Stocken Prison

Book and plan your visit to Stocken

To visit someone in Stocken 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

Spaces fill up so visitors are encouraged to book as far in advance as possible.

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

Contact Stocken 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 Stocken
• somewhere to stay overnight
• meals

How to book family and friends visits

You can book your visit online or by telephone.

Telephone booking line: 01780 795 156
The booking line is open: Monday to Friday, 9am to 11am.
Find out about call charges

 Visiting times:

• Monday, 1:45pm to 3:45pm
• Tuesday, 1:45pm to 3:45pm
• Wednesday, 1:45pm to 3:45pm
• Thursday, 1:45pm to 3:45pm
• Saturday, 9am to 11am and 1:45pm to 3:45pm
• Sunday, 9am to 11am and 1:45pm to 3:45pm          

You must be booked in by 9:45am for morning visits and 2:30pm for afternoon visits, or you may be refused entry into the visits hall.

Visits will last one hour and will fall within these times. Your time with your loved one will not start until you’re in the visits hall.

How to book legalofficial and professional visits

To book aan visitofficial pleasevisit, email Officialvisits.Stocken@justice.gov.uk

Video link visiting times:

• Monday, 2pm to 4pm
• Tuesday, 8:30am to 11:30am and 2pm to 4pm
• Wednesday,8:30am to 11:30am and 2pm to 4pm
• Thursday, 8:30am to 11:30am and 2pm to 4pm

InOfficial personface visitingto face visit times:

• Tuesday, 8:30am to 11:30am
• Wednesday, 8:30am to 11:30am
• Thursday, 8:30am to 11:30am

Getting to Stocken Prison

Find Stocken on a map

The closest railway stations are Stamford, Grantham and Oakham. You will need to take a taxi from the station to the prison.

To plan your journey by public transport use:

• National Rail Enquiries
• Traveline for local bus times

There is car parking available at the prison including space for Blue Badge holders.

Entering Stocken 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 rub-down search, including children. You will walk through, or be scanned by, a metal detector. You may also be sniffed by security dogs. You may be searched again after using the toilets.

HMP Stocken has a dress code policy to ensure a family friendly visits environment is in place at all times.

It is therefore considered inappropriate to wear the following clothing:

• short/cropped tops that reveal naked midriff
• low cut tops or shirts that unbutton to reveal cleavage or bare chest
• vests (as a single garment)
• mini-skirts that are shorter than knee length and expose thighs
• shorts that are shorter than knee length and expose thighs
• all types of see-through clothing
• headwear (other than for religious purposes)
• clothing that is offensive in nature or displays offensive discriminatory, or inappropriate material
• ripped or inappropriately damaged clothing
• cloaks, capes, scarves or other articles that could prevent staff from observing visitors and prisoners sufficiently, this includes hoodies/hooded clothing
• steel toe capped shoes/boots or cycle/ motorcycle shoes
• non-prescription glasses, that is, sunglasses
• smart watches or wearable technology

It is highly likely that entry will be refused if any of the above items are worn.

Any visitor attempting to enter the prison with any prohibited item will have their visit terminated, so please use the lockers in the visitors centre provided.

HMP Stocken has a no coat policy for the visits hall area, visitors are required to use limited coat hooks at your own risk in the visitors search area when entering the prison.

The prison will not accept responsibility for any items left in this area. Coats can only be collected when exiting the establishment once the visit has completed.

Refreshments are available during your visits including hot and cold food and drinks. However please note that a maximum of £50 is allowed per group, a mixture of coins and notes is recommended.

Due to restrictions on items that can enter the prison, you will have to leave all of the things you have with you in a car/locker (you will need a £5 refundable deposit for lockers).

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

The visits room and visitors centre have disabled access and facilities.

Keep in touch with someone at Stocken

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

Secure video calls

Prison video is a great way to support prisoners whose family/friends live across the country or even overseas.

To have a secure video call with someone in this prison you need to:

• Download the Prison Video app
• Create an account
• Register all visitors
• Add the prisoner to your contact list.

How to book a secure video call

Secure video calls at this prison can be requested by prisoners only.

You will receive a notification if a prisoner has requested a video call with you.

Video call visits last 30 minutes and run at the following times:

• Monday, 5pm to 7pm
• Tuesday, 5pm to 7pm
• Wednesday, 5pm to 7pm
• Thursday, 5pm to 7pm
• Friday, 9am to 11:30am and 2pm to 4:45pm

We offer children’s books and homework books in our video visits rooms. Prisoners can use these to interact with their children in a different way.

If you need digital or technical help to use this service, our family support service, Lincolnshire Action Trust (LAT) are on hand to support, please call; 01780 795 100 or email latfamililes.hmpstocken@justice.gov.uk

We also have step by step guides, so please get in touch if you would like any tech support.

Read more about how it works

Phone calls

None of the phones that prisoners have access to 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.

All prisoners on normal location have phones in their cells which they can use at any time.

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.

