HMP/YOI Chelmsford

The booking line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm. Find out about call charges

Visits on Bank Holidays are subject to change. Updates will be published within the prison to prisoners and via the Ormiston Families website and within the visits centre.

The visitors centre opens at 12:30pm and cut off for entry is 2:15pm. You will not be allowed entry after this time.

You must ensure that all prisoner and visitor details are correct.

To help speed up your request, please provide a selection of dates for your proposed visit in your email.

On the day of the visit, ensure that you arrive with the correct ID. See accepted forms of ID.

Video call visits:

You can book video calls by using the cloud video platform, visiting times are listed on the app.

Find Chelmsford on a map

Chelmsford Prison is about a mile from Chelmsford Station where you can take a taxi or a local bus.

If you drive to Chelmsford Prison, there is no visitor parking. The nearest public car park is 5 minutes walk from the prison on Victoria Road.

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

Chelmsford has a family friendly dress code policy which means visitors should be appropriately and decently dressed.

That means no vests, no sportswear, hoodies or camouflage clothing, no low-cut tops, no shorts and no short dresses or skirts.

You may also be refused entry if you wear ripped or torn clothes, steel toe capped shoes, headwear other than that worn for religious reasons and jewellery, except a wedding/engagement ring, small ear studs and small facial piercings.

Ormiston families run the tea bar within the visits hall. There is a minimal selection of items available at this time.

There are strict controls on what you can take into Chelmsford. 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 need £1 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.

The visitors centre is run by Ormiston Families and offers support, advice and help to families and friends who come to visit.

The children’s play area and snack bar will be available to use during your visit.

You need to arrive at the visitor centre between 12:30pm and 2:10pm for an afternoon visit. Cut off is 2:15pm and you will not be able to enter the prison after this time.

Visits centre phone number, 01245 552 452

Ormiston Families runs 10 children’s visits and 2 family days each year. Family days give men more time in a relaxing environment to spend with their family and children.

Men can apply for these visits on the wing.

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 Prison Video works

Most prisoners have phones in their cells but they will always have to call you. They buy phone credits to do this.

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.

Men in the segregation unit do not have phones in their cells but are allowed one call a day.

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.

You can send emails to someone in Chelmsford using the Email a Prisoner service. You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies, depending on the rules at the prison.

You can send letters at any time. Include the person’s name and prisoner number on the envelope. If you do not know their prisoner number, contact Chelmsford.

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

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