Visiting a prisoner

[evo4a]

I am visiting a friend of mine who is on remand. He is a "provisional category A prisoner".
I have a reference number and been told to turn up an hour before the visit with ID.

Having never visited a prisoner beforehand I have a few questions
1/ can I take any thing in for him
2/ do prisons usually have car parking for visitors
3/ is a visit 1 hr

any other advice for a first time prison visitor appreciated.

Edited by evo4a on Tuesday 30th December 19:47

[Derek Smith]

I don't think there is a national standard for any of the criteria you ask.

I would suggest that the best way in any case is to phone the prison and ask them.

[eldar]

Varies from place to place.

https://www.gov.uk/staying-in-touch-with-someone-i...

[mybrainhurts]

evo4a said:

1/ can I take any thing in for him

Files in cakes usually go down well.

[ooo000ooo]

Empty your pockets of all unnecessary crap. Nothing makes you less popular with the other visitors than holding up the queue as you try to stuff receipts and ties and God knows what else back into your pockets.

[Bigends]

Did a lot of visits to UK prisons -some were more strict than others. Woodhill for example - everything other than I.D left in a locker at reception, photo, fingerprint taken followed by search and scan. Others were a lot less strict.

[evo4a]

It's Woodhill I'm visiting.
Thanks for the advice so far.

[cheddar]

Only visited one, incredibly strict procedures carried out by brusque officers who searched me almost as intimately as my partner but without quite the delicacy.

[Bigends]

evo4a said:

It's Woodhill I'm visiting.
Thanks for the advice so far.

Asfar as I remember nothing went in. We couldnt even take pens -just ID and case papers. Shoes and belts off before going through the scanner. Even babies were searched - very strict

[mybrainhurts]

You do realise they'll insert a shoehorn up your jaxie, don't you?

[parabolica]

mybrainhurts said:

You do realise they'll insert a shoehorn up your jaxie, don't you?

you've been reading too many prisoner-fantasy novels MBH

[mybrainhurts]

parabolica said:

mybrainhurts said:

You do realise they'll insert a shoehorn up your jaxie, don't you?

you've been reading too many prisoner-fantasy novels MBH

I'll have you know I'm still sore...

[Red Devil]

evo4a said:

2/ do prisons usually have car parking for visitors

evo4a said:

It's Woodhill I'm visiting.

It would appear to - http://goo.gl/6QBAmm - but whether you will find a free space is a different question. If not you could try Vernier Crescent the other side of Tattenhoe Street. There doesn't appear to be any on street restriction but the Google image is more than two and a half years old.

[evo4a]

very helpful, thank you.

[covboy]

evo4a said:

2/ do prisons usually have car parking for visitors

Just don't leave the engine running

[essayer]

Take cash for stuff from the tuck shop. But as I remember, everything else goes into a (tiny) locker. Not sure if cat B different to A.

[Dibble]

OP, you may find the following links useful. The first is the "official" line, others are from various sources.

https://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder/...

http://www.insidetime.co.uk/info-visitorsinfo.asp?...

http://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/our-services/sup-ch...

http://www.prisonfamilyonline.com/archive/index.ph...

[TerzoNeil]

been recently to hmp grampian but working

best tip is leave everything in car or locker, only bring in proper id and nothing else

[JimmyConwayNW]

Should be able to take some clothes in for your pal.

Nothing with hoods but a decent pair of jeans and a polo shirt are nice to feel a bit smarter on visits.

A mobile phone would also be useful but at least get one visit out the way to suss it out before taking that in

[MoelyCrio]

I didn't realise it was so strict with the searching. How do all the drugs get in then?