HMP Wakefield

Find out about call charges

Visits enquiries only email (no booking): [email protected]

Find out about call charges

Find Wakefield on a map

The nearest station is Wakefield Westgate, which is about a 5 minute walk from the prison.

There is no visitor car parking available at Wakefield. There are car parks in the town centre a short walk away.

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 drug detection dogs. If the dog shows an indication of an illicit item, your visit may conducted 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 being cancelled, and a ban from visiting the establishment for a period of time imposed and if deemed serious enough police involvement.

HMP Wakefield operates a family orientated visits policy.

Most of our visitors are accompanied by children and we want to foster a decent, safe and relaxed family environment for all our visitors.

Each adult visitor is allowed to take in a maximum of £25. This can be used on food and refreshments in the visits hall.

There are strict controls on what you can take into HMP Wakefield. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in the visitors centre. This includes pushchairs and car seats. There are lockers for valuables.

On exiting the prison 10% of visitors will be selected at random for an exit search. This will be conducted in the same way as you had been searched coming into the prison. Visitors refusing an exit search may be banned from future visits for a period of time.

All visitors will be searched before entering the visits hall.

Any concerns will be referred to the visits supervising officer for clarification.

Please familiarise yourself with this dress code before visiting. If the dress code is not followed, you may not be allowed to attend your visit.

Any changes to the dress code, or requests for reasonable adjustments, must be approved by the head of operations.

You can wear boots, if they are below the knee.

Skirts, dresses and shorts must be no higher than just above the knee. They must not expose thighs.

Jewellery must be kept to a minimum. No bracelets, watches or excessive rings. Earrings should be studs or small hoops only - use ten pence piece as a guide for hooped earrings. (This includes for children.)

You will be asked to remove hairdressings if they are indicated by the handheld metal detector / portal. This includes: hair clips, slides, butterfly clips, claw clips, and scrunchies.

There is a visitors centre run by Partners of Prisoners (POPS).

The centre is open on visiting days from 12:30pm for afternoon sessions.

A coffee morning Family Forum runs once a month to help families to better understand a prisoner’s life while at HMP Wakefield.

POPS invites governors, prison staff and outside agencies to discuss different subjects such as Safer Custody, Probation, Education, Offender Management, Resettlement and any other areas that families wish to learn about. For more information or to confirm your attendance contact the POPS’s Family support lead on [email protected].

HMP Wakefield runs 12 family visits a year. Full details are provided to prisoners via a community newsletter.

These usually take place monthly.

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

Prisoners do not have phones in their cells so they will always have to call you. They have to 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.

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 Wakefield 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 Wakefield.

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 Wakefield.

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