HMP Whitemoor
Cambridgeshire, Long Term & High Security
HMP Whitemoor is a Category A / Category B men's prison in Cambridgeshire. 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 |
2pm–4pm
|
| Tuesday | No visits |
| Wednesday | No visits |
| Thursday |
2pm–4pm
|
| Friday | No visits |
| Saturday |
2pm–4pm
|
| Sunday |
2pm–4pm
|
Always confirm visiting times when you book — they can change at short notice.
Official video and 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 Whitemoor you must
- be on that person’s visitor list
- have the required ID with you when you go
Visits to ‘high risk’ and ‘exceptional risk’ prisoners must be booked at least 7 days in advance. All other visits must be booked at least 72 hours in advance.
At least one visitor must be 18 or older at every visit.
There may be a limit to the number of visits a prisoner can have. You can check this with Whitemoor.
Contact Whitemoor if you have any questions about visiting.
You can
- book your visit online
- email, [email protected]
- call, 01354 602 800
The booking line is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 1.30pm Find out about call charges
You can book your official visit by
- email [email protected]
- telephone 01354 602 654
The booking line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. Find out about call charges
Two hour slots can be requested.
Find Whitemoor on a map
The closest railway station is March, which is about 1.5 miles from Whitemoor. There are no local buses so you will have to walk or get a taxi from the station.
By Car: Enter postcode PE15 OPR into a sat nav to find the establishment. There is a visitor’s car park immediately in front of the prison with the visitor’s centre to the left of this car park.
By Air: Most airlines operate services to Stanstead airport where a direct train service runs to March. This service is approximately 1 hr 30 minutes.
To plan your journey by public transport
- use National Rail Enquiries
- use Traveline for local bus times
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 sniffed by security dogs.
HMP Whitemoor is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for visits to take place for both prisoners, visitors and staff. There is zero tolerance towards threats of violence, abuse, harassment and unacceptable/inappropriate behaviour in the visit’s hall.
Inappropriate behaviour is defined as any behaviour that may present a risk to the security of the establishment or behaviour that is deemed indecent.
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.
Visitors should dress appropriately. You may be turned away if you are wearing items like
- short/Cropped tops that reveal a naked midriff
- low cut tops or shirts that unbutton to reveal cleavage or bare chest
- vests (as a single garment)
- mini skirts that are shorter that knee length and expose thighs
- shorts that are shorter than knee length and expose thighs
- all types of see-through clothing
- headwear (other than for religious purposes)
- clothing that is offensive in nature or displays offensive, discriminatory, or inappropriate material
- slippers, sliders, flip-flops
- team affiliated sportswear
- padded garments, gilets, body warmers
- any clothing fitted with large buckles, chains and/or excessive amounts of zips.
- combat trousers
- jeans with rips or tears in them
- hoodies (hoodies can be worn by children under 18)
Please contact the visits hall if you have any questions.
Long cardigans are allowed to be worn but will need to be removed and hung up prior to the passive dog search, thus allowing a thorough search. The passive dog will then also carry out a search of the garment prior to it being reissued.
Coats and jackets will be allowed to be worn into the establishment but will not be allowed into the Main visit’s hall. They will need to be left in the Visits foyer prior to the passive dog search where coat hooks are provided.
Please note, items are left at the owner’s risk.
If clothing is deemed to be revealing the visitor should expect to be challenged by staff and this may result in the visitor being refused entry to the visits hall.
There are strict controls on what you can take into Whitemoor. 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.
On arrival, visitors should report to the visitor centre.
Refreshments consisting of hot and cold drinks and snacks are available to purchase once in the main visit’s hall.
The centre is open daily from 12:15pm.
Check with the prison for family day information and schedules.
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 Whitemoor.
Prisoners have phones in their cells but 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 Whitemoor 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 Whitemoor.
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
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 Whitemoor.
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.
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
01354 602 800The main switchboard for questions about visiting or the person inside.
Social visits Email
[email protected]Prison email Email
[email protected]Safety or wellbeing concern Phone
01354 602400For 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.