HMP/YOI East Sutton Park
Kent, Women’s Estate
HMP/YOI East Sutton Park is a women's prison in Kent. If someone you care about is here, this page brings together what matters most — visiting, keeping in touch and finding support — in plain, practical English.
Start here
Most people come here for one of three reasons. Pick the one that fits.
Visiting
Visiting takes a little planning. You'll usually need to book ahead, be on the person's visitor list and bring the right ID. The visiting times, how to book and what to expect are below — along with help if it's your first visit or money is tight.
Social visiting times
| Day | Available sessions |
|---|---|
| Monday | No visits |
| Tuesday | No visits |
| Wednesday | No visits |
| Thursday | No visits |
| Friday | No visits |
| Saturday |
2pm–4pm
|
| Sunday |
2pm–4pm
|
Always confirm visiting times when you book — they can change at short notice.
Official video visit times
Official face to face visit times
Before you go — checklist
- Be on the person's approved visitor list
- Book in advance and bring valid photo ID
- At least one visitor must be 18 or over
Visitor centre & family support
Run on site by Prison Advice & Care Trust (Pact) — a warm welcome, plus practical and emotional support for families and friends.
If you’re on a low income you may be able to claim back the cost of visiting a partner or close relative in prison.
Travel
Cheapest public transport fare, or 20p per mile by car (30p in Scotland). Car hire up to £40 a day.
Meals
£3.50 to £5.10 towards food for journeys lasting more than 5 hours.
Overnight stay
£28–£34 per adult and £14–£17 per child where an overnight stay is approved in advance.
Who can get it
You must be the prisoner’s spouse, civil partner or partner, a close relative (child, parent, grandparent or sibling, including step and adoptive), their named next of kin, or their sole visitor.
You also need to get one of:
- Universal Credit — if your household gets no more than £1,250 a month (excluding housing costs)
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- A valid NHS HC2 certificate (or partial help with an HC3 certificate)
How to claim
- Apply online, or by post, phone or email.
- You can claim for visits made in the last 28 days or planned for the next 28 days.
- You’ll need the prisoner number, your National Insurance number, your receipts/tickets and a visiting order stamped by the prison.
You can usually get help with one visit every 2 weeks.
Helpline open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
More support for families
- Prisoners’ Families Helpline — 0808 808 2003 — free, confidential advice
- Pact: first-time families guide — Help with prison visit costs
- NICCO: Assisted Prison Visits Scheme — Directory entry
Rates and rules can change — always check the latest details on GOV.UK before you travel.
More about visiting
To visit someone in East Sutton Park you must
- be on that person’s visitor list
- book your visit at least 2 working days in advance
- have the required ID with you when you go
Contact East Sutton Park if you have any questions about visiting.
To arrange a visit you can
- book your visit online
- telephone 0300 303 0630
The booking line opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm. Find out about call charges
To arrange an official visit you can
- email [email protected]
- telephone 0300 303 0630
The booking line operates Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm.
Find East Sutton Park on a map
The closest railway station is Headcorn.
To plan your journey by public transport
- use National Rail enquiries
- use Traveline for local bus times
There is a car park with 2 disabled spaces.
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 may be subject to a rub down search, including children.
Refreshments will be available to purchase during your visit.
You may take cash into the visits hall with you, however you will have to leave large amounts of cash, bags, smart watches and mobile phones in your car or in a 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.
There is no smoking in or around the visits hall.
In the visits hall you will find
- hot and cold refreshments for sale
- male, female and disabled toilets and baby changing areas
- an unsupervised children’s activities area
Family days are being held.
Keep in touch
There are several ways to stay close between visits — phone calls, secure video calls, emails and letters. How each one works at this prison is explained below.
Secure video calls
Many prisons offer secure video calls so you can see each other between visits.
How video calls work on GOV.UKMany prisons use the Email a Prisoner service — you pay a small fee per message and can sometimes pay for a reply.
Phone calls
The person inside can only call numbers on their approved list, and most calls are monitored. With Prison Voicemail you can leave a message for them to call you back.
