HMP Leicester

• Enhanced IEP prisoners – maximum of 4 visits per month
• Standard IEP – maximum of 3 visits per month
• Basic IEP prisoners – 2 visits per month.

Remand Prisoners – Up to 3 per week. Remand prisoners can book on both Saturday and Sunday, but a maximum of 1 visit can be in on the PM session.

The booking line open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Time slots start on the hour and last for one hour. More than one slot can be booked where required.

Visiting time slots start on the hour and last for one hour. More than one slot can be booked where required.

Find Leicester Prison on a map

The closest railway station is Leicester. The prison is opposite Leicester Royal Infirmary (hospital) which is well signposted.

There is no car parking available at Leicester Prison but there are ‘pay and display’ spaces nearby and in the city centre.

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.

Refreshments on visits are purchased in bundles of £5 for a quantity of items. These are paid for in cash prior to entry into the visit hall.

All visitors will need to be given a rub-down search, including children.

You may need to have your finger or thumb prints scanned (or an iris scan) as part of a security check. You may also be sniffed by security dogs.

Leicester Prison has a dress code policy, which means visitors should wear clothing that is considered decent for consideration of all visitors who may attend (no vests, no low-cut tops, no shorts, no short dresses, no see-through clothing, no hoodies and no headwear, other than that worn for religious or medical reasons which may require a private search). Lightweight cardigans and jumpers without hoods can be worn, but thick or heavy jacket type clothing may be refused.

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

Visitor conduct and expected behaviours are displayed on each table in the visiting hall. If you break the rules, your visit could be cancelled and you could be banned from visiting again.

A family-friendly visitors centre is run by the charity, Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT).

It has a children’s play area, drinks and snacks.

We run Family Days at the prison 12 times a year, in conjunction with PACT.

These are significantly different from daily social visits. Family Visits offer a more relaxed environment for both prisoners and visitors. Sessions are run to a theme such as sports day, back to school, Christmas and others.

In addition to various activities, catering/refreshments are provided by the prison at no cost. Refreshments tend to follow the days theme.

Family Days are held 12 times a year and are offered to both prisoners and families. Depending on the number of applications, families may not be able to attend every event.

Prisoner do have prison PIN phones in their cells. They will always need to call you, rather than you call them. His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service has a duty to ensure that prisoners can maintain contact with friends and family where this is in the best interests of both parties. The PIN phone system is one way of achieving this. All calls except those which are confidential (legal advisers as notified by the prisoner to the PIN phone clerk), courts, MPs, or Confidential Access organisations) are recorded but not all are monitored. There must be a justifiable reason before communications are monitored.

If you need to contact the prison, telephone: 0116 228 3000.

Prisoners can phone anyone named on their approved contact list of friends and family. This list is checked by security.

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.

How to book a secure video call

Secure video calls at this prison can be requested by prisoners only.

You will receive a notification if a prisoner has requested a video call with you.

Read more about how it works

You can send emails to someone in Leicester Prison using the Email a Prisoner service.

You can write at any time.

Include the person’s name and prison number on the envelope, under the address. If you do not know their prison number, contact Leicester.

Write your own name and address on the back of the envelope.

Paper and envelopes can be bought from ‘canteen’ (the prison shop), so prisoners can write back.

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