Featherstone Prison

Book and plan your visit to Featherstone

To visit someone in Featherstone you must:

• be on that person’s visitor list
• book your visit at least 2 days in advance
• have the required ID with you when you go

You can book up to 28 days in advance.

Prisoners can have up to 3 adult visitors at a time (18 or over) plus children.

A person can have as many visits as they have visiting orders for. You can check this with the person you are going to visit.

Contact Featherstone if you have any questions about visiting.

Help with the cost of your visit

If you get certain benefits or have an NHS health certificate, you might be able to get help with the costs of your visit, including:

• travel to Featherstone
• somewhere to stay overnight
• meals

How to book family and friends visits

Featherstone is running a limited visits schedule. Visits are also happening differently than normal, observing strict guidelines, which must be followed.

You can book your visit by telephone. There is no online booking service available.

Email: visitsbooking.westmidlands@justice.gov.uk
Booking line: 0300 060 6502
Monday to Friday, 9.15am to 4pm
Find out about call charges

Visiting times

• Tuesday to Thursday: 2pm to 4pm
• Saturday and Sunday: 2pm to 4pm

How to book legal and professional visits

There are currently no legal visits taking place.

Getting to Featherstone

Find Featherstone on a map

The closest railway station is Wolverhampton, which is about 6 miles from the prison. There are regular buses from Wolverhampton city centre to Featherstone village but you will need to walk the last mile.

To plan your journey by public transport:

• use National Rail Enquiries
• use Traveline for local bus times

There is a visitors car park at the prison, including spaces for Blue Badge holders.

The Discharge Lounge (Oakwood) run a shuttle bus for £5 one way to the train station. Contact Featherstone to find out more.

Entering Featherstone

All visitors, aged 16 or older must prove their identity before entering the prison. Read the list of acceptable forms of ID when visiting a prison.

All visitors will need to be given a pat-down search, including children. You may also be sniffed by security dogs.

Visitors should dress appropriately. You may be turned away if you are wearing items like revealing clothing or clothing with offensive slogans.

There will be no refreshments available during your visit.

There are strict controls on what you can take into Featherstone. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in a locker or with security. This includes pushchairs and car seats.

You will be told the rules by an officer at the start of your visit. If you break the rules, your visit could be cancelled and you could be banned from visiting again.

Visiting facilities

There is a visitors centre run by Barnardo’s, where there are baby changing facilities available.

There will be no refreshments available during your visit and the children’s play area will not be available to use.

The centre is open daily, except Monday and Friday, from midday to 4:30pm.

Family days

There are currently no family days being run.

Keep in touch with someone at Featherstone

There are several ways you can keep in touch with someone during their time at Featherstone.

Secure video calls

Secure video calling is available at this prison. Family and friends need to download the purple visits app, create an account, register all visitors, and add the prisoner to their contact list.

Read more about how it works

Phone calls

Prisoners have phones in their rooms but these can only make outgoing calls so they will always have to call you. They have to buy phone credits to do this.

They can phone anyone named on their list of friends and family. This list is checked by security when they first arrive so it may take a few days before they are able to call.

You can also exchange voicemails using the Prison Voicemail service.

Officers may listen to phone calls as a way of preventing crime and helping keep people safe.

Email

You can send emails to someone in Featherstone using the Email a Prisoner service.

You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies, depending on the rules at Featherstone.

Letters

You can write at any time.

Include the person’s name and prisoner number on the envelope.

If you do not know their prisoner number, contact Featherstone.

All post, apart from legal letters, will be opened and checked by officers.

Send money and gifts

You can use the free and fast online service to send money to someone in prison.

You can no longer send money by bank transfer, cheque, postal order or send cash by post.

If you cannot use the online service, you may be able to apply for an exemption - for example if you:

• are unable to use a computer, a smart phone or the internet
• do not have a debit card

This will allow you to send money by post.

Gifts and parcels

You can only send items to people in Featherstone in exceptional circumstances. Prisoners can apply to the governor for permission.

All parcels will be opened and checked by officers.

Friends and families of prisoners are permitted to send books directly to their loved ones, or can order books from approved retailers, which can source and send the books on to prisoners.

For the full list of approved retailers, you can read the HMPPS Incentives Policy, Annex F.

Life at Featherstone

Featherstone is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where men can learn new skills to help them on release.

Security and safeguarding

Every person at Featherstone has a right to feel safe. The staff are responsible for their safeguarding and welfare at all times.

For further information about what to do when you are worried or concerned about someone in prison visit the Prisoners’ Families helpline website.

All safeguarding processes are overseen by the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Adult Safeguarding Partnership Board.

Featherstone also trains prisoners to be ‘listeners’ for those who need support during difficult times.

Arrival and first night

When someone first arrives at Featherstone, they will be able to contact a family member by phone. This could be quite late in the evening, depending on the time they arrive. All rooms in the first night centre have phones that can be used at any time.

They will get to speak to someone who will check how they’re feeling and ask about any immediate health and wellbeing needs.

They will be checked on regularly throughout their first 24 hours at Featherstone to make sure they are supported through their induction.

Induction

Each person who arrives at Featherstone gets an induction that lasts about a week. They will meet professionals who will help them with:

• health and wellbeing, including mental and sexual health
• any substance misuse issues, including drugs and alcohol
• personal development in custody and on release, including skills, education and training
• other support (sometimes called ‘interventions’), such as managing difficult emotions

Everyone also finds out about the rules, fire safety, and how things like calls and visits work.

All new prisoners will be given a key worker who will come and get to know them.

Accommodation

Around 690 men live at Featherstone across 7 house units. There is a mixture of single and shared rooms.

Facilities include a gym and library.

Education and work

Education at Featherstone is provided by Novus. They run a number of academic courses including Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2 Maths and English and ITQ.

They also run vocational courses including:

• hospitality
• horticulture
• painting and decorating
• carpentry
• brick laying
• cleaning
• barbering

Prisoners can also complete higher level qualifications through the Open University.

There are a wide range of activities and interventions available for prisoners to develop their skills and progress through their sentence.

Featherstone also runs specialist qualifications in RMF rail track, motor vehicle and tyre fitting.

Prisoners can also work in a wide range of workshops, including industries, construction, textiles and a print shop.

Support for family and friends

Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends.

Support at Featherstone

Families can get help and advice from the family engagement team at the visitors centre.

Problems and complaints

If you have a problem contact Featherstone.

HM Prison and Probation Service publishes action plans for Featherstone in response to independent inspections.

Contact Featherstone

Governor: Laura Whitehurst

Telephone (24 hours): 01902 703 000
Fax: 01902 703 001
Find out about call charges

Address

See map

Safer custody hotline

If you are concerned about the safety or wellbeing of a man in Featherstone, contact the safer custody team.

Email: safercustody.featherstone@justice.gov.uk
Safer custody hotline: 01902 703081

In an emergency, contact the main switchboard.