HMP Wormwood Scrubs

You can book your visit online or by telephone.

Telephone booking and information line: 0300 060 6511 Find out about call charges

The booking line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm.

Visiting times:

Visitors arriving more than half an hour late will not be admitted.

If you have any issues regarding your visit, please email [email protected].

Please be advised that this email address is for issues and queries, and we aim to respond to you within 3 working days.

A family development session is held on alternating Sunday afternoons on a wing-by-wing basis.

This session is designed as ‘homework club’, where children under 18 can bring work to do with their fathers.

Fathers are appropriately risk assessed for these enhanced sessions.

During non-term times, this session may be moved to a weekday for a family day and other initiatives.

Every Wednesday morning, we hold children’s visits in our family room on a wing-by-wing basis. These sessions are aimed at children under 13.

They involve active play sessions, engaging activities such as arts and crafts and are based on a set theme each month.

During non-term times this session may be moved to a weekend to facilitate additional week time family days during the school holidays.

We listen to this feedback, reviewing it monthly to help shape your future visits experience.

Ask staff if you need help completing this.

You can purchase light refreshments and cold snacks for the first hour of your visit from inside the visitor centre.

Payments are by contactless only, no cash is accepted. No refunds or exchanges are possible, unless a product is faulty.

If you are attending a children’s visit on a Wednesday, please arrive promptly for your visit. The tuck shop will be opened to purchase items between 8:45am and 9am.

Legal visits can take place at an open table or a closed booth, face to face or via video link.

Double sessions can be booked if you would like to use a 2-hour slot. (Please only book a double session if needed.)

Please give 2 working days’ notice for any bookings or amendments.

If you no longer require your official visit slot, please make cancellations or amendments at the earliest possible opportunity to allow others to use the slot.

Send an email to [email protected] if you require an authorisation application to bring a prohibited article into the establishment (that is: camera, recording equipment and so on).

This must be completed completed at least 72 hours prior to the visit.

Laptops do not require prior authorisation, but wifi must not be connected.

Find Wormwood Scrubs on a map

Wormwood Scrubs is a 10-minute walk from East Acton underground station. The closest mainline railway station is London Paddington. Several local bus routes pass the prison.

If coming by car, you can park outside the prison. You will need to pay and display at certain times during the week. Check times and prices on the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham website.

There is no visitor parking in the prison.

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.

Wormwood Scrubs has clothing requirements that must be adhered to for security reasons.

There are strict controls on what you can take into Wormwood Scrubs. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in a locker or with security, including pushchairs and car seats.

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) charity.

Email: [email protected] Telephone: 020 8735 0595 Find out about call charges

You can request a secure video call with someone in this prison via the Prison Video app.

You will receive a notification when your request has been accepted.

Read more about how it works

Prisoners have access to in-cell and landing phones for making outgoing calls to preapproved phone numbers only.

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 Wormwood Scrubs 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 Wormwood Scrubs.

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, you can use the Find a prisoner - GOV.UK service online.

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