Letters
You can write as often as you like — put the prisoner’s number on the envelope. Most post is checked by staff.
More about keeping in touch
Prisoners get one phone call on the day they arrive at East Sutton Park. They will be allowed to make other phone calls to people on their contact list on the next working day after they arrive.
A prisoner at East Sutton Park can only phone you if you are named on their list of friends and family. This list is checked by security.
Prisoners do not have phones in their cells so they will always need to call you rather than you call them. They can make calls from 6am to 10pm.
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.
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.
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 the Prison Video app works
You can send emails to someone in East Sutton Park 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 East Sutton Park.
Include the person’s name on the envelope.
All post apart from legal letters will be opened and checked by officers.
Money & gifts
You can send money to someone here, and there are rules about gifts and parcels. Below is how to send money safely and what you're allowed to send.
How to send money
- 1 Use the free GOV.UK "Send money to a prisoner" service with a debit card (Visa, Mastercard or Maestro) — credit cards and prepaid cards are not accepted.
- 2 You’ll need the prisoner’s number and their date of birth.
- 3 Money usually arrives in less than 3 working days, but it can take up to 5.
If you can’t use the online service
No debit card? You can set up a basic bank account to get one.
Can’t use a computer or the internet? You can apply for an exemption to send money by post — this is only granted in exceptional circumstances.
Rules can change — check GOV.UK for the latest details before you send money.
Life inside
Knowing what daily life is like can be a real comfort. Here's what to expect — arriving and the first night, where people live, and the education, work and support on offer.
Education & work
Learning, training and work that help someone build skills and a future for release.
Faith & community
A chaplaincy team supports people of all faiths and none.
Daily routine
Arriving and the first night, where people live and how the day is structured.
Support for families
Having a loved one in prison is hard. You don't have to manage it alone — these services are free and confidential.
Prison Advice & Care Trust (Pact)
Worker: Cath Venes
[email protected]Helpline: 0808 808 2003
Visit websitePrisoners' Families Helpline
Confidential advice and a listening ear, whatever stage you're at.
0808 808 2003 Free to callWho do I contact?
There are different numbers and inboxes depending on what you need — we've grouped them by what you're trying to do.
Call the prison Phone
0300 303 0630The main switchboard for questions about visiting or the person inside.
Visit booking Email
[email protected]Safety or wellbeing concern Phone
01622 785 026 or 01622 785 080For serious but non-life-threatening concerns about a prisoner's safety. You can also complete a Safer Custody contact form.
Samaritans Phone
116 123Someone to talk to any time, day or night, if things are getting too much for you.
Open 24 hours, every dayReport a staff concern Phone
0800 917 6877 (24 hours answering machine)Anonymous, independent line if you're worried a prisoner is being mistreated by staff.
Stop unwanted contact Phone
0300 060 6699If a prisoner is contacting you and you want it to stop, use the Unwanted Prisoner Contact Service.
Common questions
Most visits are booked free online through the GOV.UK 'Visit someone in prison' service. The person inside must add you to their visitor list first, which can take up to 2 weeks. You will need their prisoner number and date of birth, and the date of birth of everyone visiting. Some prisons take bookings by phone instead.
Everyone aged 16 or over needs valid photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence. You will go through a security check, so leave phones, smart watches and bags in a locker (bring a £1 coin). You can usually take in a small amount of cash for refreshments, essential medication and basic baby items.
If you are on a low income you may be able to claim back travel costs through the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme, which can also help with meals and an overnight stay for longer journeys. You usually need to be a partner or close relative and getting certain benefits.
Send money online for free using the GOV.UK 'Send money to a prisoner' service and a debit card. You will need the prisoner's number and date of birth, and it usually arrives within 3 working days.
You can keep in touch by phone, secure video call, email and letters. Video calls are set up through the Prison Video or Purple Visits app, and many prisons use the Email a Prisoner service for messages.
A family-support charity runs visitor support at HMP/YOI East Sutton Park, offering a warm welcome, practical advice and someone to talk to. You can also call the Prisoners' Families Helpline free on 0808 808 2003.