Calling in
Can you call someone in prison?
If you are scared for someone inside, call Prisoners’ Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003.
No inbound lineThey call outEngland and Wales
No. Prison phones only dial out. They reach numbers the prison has approved.[1] Here is what you can do instead.
Checked against the published rates.
How it works
The calls go one way
The person inside calls out from a wing phone. In more prisons now, it is a phone in their cell. They use a PIN account. It only dials numbers they put forward and the prison has checked.[1] There is no inbound line to a prisoner. There is no extension to ask for. No service can sell you one.
So the question is not how to ring them. It is how to make sure they reach you when they can ring. That comes down to two things. Your number must be on their approved list. And their money must stretch to real conversations, not rushed ones.
Start with the list. How to get your number on their phone list. It unlocks everything else.
Urgent news
When something cannot wait
A death in the family. Serious illness. Anything that cannot wait for their next call. Ring the prison and tell the switchboard it is urgent. Staff pass the message on. Where the prison judges it right, they arrange a call back. The chaplaincy often handles this, whatever your faith.[4]
You may not know what to say or who to ask for. The Prisoners’ Families Helpline exists for this moment. It is free and confidential. Its staff know how each prison tends to handle it.[5]
This route is not for a chat. Prisons take real emergencies seriously because the route is used for nothing else.
Between calls
The other ways in
Letters still work. They always get through in the end. Most prisons take emails through a message service. Visits are booked through the prison or GOV.UK.[1] None of them replaces hearing a voice. That is why the call matters most. So does what it costs them. We compare every option, including the free ones, in the options compared.
Can I phone a prisoner directly?
No. There is no number that reaches a prisoner. Prisons do not connect incoming calls to them. Calls only go the other way. The person inside rings out from a wing or in-cell phone. They can only dial numbers approved on their PIN account.
How do I get an urgent message to someone in prison?
Ring the prison and say it is urgent. Serious illness or a death in the family is what this route is for. Staff pass the message on. Where appropriate, they arrange for the person to call back. The chaplaincy is often involved. The Prisoners' Families Helpline can talk you through what to say.
Why can't prisoners receive calls?
Security. Prison phones only dial approved numbers. So every call has a checked person on the other end. Calls on those lines can be recorded and monitored. An open inbound line would have neither protection. So the system does not offer one.
Can a prisoner call a mobile?
Yes. It costs them more that way. On the published HMPPS rates a weekday call costs 5.50p a minute to a mobile. It costs 2.48p to a landline. They pay from their own capped money. The same money buys about 2.1 times as many minutes on a landline number.
How does my number get approved so they can ring me?
The person inside puts your number forward on their PIN phone list. The prison checks it before it can be dialled. Only they can add it. Nobody outside can. Our phone-list guide covers the steps, the timings, and what to do if a number is refused.
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[4]Support for families and friends of prisoners
GOV.UK — current guidance. Read 2026-08-23.
https://www.gov.uk/support-for-families-friends-of-prisoners[5]Prisoners' Families Helpline
prisonersfamilies.org — opening hours read from the site. Read 2026-08-23.
https://www.prisonersfamilies.org/
When they can call, be easy to reach.
A landline number that rings the phone you already have. Their calls cost them the landline rate. Nobody rushes off the phone.
No term. Stop in one tap.