bet is that the solicitor gets your number across and the next of kin (usually mum / partner) will get a call saying that the prisoner is in X prison and is OK. They will then tell you their prisoner number. You’re quickest route will be email a prisoner which requires prisoner number and prison. I’d say you will make contact in about 2 weeks

Wow that is ridiculous but really useful information, thank you @inquisitivemind

Yes, they do ask the prisoner if they are happy for X person to know where they are. Given they've only just gone to prison, they will likely be dealing with a lot of mixed emotions. From anger and sadness to shame. If they've been given a relatively long sentence, you might find them move from their current prison to one elsewhere in the area or even country - depending on their category and crime.

You don't need to send money so they can call you. All prisoners receive a very small wage to allow them to buy snacks, phone credit and save up for larger purchases such as clothes etc. they will have been allowed a first night call from the prison they have been sent to - it's up to them whether they take it or not. They are also given the opportunity to earn more but again, it isn't a lot.

It does help if family and friends are able to send money in as phone credit can be expensive if they're using it all the time. Plus they might want their own clothes. They can have a 28 day parcel sent in (within their first 28 days) when they first enter prison. Otherwise they will be provided with 3 sets of prison clothes, enough underwear for a week and bedding.

It is not unusual for people to be ashamed and attend court without letting friends and family know, hoping to not be convicted and then ending up in prison straight from court.

My family member went to prison 3 months ago and has an entirely different experience.

They do not receive anything unless working and you have to apply for the job and be considered “enhanced” on the prison reward system.

When in remand, they weren’t given a phone call. The prison guard called to give the information and we began speaking via email a prisoner until they were given their own phone. All prisoners have their own laptop.

Perhaps it’s different area.

Prisoner should only be moved once sentenced from remand to the relevant prison cat - they can apply for a certain prison too.

You can’t send clothes in until they get a form for you to and it takes about a month to go through (don’t use parcel force)

They are given clothes (grey tracksuit) on entry if they didn’t bring anything with them when remanded / sentenced. They have a limit of what they can spend each week and this isn’t coming from the prison / gov, it comes from anyone sending them money so you absolutely would need to if they want phone credit or to buy anything (it’s called Canteen so wash items, pot noodle, coffee etc). It’s about £35 limit a week, so they can’t buy loads but as they earn rewards in the system the limit increases. It’s higher in remand than when sentenced.

This comes from my experience working in a prison. It may vary between private and HMP. But I can assure you at least in a training and resettlement prison, what I've stated is fact.

We are also not a digital prison yet. So our prisoners do not have their own devices for maintaining contact/completing their orders.

They only contact family if the prisoner agrees it's the same for visitors you need to be on the list

No laptop for the person I knew who was in prison and has just been released. Happy to answer questions by PM if needed x

I think it varies - I had someone sent to prison & they called me and their mum the same night

I work in a prison.

I don’t know everything but prisoners do get a small unemployment allowance and they can make phone calls.

They can then get a job/education and get more money but this can take a while.

They need your phone number to be able to ring you.

You will also need able to put money on their account.

They will initially go to a remand prison and then get rehoused into a permanent prison.
In the permanent prison they will stay on the induction wing for at least a week.

Prisoners will have key workers, POMs and other prisoners to help them with things like phone calls but it can be a lot to deal with for the first week or 2 and the person is probably just trying to deal with all of the changes.

Did you send the phone number through the post?
If so, the letter will need to be checked and sniffed by dogs which can take a while.

Also some cells have their own phones but many still have just phones on the wings still.

It may be that the person isn’t comfortable talking on the shared phone just yet.

How long since they’ve been sentenced?

Thank you this is all so helpful. They were sentenced earlier this week for 6 months. They have been sent details of how to contact a few people close to them but it’s not known if the letter has got to them yet. Their family just want to know they’re ok and don’t know if it’s the system stopping them being in touch or if they’ve chosen not to be.