How to get on a prison phone list
Their phone list decides who they can ring. The prison may call it the PIN list.
Checked against GOV.UK and the published policy.
The short answer
They ask for your number. The prison checks it. Then they ring.
You can’t add yourself. Pick the number with care: each new one is checked again.
Only they can ask. Each new number is checked first.
On this page
Step by step
How a number gets added.
Three steps. Only they can start it.
You give them the number
Read it out digit by digit, or post it. Have them read it back. A wrong digit fails without a word.
They ask the wing to add it
Only they can. There's no form for you, and no number to ring in on.[1]
The prison checks it
They may ring you to check who you are. Tell the truth. Their first call is the sign it worked. Silence isn't a refusal.[3, 7.5]
They can have up to 20 numbers for family and friends. If the list is full, one comes off first.[2, 6.13]
Have ringyard already? Give them the number in your welcome email.
The wait
How long it takes. Every prison is different. Check.
On PrisonCheck
What families report. As of 14 November 2026, families had shared 456 waits from 104 prisons.[19]
- 6 days
- A typical wait
- 2–10 days
- Half of waits fell in
- About 1 in 8
- Took over two weeks
From families · not official
456 waits shared
104 prisons · not official
Families share these waits on PrisonCheck. They aren't official. The same small company runs PrisonCheck and ringyard. Prisons differ, so each one with enough reports has its own figure.
Every prison with a figure (55)
| Prison | Their phone list | First call | Families |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMP Altcourse | Not enough yet | 1 day | 3 |
| HMP Belmarsh | 1–2 weeks | 1–2 weeks | 7 |
| HMP Berwyn | 2–6 days | 2–6 days | 21 |
| HMP Birmingham | 1–3 weeks | 1–3 weeks | 6 |
| HMP Brinsford | 6 days | 1–5 days | 6 |
| HMP Bristol | 6 days | 2 days | 5 |
| HMP Bullingdon | 1–2 weeks | 2–8 days | 9 |
| HMP Cardiff | 2–10 days | Same day | 5 |
| HMP Channings Wood | 2 days | Same day | 5 |
| HMP Chelmsford | 1–2 weeks | Same day | 6 |
| HMP Deerbolt | Not enough yet | 6 days | 4 |
| HMP Doncaster | 2 days | Not enough yet | 5 |
| HMP Dovegate | 3 days | 1 day | 5 |
| HMP Durham | 2 days | Same day | 5 |
| HMP Elmley | 6 days | 2 days | 5 |
| HMP Erlestoke | Same day | up to 2 days | 6 |
| HMP Five Wells | up to 5 days | up to 3 days | 7 |
| HMP Forest Bank | 2–6 days | Not enough yet | 5 |
| HMP Fosse Way | 2–6 days | 2–6 days | 10 |
| HMP Guys Marsh | up to 6 days | Same day | 5 |
| HMP Hewell | 6 days | Not enough yet | 5 |
| HMP High Down | 2 days | Not enough yet | 5 |
| HMP Hindley | 10 days | Same day | 5 |
| HMP Holme House | 4–10 days | Not enough yet | 6 |
| HMP Humber | Not enough yet | up to 2 days | 4 |
| HMP/YOI Isis | up to 6 days | up to 9 days | 9 |
| HMP Leeds | Not enough yet | 2–6 days | 4 |
| HMP Leicester | 2 days | Same day | 7 |
| HMP Lewes | 6–10 days | Same day | 5 |
| HMP Lindholme | 2–9 days | Same day | 7 |
| HMP Liverpool | 24 days | up to 9 days | 5 |
| HMP Manchester | 1–5 weeks | Not enough yet | 5 |
| HMP Millsike | 2–6 days | 2 days | 6 |
| HMP Northumberland | 2–6 days | 2 days | 7 |
| HMP Norwich | 1–3 weeks | Not enough yet | 6 |
| HMP Nottingham | 2 days | Not enough yet | 5 |
| HMP Oakwood | 2–6 days | 2 days | 6 |
| HMP/YOI Parc | 2–11 days | up to 11 days | 8 |
| HMP Pentonville | 1–2 weeks | up to 8 days | 6 |
| HMP Peterborough | 1–2 weeks | up to 6 days | 10 |
| HMP/YOI Portland | up to 9 days | up to 2 days | 6 |
| HMP Preston | 3–8 days | Not enough yet | 7 |
| HMP Ranby | Same day | 2 days | 5 |
| HMP Rochester | 3–10 days | Same day | 7 |
| HMP Stafford | 2–10 days | Not enough yet | 5 |
| HMP Stocken | 1–3 weeks | Same day | 5 |
| HMP Swaleside | 1–6 days | up to 6 days | 6 |
| HMP Swansea | 2 days | Not enough yet | 5 |
| HMP Swinfen Hall | 1–2 weeks | Not enough yet | 5 |
| HMP Thameside | 2–7 days | Not enough yet | 8 |
| HMP The Mount | 10 days | Same day | 5 |
| HMP Wandsworth | 2–10 days | 1–3 weeks | 5 |
| HMP Winchester | 1–3 weeks | 2–6 days | 6 |
| HMP Woodhill | 2–10 days | up to 2 days | 5 |
| HMP Wormwood Scrubs | Not enough yet | up to 2 days | 4 |
Before they ask
Pick the number once. A new number waits again.
