The sentence
Paragraph 7.9
Prisons are told to restrict “numbers linked to call diversion and re-routing services”.
Read it11 August 2026
What changed
on 11 August.
If you are scared for someone inside, call Prisoners’ Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003.
One published sentence told prisons to restrict diverted numbers. Here it is, in their words.
Checked against the published rates.
The change
Three facts. Then the document.
What it does
Refuse, or pull later
A number like that can be turned down on the way in, or taken off after it was approved.
What that meansWhat it does not
Not a yes for anyone
It does not ban landlines. It does not approve any company. Nobody can promise a yes.
The limitsThe sentence
In their words.
On 11 August 2026, HMPPS issued the Interception, monitoring and security of prisoner communications policy framework.[3]
Paragraph 7.9 tells prisons to restrict 0800 numbers as social contacts, and “numbers linked to call diversion and re-routing services”.[3, 7.9]
The concern in that paragraph is who a prisoner reaches, not what a family pays. A diverted number can be used to get round a bar on a contact.[3, 7.9]
What it does
The phone may stop.
A number of that kind can be refused when it is put on a PIN list. It can also be taken off later, after it was approved. Families who already rely on one are the people this hits.
Most services that sell a landline for prison calls take the call on that number, then send it on to a mobile. That is what divert means. On the words as written, those are the numbers the paragraph describes.[3, 7.9]
There are exceptions
They sit in a manual we have not been able to read. We cannot name them.
It is not a ban on landlines
An ordinary 01 or 02 is still how most lists are built.
Nobody can promise a yes
A prison still checks each number. Including ours.
What it does not do
It does not approve us.
It does not ban landlines. An ordinary 01 or 02 number is still how most lists are built.[1]
It does not approve any company. It does not approve us. A prison still checks each number. Nobody can promise a yes. Do not believe a company that claims official approval. We never do.
It does not set a deadline. GOV.UK says the first reception check may take a few days. No published policy sets a deadline for adding a number after that.[1]
If you already have one
Do not panic-switch.
If it is ringing, stay on it until you know why you would change. Ask the provider, in writing, whether the call is passed on. That answer decides whether this rule is about that number.
If it has stopped, the first causes are still a wrong digit or a list that was never live. A review comes after those.
Questions
The short answers.
What changed on 11 August 2026?
HMPPS issued the interception policy framework. Paragraph 7.9 tells prisons to restrict 0800 numbers as social contacts, and numbers linked to call diversion and re-routing services. A number like that can be refused when it is put forward, or taken off a list after it was approved.
Are all virtual landlines banned?
No. The rule names diversion and re-routing, not every landline without a box on the wall. A landline that rings the handset itself is a different build. The policy also points to exceptions in a manual we have not been able to read. Nobody can promise how one prison will read one number.
Does the rule apply to ringyard?
The paragraph is about any number a prisoner wants on their list, including ours. Our number is a real UK landline on the phone you carry. It does not take a call on one line and send it on to another. The prison still checks it. Nobody can promise a yes.
What should I do if I already have a forwarded number?
If it is working, do not panic-switch. Ask the provider, in writing, whether the number forwards. Ask the person inside to check the list is still live. If a number stops, they should ask the wing why. The helpline is 0808 808 2003.
Sources
Check us.
[3]Interception, monitoring and security of prisoner communications policy framework
HM Prison and Probation Service / Ministry of Justice — issued 11 August 2026. Read 2026-08-26.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/interception-monitoring-and-security-of-prisoner-communications-policy-framework[1]Staying in touch with someone in prison
GOV.UK — current guidance. Read 2026-08-23.
https://www.gov.uk/staying-in-touch-with-someone-in-prison
A landline the rule is not about.
A real UK landline on the phone you have. Nothing is passed on. The prison still has to check it. Nobody can promise a yes.
No term. Stop in one tap.
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