If you are receiving unwanted contact from a prisoner at HMP Stocken, The Unwanted Prisoner Contact (formerly Victims Helpline) is a national service that prevents victims, or any member of the public, receiving unwanted contact from prisoners.

For enquiries of this nature please contact the service via telephone: 0300 060 6699, open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm.

Email

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

You can also attach photos and received replies.

Letters

You can write at any time.

Include the person’s name and prisoner number or date of birth on the envelope. Also add your name and address on the back of the envelope.

All post, apart from legal letters, will be checked by officers and screened for drugs.

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

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 Prison education and library services, Annex A.

Make sure to include the person’s name and prisoner number on the parcel. They will be opened and checked by officers.

It’s not possible to send any other items or property. You can send prisoners money instead which they can use to buy items through a catalogue system.

Life at Stocken

Stocken is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where prisoners can learn new skills to help them on release. It provides purposeful activity to all prisoners, including programmes, education and employment.

There is a proactive community council and dedicated equalities team offering support to prisoners.

Security and safeguarding

Every prisoner at Stocken 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.

Support networks are available to prisoners including a listeners scheme and recovery network.

If you have concerns about the mental or physical wellbeing of a prisoner at Stocken, please call the safer custody hotline on 01780 795213.

Arrival and first night

When a prisoner first arrives at Stocken, 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.

They also have access to a small shop in reception, where they can buy essential items to see them through to the first regular order.

Induction

Each prisoner that arrives at Stocken 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

Around 1,285 prisoners live at Stocken. We have a number of units and while any prisoner can be housed on any unit, we are taking steps to develop environments to meet the most common needs within our prisoner population. For example:

• F wing: for new prisoners going through induction
• I wing: for prisoners who need support with substance use
• M wing: Recovery and Incentivised substance free living unit
• N wing: for prisoners on the highest privilege level, with in-cell phones and additional facilities
• K wing: Neurodiversity and wellbeing unit
• H wing: Engagement unit
• O wing: for prisoners with longer term sentences

All units have facilities such as showers and in cell telephones.

Education and work

Prisoners at Stocken can take part in full-time or part-time college courses or employment in workshops.

There are vocational training courses available including:

• recycling
• catering
• bicycle maintenance
• painting and decorating
• bricklaying
• plumbing and tiling
• barbering
• motor mechanics/Toyota academy

There is a gym where prisoners can also complete courses leading to qualifications.

Workshops include:

• retail and warehousing in partnership with DHL
• electrical repair in partnership with Karcher
• assembly in partnership with Blauberg UK
• recycling in partnership with recycle your appliance
• engineering in partnership with Niko engineering limited
• gardening

Stocken offers accredited offending behaviour courses along with other psychological services.

There are drug treatment programmes, drug courses and a drug-free wing.

Organisations Stocken works with

Lincolnshire Action Trust helps prisoners and their families maintain healthy relationships.

‘Inclusion’ works with prisoners to help them remain drug and alcohol free both in custody and beyond.

The Royal British Legion and neighbouring barracks help ensure veterans are supported during their time in custody.

Rutland County Council supports Stocken’s bicycle repair workshop by providing bikes from local recycling centres which are then refurbished and donated back to the community.

Family days

We offer 12 family visits days per year, these are available by application through our Lincolnshire Action Trust families team.

Up to 2 adults can visit with the children.

Priority will be given to those who have not had a family visit before.

Support for family and friends

Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends.

To contact the Families and Significant Others Lead email latfamilies.hmpstocken@justice.gov.uk

Support at Stocken

Lincolnshire Action Trust (LAT) provides a children and families service in the visits hall and visitors centre. LAT will see all new visitors for an induction to assess your needs.

They provide family support and activities and games for children.

Concerns, problems and complaints

Contact category	Phone number	Additional information
Non-emergency	01780 795213	Call this number if you have concerns about a prisoner’s safety or wellbeing which are serious but not life-threatening or complete a safer custody contact form on the Prisoners’ Families Helpline website.
Staff Integrity Hotline	0800 917 6877 (24 hours answering machine)	This number can be called anonymously. If you are concerned about a prisoner being bullied by a member of staff, you can use this number. As this line is managed separately from the prison, you can call this number anonymously.
Prisoners’ Families Helpline	0808 808 2003	The Prisoners’ Families Helpline can provide confidential support, advice and guidance.
Unwanted Prisoner Contact	0300 060 6699	If a prisoner is contacting you and you want them to stop, you can use the Unwanted Prisoner Contact Service. You can complete the Stop prisoner contact online form, email unwantedprisonercontact@justice.gov.uk or contact by phone.

Problems and complaints

If you have any other problem contact Stocken.

Inspection reports

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

Contact Stocken Prison

Governor: Russ Truman

Telephone: 01780 795 100
Monday to Friday, 7am to 8pm
Saturday and Sunday, 7am to 5pm
Fax: 01780 410 767
Find out about call charges

Follow Stocken on Twitter/X

Address

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