HMP Full Sutton
York, Long Term & High Security
HMP Full Sutton is a Category A / Category B men's prison in York. 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 |
1:15pm–3:45pm
|
| Saturday |
1:15pm–3:45pm
|
| Sunday |
1:15pm–3:45pm
|
Always confirm visiting times when you book — they can change at short notice.
Official video visits times
Official face to face visiting 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
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 Full Sutton you must
- be on that person’s visitor list
- book your visit at least 24 hours in advance (5 days for high risk prisoners)
- 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 prisoner can have, depending on their earned ‘privileges’.
Contact Full Sutton if you have any questions about visiting.
To arrange a visit you can
- book your visit online
- request by email, [email protected]
- book by telephone, 01759 475 355
Find out about call charges
The booking line is open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm
Please note: if you are visiting somebody located at Full Sutton for the first time, you must first call on the number provided above.
(We allow visits as long as possible during visiting hours, but times can change slightly for operational requirements.)
To book official video visits email [email protected]
To book face to face official visits, you can
- email [email protected]
- phone 01759 475 355
Booking line operates Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4.30pm Find out about call charges
Find Full Sutton on a map
Full Sutton is about 11 miles from York station. There is a limited local bus service between York and Full Sutton but no return service. A taxi will cost between £20 and £30. Ask the visitors centre if you need advice.
To plan your journey by public transport
- use National Rail Enquiries
- use Traveline for local bus times
There is a free visitors car park, including space for Blue Badge holders.
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 pat-down search, including children
You may also be screened by search dogs. Our search dog handlers carry out all searching professionally while understanding the sensitivities around particular faiths. If the dog shows an indication of an illicit item, you may be searched under closed conditions.
If any illicit items are found during the search process, or any attempt to traffic illicit items into the establishment, then this could lead to the visit been cancelled and a ban from visiting the establishment for a period of time imposed and, if deemed serious enough, police involvement
You will be told the rules by an officer at the start of your visit. If you break the rules this could lead to your visit being ended, a closed visits ruling being imposed, or you could receive a ban for a period of time
Full Sutton adopts a family-friendly dress code policy for visits which all visitors must follow. This policy is in place to ensure that visitors dress appropriately for their visit.
You may be turned away if you are wearing items such as
- vests
- low-cut tops
- high-cut skirts or dresses
- shorts
- see-through or ripped clothing
- headwear other than that worn for religious reasons
Any removal and searching of religious headwear is conducted in a sensitive, supportive way and, when required, will be carried out in a private area.
You will also need to remove hats, scarves, sunglasses, gloves, large belt buckles and chains.
Additionally you are not permitted to wear
- items of clothing that contain offensive patterns or slogans.
- ponchos
- cargo/combat trousers
- uniforms (with the exception of school uniforms)
- steel toe-capped footwear
- football boots
- boots above knee length
- flip flops / sliders
Further details about the dress code can be requested by contacting the visitors centre on 01759 475 355.
Each adult visitor is allowed to take in a maximum of £30 (£20 notes are not allowed). The money can be used to buy refreshments in the visitor centre and visits hall
There are strict controls on what you can take into Full Sutton. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in a locker in the visitors’ centre or in your car - this includes pushchairs and car seats, all electronic items, phones, and smart watches.
If you have any questions about visiting HMP Full Sutton, including the dress code and restricted items, please contact the Visitors Centre on 01759 475 355.
There is a visitors’ centre for prisoners’ families and significant others where staff provide advice and support. The visitors’ centre has accessible toilets, baby changing facilities and a small play area.
The centre is open on visiting days from 8:30am to 4:30pm.
Refreshments will be available in the main visits hall.
Full Sutton aims to run 12 family visits a year.
You can find out how these visits run by contacting 01759 475355.
Information about family visits is also provided to prisoners via a community newsletter.
Secure video calling is available at this prison. Family and friends will need to download the Prison Video app, create an account, register all visitors, and add the prisoner to their contact list.
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
There are several ways you can keep in touch with a prisoner during their time at Full Sutton.
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.
Secure video calls at this prison can only be requested by prisoners.
You will receive a notification if a prisoner has requested a video call with you.
Read more about how it works
Prisoners at Full Sutton can call you from their in-cell phones. To contact you, they will need to purchase phone credit.
They are able to phone anyone who is an approved contact on their phone list.
This list is checked by the security team 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.
Prison staff may listen to phone calls as a way of preventing crime and helping keep people safe.
You can send emails to someone in Full Sutton 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 Full Sutton.
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 Full Sutton.
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.
Daily routine
Arriving and the first night, where people live and how the day is structured.
Who 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
01759 475 355The main switchboard for questions about visiting or the person inside.
Social visits Email
[email protected]Safety or wellbeing concern Phone
01759 475068For serious but non-life-threatening concerns about a prisoner's safety. You can also complete a Safer Custody contact form.
Prisoners’ Families Helpline Phone
0808 808 2003The Prisoners’ Families Helpline can provide confidential support, advice and guidance.
Prisoners' Families Helpline Phone
0808 808 2003Free, confidential advice and a listening ear for anyone with a loved one in prison.
Mon to Fri 9am to 8pm, Sat and Sun 10am to 3pmSamaritans 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.
Video calls Email
[email protected]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.