Example 1: Arif
“Hi there, I’m calling on behalf of Arif Hossain. That’s Arif spelt A – R – I – F, and Hossain spelt H – O – S – S – A – I – N. His Prisoner Number is A1234BC, that’s A – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – B – C and his date of birth is 27 / 04 / 1990.
My name is Devi Hossain, and I’m his wife. My phone number is 07935 693 406, that’s 0 - 7 - 9 - 3 - 5 - 6 - 9 - 3 - 4 - 0 - 6.
Arif has cystic fibrosis and is a type 1 diabetic. His doctors have said he should be taken to hospital for checks on his lungs every ten to twelve weeks, however he has been at this prison for 7 months and has not yet received any hospital checks. For someone with cystic fibrosis, these checks could be life-saving.
Because Arif’s lungs are vulnerable, even a minor infection could be serious for him. His cellmate has a bad cough and we’re worried Arif could catch it. We’d like him to be in a single cell so he is safer from lung infections
Please could you ask the healthcare department to assess Arif for single-cell status, and also please ask them to organise a hospital appointment for Arif to have his lungs checked.
Thank you very much. I’d be grateful if you could call me back with an update – you can call anytime.”
Example 2: David
“Hi there, I’m calling on behalf of David Thompson. His Prisoner Number is A9876DE and date of birth is 05 / 11 / 2001. That’s David Thompson, prisoner number A-9-8-7-6-D-E and date of birth 05 / 11 / 2001.
My name is Julia Fischler and I’m his mum. My phone number is 07499 239471, that’s 0-7-4-9-9-2-3-9-4-7-1.
David said on the phone to me last night: “I don’t see the point in being alive anymore”. I have noticed a deterioration of his mental health in recent weeks and am concerned that he is at risk of self-harm and may even attempt suicide. I believe he receives medication for depression, but he hasn’t had an appointment with the healthcare team for several months.
Please could you arrange for David to be put on an ACCT or be watched 24/7 for his safety, for him to be referred to the mental healthcare team and for him to receive an immediate welfare check?
Thank you very much. I’d be grateful if you could call me back with an update – you can call anytime.”
Here is a simple template to help you craft your own voicemail: