Are prison calls recorded?
Yes. Almost every prison call to family and friends can be recorded. Staff may listen. The person inside is told this when they arrive.[1] Here's what that means for a family call.
Checked against GOV.UK and HMPPS policy.
The rules
What the rules say.
GOV.UK is plain about it. Staff can listen to most calls, and record them.
- Most calls can be heard and recordedStaff can listen in. They can keep a recording.[1]
- Some calls aren't listened toCalls to a legal adviser are one example.[1]
- They're told when they arriveThe person inside signs a form called a communications compact. It says calls to family and friends may be recorded and listened to.[3, 8.1]
The aim is security: who they ring, and what's planned. A family call sits in the same system as every other number on their phone list.
On the call
What that means on a Tuesday night.
Talk as you would if someone else might hear.
- Share everyday news. How the children are. What the week looks like. That's what these calls are for.
- Keep risky messages off the call. Don't pass on anything that would put anyone at risk.
- Keep court talk for their lawyer. Don't discuss court plans on a family call. Their lawyer’s number is added as a legal number. Those calls aren't monitored.
A recording can be kept and played back later. The prison decides how long it keeps it. Published policy gives families no number of days. We won't make one up.
What we don't hear
ringyard is the number they dial. We don't record the call. We don't listen. We don't get a copy from the prison. Any recording stays with the prison.
What we storeCommon questions.
Are prison phone calls recorded in the UK?
Yes. Staff can listen to and record most calls from prison phones. The person inside signs a communications compact when they arrive. It says so. Calls to a legal adviser aren't monitored.
Can the prison listen live?
Yes. Policy allows listening as well as recording. So a call can be heard as it happens, or played back later. Not every call is heard by a person. The system can still keep a recording.
Are calls to a solicitor recorded?
No. GOV.UK says calls to a legal adviser aren't monitored. The person inside has to add the number as a legal number, not as a family number.
Should I avoid saying certain things?
Yes. Treat the call as one other people may hear. Don't discuss anything that would put anyone at risk. Don't make plans you wouldn't want written down. That's the practical rule. This page isn't legal advice.
Check us
- Staying in touch with someone in prison. GOV.UK, current guidance. Read 23 August 2026. Read it yourself
- Interception, monitoring and security of prisoner communications policy framework. HM Prison and Probation Service / Ministry of Justice, issued 11 August 2026. Read 26 August 2026. Paragraph 7.9 points to a separate operations manual for exceptions. We have not read it. Read it yourself
This page isn't legal advice. It doesn't replace what the prison tells you.
How a call goes
They ring. You pick up. That’s it.
Evening They pick up the prison phone.
Straight away Your mobile rings. Like any call.
Half an hour in It's cost them 74p, not £1.65.HMPPS weekday rates
Tomorrow They ring again.
When they can call, be easy to reach.
A landline number that rings the phone you have. The prison still decides what's recorded. We don't hear your calls.
£20 a month · No risk · Stop any time