HMP Swaleside
Kent, Long Term & High Security
HMP Swaleside is a Category B men'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 |
2:15–3:45pm (General population
CSRU)
|
| Wednesday |
2:15–3:45pm (General population
CSRU)
|
| Thursday |
2:15–3:45pm (Hotel
Golf South
IPD)
|
| Friday | No visits |
| Saturday |
2:15pm–3:45pm
|
| Sunday |
2:15–3:45pm
|
Always confirm visiting times when you book — they can change at short notice.
Official video visit times
Official face to face visit times
Video visits are held on the following days
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
HMP Swaleside offers visits for family and friends.
Visiting times and availability may change at short notice. You should contact the booking line for any queries.
To visit someone in Swaleside you must
- be on the prisoners approved visitor list
- book your visit in advance (before midday of the working day before your visit, or midday on Thursday for a weekend visit)
- have the required ID with you when you go
- have at least one over 18 attending the visit
You can pre-book 4 social visits per calendar month, if the prisoner has the correct number of visiting orders.
If you wish to have any further visits within the same calendar month, you will need to request last minute availability up to 3 days before the additional visit dates.
Please note: the booking team can only make bookings 28 days in advance.
Contact Swaleside if you have any questions about visiting.
You can book your visit online or by telephone.
Visits booking line: 0300 060 6604 Find out about call charges
Booking line open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding Bank Holidays).
Please note, weekend visits rotate on a schedule. For further information, please contact the booking line.
Due to the regime, visiting times may differ. However, you will receive a minimum of one full hour.
To arrange an official visit you should
- email [email protected]
All video link appointment are for 45 minutes.
All visitors aged 16 and over must provide valid photographic ID. Read the list of acceptable forms of ID when visiting a prison.
All visitors will need to be given a rub-down search, including children. You will also be searched by security dogs.
Visitors must adhere to the prison dress code, which can be requested upon booking your visit.
You will be unable to take any personal items into the visit with you. There are lockers available within the Visit Centre which can be used to store your items during your visit.
There is a family-friendly visitor’s centre run by the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT).
The latest time to attend your visit 3pm.
(You must be going through the front gate by 3pm not arriving at the visitor centre.)
Lockers are available within the visitors centre for £1, which is returned.
There are also refreshments available during your visit at the Aero Café within the hall, this operates a cashless system. You will need to ensure that you have your bank card available.
For further information, please contact the PACT team within the visitors centre:
Telephone: 01795 804123 Find out about call charges
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
- Book a video visit via the app
Read more about how it works
Timings vary depending on the wing rotation schedule.
Prisoners are entitled to two video visits per calendar month, unless they do not receive social visits or are Enhanced 2 and can therefore have four.
HMP Swaleside run 6 Family Days per year. Details on how these visits run can be found here Families and significant others strategy 2025.
Find Swaleside on a map
The closest railway station is Sheerness. From there you can get a taxi.
To plan your journey by public transport use
- National Rail Enquiries
There is a free visitors car park for those that drive here.
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 Swaleside.
Prisoners have phones in their cells but will always have to call you. They must buy phone credits to do this.
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. This can take longer depending on individual cases.
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 Swaleside using the Email a Prisoner service.
You can write at any time.
Include the Prisoners name and prisoner number on the envelope. You must also write your own name and address on the back of the envelope.
If you do not know their prisoner number, contact Swaleside.
All post, apart from legal letters, will be opened and checked by officers.
National Prison Radio broadcasts into prison cells across England and Wales 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Family and friends can stay connected with their loved ones in prison by sending song requests, written messages and voice recordings. They are then read and played out on weekly episodes.
You can send in a message, and hear the show, at nationalprisonradio.com
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
0300 060 6604The main switchboard for questions about visiting or the person inside.
Visitor centre (Pact) Email
[email protected]Prison email Email
[email protected]Safety or wellbeing concern Phone
01795 804295For 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 Swaleside, offering a warm welcome, practical advice and someone to talk to. You can also call the Prisoners' Families Helpline free on 0808 808 2003.