Your mobile
5.50p a minute
The weekday rate, from their money. Calls run out sooner.[14]
A number that forwards
Can be refused
Prisons are told to restrict numbers that pass calls on.[3, 7.9]
A landline
2.48p a minute
The same money buys twice the calls.[14]
Have a home phone someone answers? Give them that. It costs you nothing. The rule on forwarding has exceptions, in a manual we haven't read. The rule, in their words
No landline at home? Put one on your phone.
- A real UK landline number, on the phone you have
- Nothing is passed on. No app, no Wi-Fi
- Unlimited calls. £20 a month. No term
- Your number comes by email today
No risk.
The prison checks it, like any number. How it works
If the prison rings you
Three things they may ask.
Where checks are done, policy says they cover these.[3, 7.5]
- Who you are
- How you know the person inside
- That you're happy to be called on that number
No proof in your name? We've found no published list of what counts. The bill may be in someone else’s name, or you may be in temporary housing. Say so. Show what you do have. Ask what else they accept.
Never borrow papers, or call the line something it isn't. A number added on a false basis can come off later.
No call yet
If it stalls.
- Check the digitsAsk them to read your number back to you.
- They ask the wingOnly they can ask what has happened.
- They use the complaints processEvery prison has one. They can use it.
A number can be refused. Policy lists reasons, such as a number that looks like a way round restrictions, or one that seems to belong to someone else in prison. Prisons don't always say which.[3, 7.5] Number refused?
Free help from people who know.
All three are charities. None of them sells you anything.[4]
- Prisoners’ Families Helpline0808 808 2003Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm. Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 3pm.[5]info@prisonersfamilies.org[4]
- PactPrison Advice and Care Trust. Support for families and partners.prisonadvice.org.uk
- POPSPartners of Prisoners and Families Support Group.partnersofprisoners.co.uk
GOV.UK lists more, including services for Scotland and Northern Ireland.[4]
FAQ
Common questions.
What's a PIN phone in prison?
The prison phone they ring you from. They use a PIN, their own code. Calls are paid from credit on their own phone account. It only dials numbers on their list of friends and family. You can't ring in.
Can I add my own number to their phone list?
No. The request must come from the person inside. They give the number to the prison. Prison security decide if it goes on their list. You can't send anything in from outside.
How long does it take to be added?
No published HMPPS policy sets a deadline. GOV.UK says security staff check the list when someone first arrives. It may take a few days before they can call. After that, staff should add each number as it clears. Policy sets no time limit for it. Families on PrisonCheck shared 456 waits from 104 prisons, as of 14 November 2026. The typical wait was 6 days. Half were 2 to 10 days. About 1 in 8 took over two weeks. These aren't official. If it has been weeks, the person inside should ask the wing.
Which number should I give them?
One you'll answer, that can stay on their list. On weekdays a call to a landline costs them 2.48p a minute. To a mobile it costs 5.50p. Prisons are told to restrict numbers that pass calls on. A home landline someone answers costs you nothing. ringyard puts a landline number on your mobile for £20 a month.
Will the prison ring me?
They may. For some groups the checks are a must. Staff must confirm who you are. They must confirm how you know the person. They must check you're happy to be called. For everyone else it's up to the prison. Answer the phone and tell the truth.
How many numbers can they have?
PSI 49/2011 allows up to 20 numbers for family and friends. There are 15 more for legal and confidential numbers. Those are kept apart. If the list is full, a number has to come off first. Prisons can vary this within the limit. Ask the wing what applies.
Can someone in prison call a number that forwards to a mobile?
HMPPS policy says prisons must restrict numbers linked to call diversion and re-routing services. Such numbers can be used to get round restrictions. Any service that forwards calls fits that description. The policy says there are exceptions. They're in a manual we haven't been able to read. If you're asked how a number works, say so plainly.
Are prison calls recorded?
Most calls can be listened to and recorded. Some aren't, such as calls to a legal adviser. The person inside signs a form about this when they arrive.
Can they ring a business number?
Only to speak to family or friends there. They may not order goods or make business calls. One number on several people's lists draws attention. If your household is in touch with more than one person inside, say so when asked.
Something here wrong or out of date? Tell us. We'll correct it.
Check us
- Staying in touch with someone in prison. GOV.UK, current guidance. Read 23 August 2026. Read it yourself
- Prisoner communications policy: PSI 49/2011. HM Prison and Probation Service / Ministry of Justice, in force since 1 October 2011, page last updated 11 August 2026. 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
- Support for families and friends of prisoners. GOV.UK, current guidance. Read 23 August 2026. Read it yourself
- Prisoners' Families Helpline. prisonersfamilies.org, opening hours read from the site. Read 23 August 2026. Read it yourself
- Written answer HL13459: Prisons, telephones. UK Parliament. Answered by Lord Timpson for the Ministry of Justice, answered 19 January 2026. Read 25 October 2026. Gives the four national rates for wing and in-cell phones. Weekday runs from Sunday to midday Friday. Weekend runs from midday Friday to midnight Sunday. It says nothing about bank holidays. Read it yourself
- Phone list and first call waits reported by families. PrisonCheck, 456 phone list reports from 104 prisons, figures as of 14 November 2026. Read 14 November 2026. Families report these waits themselves. They aren't official. A prison gets its own figure only once five families have shared. The same small company runs PrisonCheck and ringyard. Read it yourself
Where we couldn't find something in a published document, the page says so. 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.
Give them a landline to ring.
A real UK landline on the phone you carry. Their calls cost less.
£20 a month · No risk · Stop any time