Liverpool Prison

Book and plan your visit to Liverpool prison

To visit someone in Liverpool Prison you must:

• be on that person’s visitor list
• book your visit at least 48 hours in advance
• have the required ID with you when you go

At least one visitor must be 18 or older at every visit.

There may be a limit to the number of visits a person can have. You can check this with Liverpool Prison.

Contact Liverpool Prison 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 Liverpool Prison
• somewhere to stay overnight
• meals

How to book family and friends visits

Liverpool is currently operating a limited visits schedule for family and friends. You can book your visit by telephone. There is no online booking service available.

Booking line: 0151 530 4050
The booking line is open Monday to Friday: 8:30am to 4:30pm

Find out about call charges

Visiting times:

• Monday to Friday: 1:30pm to 2:30pm, 1:45pm to 2:45pm, 3:15pm to 4:15pm and 3:30pm to 4:30pm

Late arrivals will have visits cancelled. Please arrive 30 before your visiting time slot to allow time to be entered into the prison. You will be given one full hour from the time you enter the visits hall.

How to book legal and professional visits

• Tuesday: 8:50am, 9:06am, 10:21am, 10:35am, 1:50pm, 2:05pm, 3:20pm, 3:35pm
• Thursday: 8:50am, 9:06am, 10:21am, 10:35am, 1:50pm, 2:05pm, 3:20pm, 3:35pm

All slots are 1 hour long.

Getting to Liverpool Prison

Find Liverpool Prison on a map

The closest railway stations are Walton and Rice Lane. Liverpool Prison is about a 5-minute walk from either station. You can also travel by bus from Liverpool city centre.

To plan your journey by public transport:

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

If coming by car, you will need to park outside the prison on Hornby Road. The maximum stay is 2 hours. There is no visitor parking in the prison.

Entering Liverpool Prison

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.

Liverpool Prison has a strict dress code policy which means visitors should dress sensibly. You may be turned away if you are wearing items like vests, low-cut tops, short skirts or clothes with offensive statements on them.

There will be no refreshments available during your visit.

There are strict controls on what you can take into Liverpool Prison. 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 Partners of Prisoners (POPS).

It is open daily from 8:30am to 5pm.

Telephone: 0151 530 4158
Find out about call charges

There is a soft play area for children in the visiting hall. Liverpool also provides activity packs.

Family days

Liverpool Prison holds regular family days and other activities to give prisoners more time to spend time with their children in a relaxed setting. These usually take place during school holidays.

Prisoners can apply for these visits or families can ask about them at the visitors centre.

Keep in touch with someone at Liverpool Prison

There are several ways you can keep in touch with a prisoner during their time at Liverpool Prison.

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 and are able to make calls every day between 6:30am and 11pm.

Phones do not accept incoming 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 Liverpool Prison using the Email a Prisoner service.

You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies from the prisoner, depending on the rules at Liverpool Prison.

Letters

You can write at any time.

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

If you do not know their prison number, contact Liverpool Prison.

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

People in Liverpool Prison have a list of approved items that can be given to them by family and friends during their first 28 days in prison.

Items can be sent in by post or handed in before visits Tuesday to Friday.

You must have a visit booked for the time you hand anything in, otherwise it will not be accepted.

Family and friends 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.

Make sure to include the prisoner’s name and prison number and the sender’s name and address on parcels. All items will be opened and inspected by an officer.

Items and parcels will not normally be accepted after the first 28 days. You can send prisoners money instead which they can use to buy items through a catalogue system.

Contact Liverpool Prison if you have any questions.

Life at Liverpool Prison

Liverpool Prison 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 Liverpool Prison 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 Merseyside Safeguarding Adults Board.

The Samaritans also train prisoners to be ‘listeners’ to help support other prisoners going through difficult times.

Arrival and first night

When a prisoner first arrives at Liverpool Prison, 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.

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

Induction

Each person who arrives at Liverpool Prison 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.

Accommodation

About 750 men live at Liverpool Prison across 8 wings. There is a mixture of shared and single accommodation.

Prisoners have access to a weights room, exercise equipment, sports hall and outdoor pitches. The physical education department runs a full programme of team activities and circuit training.

Education and work

Education at Liverpool Prison is provided by Novus. Men can learn important skills, such as English and Maths, and train in a variety of professions including plastering, painting and decorating, catering, construction, industrial cleaning and IT. Subjects are picked to match opportunities in the local jobs market. Liverpool Prison works with careers guidance agencies to help guide prisoners into employment on release.

Liverpool Prison runs several industrial workshops providing employment for prisoners. These include the leather workshop, which produces leather goods for prisons, and the laundry, which processes internal and external commercial cleaning contracts.

Liverpool Prison also offers a range of social and personal development courses focusing on rehabilitation and self-improvement.

Support for family and friends

Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends.

Support at Liverpool Prison

Partners of Prisoners (POPS) and the chaplaincy can provide individual support to families and friends of prisoners with a wide range of issues.

To speak to POPS, call 0151 530 4158.

To speak to the chaplaincy, call the Liverpool Prison main telephone number.

Problems and complaints

If you have a problem contact Liverpool Prison.

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

Contact Liverpool Prison

Governor: Mark Livingston

Email: bsuliverpool@justice.gov.uk
Telephone (24 hours): 0151 530 4000
Fax: 0151 530 4001
Find out about call charges

Follow Liverpool Prison on Twitter

Address

See map

Safer custody hotline

If you have concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a man in Liverpool Prison, call or email the concern for prisoner care helpline.

Email: safercustodyliverpool@hmps.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0800 528 0970
Find out about call charges