Recorded calls
Do they record prison calls?
If you are scared for someone inside, call Prisoners’ Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003.
Yes, most social callsLegal calls sit apartTreat it as heard
Yes. Almost all social calls from a prison phone can be recorded. Staff may listen. The person inside is told this when they arrive.[1] Here is what that means for a family call.
Checked against the published rates.
What the rules actually say
GOV.UK is plain. Staff can listen to and record most calls. Some are not monitored. Calls to a legal adviser are one example.[1]
The person inside signs a communications compact. It sets out that social calls may be recorded and monitored.[3, 8.1] That compact is the notice. You do not get a separate warning each time the phone rings.
The aim is security. Who they reach. What is planned. The family call is in the same system as every other social number on the list.
What that means on a Tuesday night
Talk as you would if someone else might hear. News from home. How the children are. What the week looks like. That is what these calls are for.
Do not use the call to pass messages that would put anyone at risk. Do not discuss court strategy on a social line. If they need to speak to a lawyer, that number goes on the legal list, not yours.
A recording can be kept and played back. How long it is kept is a matter for the prison. Published policy does not give families a number of days. We will not invent one.
What we do not hear
ringyard is the number they dial. We do not record the call. We do not listen. We do not get a copy from the prison. The recording, if there is one, stays with the prison. See what we store.
Common 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 sets this out. Calls to a legal adviser on the approved list are treated differently.
Can the prison listen live?
Policy allows monitoring as well as recording. That means a call can be listened to 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?
Calls to a legal adviser on the confidential access list are not monitored in the same way as social calls. They sit on a separate list. The person inside has to add that number as a legal number, not a social one.
Should I avoid saying certain things?
Treat the call as one other people may hear. Do not discuss anything that would put anyone at risk. Do not make plans you would not want written down. That is the practical rule. This page is not legal advice.
Sources
[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[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
This page is not legal advice. It does not replace what the prison tells you.
When they can call, be easy to reach.
A landline number that rings the phone you have. The prison still decides what is recorded. We do not hear your calls.
No term. Stop in one tap.