HMP Nottingham
Nottingham, East Midlands Group
HMP Nottingham is a Category B men's prison in Nottingham. 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 |
1pm–4pm
9am–10:30am
2pm–3:30pm
|
| Tuesday |
9am–midday
9am–10:30am
2pm–3:30pm
Friday
Saturday
|
| Wednesday |
9am–10:30am
2pm–3:30pm
|
| Thursday |
1pm–4pm
9am–10:30am
2pm–3:30pm
|
| Friday | No visits |
| Saturday |
9am–midday
9am–10:30am
2pm–3:30pm
|
| Sunday |
9am–10:30am
2pm–3:30pm
|
Always confirm visiting times when you book — they can change at short notice.
Official video visit times
Official face to face visit times (1 hour slots)
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 Nottingham Prison you must
- be on that person’s visitor list
- book your visit at least 48 hours in advance
- have the required ID with you when you go
At least one visitor must be 18 or older at every visit. Prisoners can have 3 visitors aged 12+ (due to seating) plus any younger children.
There may be a limit to the number of visits a prisoner can have. You can check this with Nottingham prison.
Contact Nottingham Prison if you have any questions about visiting.
To arrange your visit you can
- book your online
- telephone 0115 962 8980
Find out about call charges
You can make visits enquiries by email (no booking): [email protected]
We offer one extended visit per month which prisoners can apply for.
We regularly conduct neurodiversity audits of our visit facilities to ensure that both prisoners and their visitors have an inclusive experience. We also offer neurodiverse friendly extended visits.
We also offer monthly family visits, toddler and baby sensory visits.
If yourself or your family require reasonable adjustments or have any accessibility requirements, please contact the prison directly so we can make relevant arrangements.
We have both a video and documentary aides available should you wish to view our facilities prior to your visit.
Appointments start on the hour and last for an hour unless otherwise requested.
To book official video visits, email [email protected]
All participants must show photographic ID at the start of their video link.
To book official face to face visits, email [email protected]
All official visitors are required to provide ID to enter the establishment.
Please allow enough time before your booked start time to progress through the required security processes within the prison.
If any official visitor is not named on the booking 24 hours before the appointment date they will be denied entry by the gate.
Find Nottingham Prison on a map
The closest railway station is Nottingham which is around 4 miles from Nottingham Prison. From there you can take a bus or taxi.
To plan your journey by public transport
- use National Rail Enquiries
- use Traveline for local bus times
There is limited parking available onsite for visitors, including spaces at the front entrance 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.
Book in at the visitors centre at least half an hour before your visit. The booking office opens at 8:30am and 1:30pm.
You must be at the prison gates no later than 9:45am for morning visits and 2:45pm for afternoon visits, if you’re later than these times, you will not be allowed to enter.
All visitors will need to be given a rub-down search, including children. You may also be sniffed by security dogs.
Nottingham Prison has a strict dress code policy.
Visitors should wear smart clothes and should not wear
- work clothes (including uniforms)
- sports shirts or football shirts
- hoods
- mobile phones
- offensive logos
- sunglasses
- headscarves unless worn for religious reasons
- ripped jeans
- vest tops
- short skirts or dresses.
Use the following list as a guide
- all tops must be sufficient to cover both chest area and midriff area and must not be see through
- bras or camisole tops must not be worn as external tops
- no outdoor jackets with hoods should be worn
- no football tops, those displaying any sports related logos, offensive images/logos should be worn
- no camouflage material can be worn
- shorts and skirts must be knee-length and not have any see-through material
- no ripped jeans or shorts should be worn
- no skin-tight clothing including bodysuits and sportswear such as leotards or body suits
- no work clothes or work uniform should be worn
- only 1 pair of trousers should be worn, and not 2 pairs of trousers on top of each other
- no smart watches, sunglasses, hats or scarves are permitted (unless worn for religious reasons, that is, Du Rags can be worn by those practicing the Rastafarian Faith)
- no prison issue clothing should be worn
- no open toe shoes/sandals/sliders should be worn
- no high heels/block heels should be worn
Each adult visitor is allowed to take in a maximum of £10 (coins and notes are accepted). The money can be used to buy food and drink from the snack bar in the visits hall.
There are strict controls on what you can take into Nottingham Prison. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in a locker (you will need a £1 coin) or with security. This includes pushchairs and car seats.
You may bring in dummies, baby wipes, nappies, milk powder and prescribed medication. All baby items must be in a clear plastic bag.
Please note that some of these items may be bagged and tagged in the Visitors’ Centre prior to entry into the prison.
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 a visitors centre run by The Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT). It has toilet facilities and a children’s play area. Staff are also available to offer support and advice to visitors.
Telephone: 0115 962 8980 Find out about call charges
Email: [email protected]
The tea bar offers cold drinks, confectionery and other options depending on availability. There is a child and neurodivergent friendly play area which is available on every visit and staffed by colleagues from PACT.
These are run once per month.
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 Nottingham Prison.
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 be requested by prisoners only.
You will receive a notification if a prisoner has requested a video call with you.
Read more about how Prison Video works
Prisoners have phones in their cells and are able to make calls at any time during phone hours. They have to buy phone credits to do this. Phones do not accept incoming calls so they will always have to call you.
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.
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 Nottingham Prison using the EmailaPrisoner.com. Through this service, family and friends can send a message which is printed out and delivered by prison staff by hand.
Once you have signed up, you will receive an activation link via email which you must click on to activate your account and send a message.
You must buy a minimum of £5 credit in order to use the service, which runs at a cost of 42p per email and at no charge to the recipient.
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 Nottingham Prison.
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.
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.
Prisoners' 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
0115 962 8980The main switchboard for questions about visiting or the person inside.
Social visits Email
[email protected]Visitor centre (Pact) Email
[email protected]Safety or wellbeing concern Phone
0115 872 4176For 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.
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.
A family-support charity runs visitor support at HMP Nottingham, offering a warm welcome, practical advice and someone to talk to. You can also call the Prisoners' Families Helpline free on 0808 808 2003.