HMP Morton Hall
Lincoln, East Midlands Group
HMP Morton Hall is a Category C men's prison in Lincoln. 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 |
2pm–4pm
1:30pm–4:15pm
|
| Wednesday | No visits |
| Thursday |
2pm–4pm
1:30pm–4:15pm
|
| Friday | No visits |
| Saturday |
2pm–4pm
1:30pm–4:15pm
|
| Sunday |
2pm–4pm
1:30pm–4:15pm
|
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
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 Morton Hall you must
- be on that person’s visitor list
- book your visit in advance
- have the required ID with you when you go
There may be a limit to the number of visits a prisoner can have. You can check this with Morton Hall.
Contact Morton Hall if you have any questions about visiting.
You can book your visit online or by telephone.
Telephone booking line: 0300 303 0649 Find out about call charges
The booking line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm.
Visits must be booked at least 48 hours in advance. You must arrive at least 30 minutes before the end of the session to be allowed your visit. Latecomers should report directly to the main gate staff.
To book an official visit, you can
- email [email protected]
- call 0300 303 0649
The booking line opens, Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm. Find out about call charges
Video link is the preferred method for official visits.
Time slots are 1 hour, unless requested otherwise.
All official visitors must go straight to the front gate with their ID. Valuables and prohibited items may be left in the lockers in the front gatehouse or in your vehicle (at your own risk).
Official visitors include solicitors, barristers, social workers, offender managers and probation staff.
Legal visitors may be allowed to visit several prisoners during their visit, however prisoners will be seen individually.
Telephone translation is not available to legal visitors. If it is required, a visit should be made in person or booked using video link.
Find HMP Morton Hall on a map
HMP Morton Hall is located the village of Swinderby, near Lincoln.
The nearest train station is in Swinderby which is roughly a 15 minute walk to the prison. Other nearby stations are Newark Northgate (9 miles away) or Lincoln (12 miles away).
To plan your journey by public transport
- use National Rail Enquiries
- use Traveline for local bus times
There is a visitors car park, including space for Blue Badge holders.
All visitors, aged 16 or older must prove their identity before entering HMP Morton Hall. 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 sniffed by security dogs.
- Visitors must follow the prison dress code that applies, further details can be requested on your first visit or by emailing [email protected]
Dress code
All visitors to HMP Morton Hall must be dressed appropriately at all times.
This reflects our aim to create a family atmosphere.
You can’t wear
- short/cropped tops that reveal naked midriff
- low cut tops or shirts that unbutton to reveal cleavage or bare chest
- vests (as a single garment)
- miniskirts that are shorter than knee length and expose thighs
- shorts that are shorter than knee length and expose thighs
- any type of see-through clothing
- headwear (other than for religious purposes)
- clothing that is offensive in nature or displays offensive discriminatory, or inappropriate material
- ripped clothing
- cloaks, capes, scarves, jackets, coats, hoodies or gloves or other articles that could prevent staff from observing visitors or prisoners in the visits hall
You will need to remove any of these items before entering the visits hall.
Any visitor that does not follow this dress code will not be permitted entry to HMP Morton hall.
This notice will be displayed in the visitor’s centre and available as an annex to the visits policy.
Items you can bring
The only items visitors can take into the visits hall are
- up to £30 cash (for purchasing refreshments) - but no notes above £5
- medication (to be held by visits staff for emergency use only)
- babies’ dummies
- baby’s bottle with dry, powdered milk (water to be supplied by refreshments team) and an unopened jar of baby food (not glass)
- locker key
Visitors must leave all other property in their vehicle or in the lockers provided in the visit’s house.
Legal advisors or other professional visitors can bring documents needed for the visit and briefcases.
No recording equipment may be taken into the visit room without express permission from the Head of Security.
HMP Morton Hall run 12 family visits a year alongside Lincolnshire Action Trust.
These are organised and booked by the prison by application from the prisoner.
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 Morton Hall.
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.
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
All cells have in-cell telephony which allows prisoners to make phone calls to pre-approved numbers.
Email a prisoner is a service which allows families to send an email to someone inside the majority of UK prisons.
The emails are printed out and delivered along with other post on a daily basis. The cost of this is just 40p.
The website below gives more information about the service, how to sign up and other details. Prisoners can then send you a reply back.
Visit the Email a prisoner site
You can write at any time.
Include the person’s name and number on the envelope.
If you do not know their number, contact Morton Hall.
All post, apart from legal letters, can 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
0300 303 0649The main switchboard for questions about visiting or the person inside.
Visit booking Email
[email protected]Prison email Email
[email protected]Safety or wellbeing concern Phone
01522 666 885For 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.
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.