If you need support:

You can contact the Pact Family Workers at HMP Wandsworth directly by filling in this form. You can also email the team at HMP Wandsworth directly by emailing [email protected].

For more information, support and advice on all aspects of the justice system, you can contact the Prisoners’ Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003 (9am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am – 3pm at the weekend).

See some information that needs updating?

If you notice anything that is incorrect on this page, please contact us on [email protected]. Any further information can be found on the prison website at www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder/wandsworth or you can ring the main switchboard on 020 8588 4000.

***

Address:

HMP Wandsworth

17 Heathfield Road

London

SW18 3HR

Governor: Katie Price

Operations Manager: Stacey James

Pact Worker Contact: You can contact Pact at this prison by emailing [email protected] 

Visitors’ Centre Telephone: 0208 588 4351 (Monday - Thursday from 8am - 5pm).

Pact Family Engagement Manager: TBC

HMP Wandsworth has produced a Gateway Companion booklet with information on what life in prison is like under normal circumstances. Please note: this booklet does not reflect how the prison runs with COVID-19 measures in place.

Visits

You are expected to arrive at the Visitors' Centre 30 minutes before the start time of your visit. You will not be allowed in if you arrive more than 15 minutes after your visit start time. 

The morning session visits on Wednesdays and Thursdays are changing to a double visit.

These sessions will be for enhanced prisoners and those that live over 50 miles.

Only 1 VO is required for this visits. 

 

Social Visits

 

Monday

09:30am-11:45pm

13:30pm-14:30pm

15:30pm-16:30pm  

 

Tuesday

09:30am-11:45pm

13:30pm-14:30pm

15:30pm-16:30pm 

 

Wednesday

09:30am-11:45pm

13:30pm-14:30pm

15:30pm-16:30pm 

 

Thursday

09:30am-11:45pm

13:30pm-14:30pm

15:30pm-16:30pm 

Friday

No visits

 

Saturday

09:30am-11:45pm

13:30pm-14:30pm

15:30pm-16:30pm 

 

Sunday

09:30am-11:45pm

13:30pm-14:30pm

15:30pm-16:30pm 

Purple Visits - HMP Wandsworth are now offering 2 Purple Visits a month.

Visits Times

 Morning

Afternoon

 

Monday - Thursday 

Session 1 – 09:00 – 09:30

Session 2 – 10:00 – 10:30

Session 3 – 11:00 – 11:30

Session 1 – 14:00 – 14:30

Session 2 – 15:00 – 15:30

Session 3 – 16:00 – 16:30

Friday

Friday Purple Visit are for K1/ E wing only.

Session 1 – 09:00 – 09:30

Session 2 – 10:00 – 10:30

Session 3 – 11:00 – 11:30

 

Session 1 – 14:00 – 14:30

Session 2 – 15:00 – 15:30

Session 3 – 16:00 – 16:30

Details of legal visits can be found further down the page.

Booking a visit:

Social visits can be booked in two ways:

Telephone: 0300 060 6509

Lines are open 09:00 – 18:00 from Monday to Friday and closed on Bank Holidays and weekends.

Online: www.gov.uk/prison-visits

You will need:

  • the name and date of birth of the person you would like to visit,
  • their prison number and name,
  • full dates of births for all the visitors coming with you.

You can choose up to three possible dates and times. You will receive a confirmation email confirming the visit has been booked.

All visits (except induction visits) must be booked in advance. Only those visitors whose details have been listed on the Prisoner’s Authorisation Contact List (as provided by the prisoner) and those whom are named on the booking will be allowed entry into the prison. 

Prison staff cannot add visitor(s) to a Prisoner’s Authorisation Contact List without the consent and authorisation of a prisoner. The prisoner will be required to provide their visitors’ personal details to the booked visits team by putting in an application to booked visits using the digital kiosk.

Full personal details required are:

  • full name,
  • contact number(s),
  • full address and postcode,
  • full date of birth.

Adults and children must all have Identification; for more information regarding Identification, please see Identification Policy below.

Changes to bookings

Any changes to bookings must be made by telephone before 12pm, one day prior to the date of the proposed visit. In the case of a Saturday, Sunday or Monday visit, any changes must be made by the previous Friday, before 12pm.

Please note, there are no social visits on the second Wednesday of each month.

No visitor will be allowed to visit without being added to the prisoner’s contact list by the prisoner only; this does not apply to induction visits within the first seven days of custody.

Visitor details provided by the prisoner on the prisoner’s contact list must match the visitor’s photographic identification. Visitors will not be permitted into the visit if their details do not correspond with their photographic ID.

 

Legal Visits

 Times

Monday – Thursday 

08:30 - 09:30

10:30 - 11:30

13:30 - 14:30

15:30 - 16:30

All legal visits are booked by email at [email protected]

The prison must be given 72 hours’ notice of the date and time you wish to visit and please always include an alternative date, as legal visits are usually fully booked 7 days in advance.

A minimum of 24 hours’ notice is required of any cancellations. No alterations to a visit can be accepted after 14:00 the day before the visit. All visits are for one hour only. There are no legal or social visits on the second Wednesday of every month, bank holidays or public holidays.

HMP Wandsworth Visits Policy Statement

The role of visits is vital to the prisoner’s rehabilitation process. Creating the right impression and actively encouraging the development of family relationships helps to achieve this. The visit should be allowed to take place in a relaxed and cordial atmosphere whilst retaining the highest standards of security necessary. Security is paramount in all aspects of the visiting process, but whenever possible this will be discreet and unobtrusive.

Visits Charter

HMP Wandsworth will enable prisoners to maintain close and meaningful relationships with family and friends, including those with special needs.

We wish to provide all visits users with a safe, welcoming environment.

To achieve this you can expect:

  • To be treated with courtesy and respect.
  • Sessions to start on time or to be kept informed of any delays.
  • To receive your full visits entitlement.
  • Visitors’ details to be kept confidential.
  • To be kept informed of changes to visits timings.
  • Assistance with any special requests.
  • To have access to all policies relating to visits.

In return we would like you to:

  • Treat staff and other visits users with courtesy and respect.
  • Attend for your visit on time.
  • Terminate your visit when requested.
  • Not attempt to bring in unauthorized articles.
  • Maintain control and supervision of any children in your care.
  • Share with us any matters regarding the health or welfare that is of concern to them. Any information shared will be treated in the strictest confidence and only divulged to any relevant parties.

Please remember that the Visits Charter standards are an attempt to meet your needs within the available Prison Service resource.

Family Support from Pact

Read the latest support update from Pact at HMP Wandsworth.

Pact family support will be available by email and you can access this by contacting [email protected]. If your issue is complex and you need to talk to us in person, please include your number in the email and tell us that you would like a call back - it would also be helpful if you could let us know whether we are able to leave a message if there is no answer - and we will aim to get back to you as soon as we possibly can. If you have urgent concerns about the welfare of your loved one in prison, please call the prison Safer Custody line directly on 020 8588 4252.

You can also contact the Prisoners’ Families Helpline for advice and support on all aspects of the criminal justice system:

  • Call 0808 808 2003 (9am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am – 3pm at the weekend)
  • Email the team on [email protected]

Other ways to keep in touch

Phone

To speak to a prisoner on the phone, the prisoner has to call you using a prison phone.

Prison staff can listen to and record most types of call. Some calls aren’t monitored, for example when a prisoner calls a legal adviser.

Letters

Letters to prisoners should be addressed to: 

HMP Wandsworth

17 Heathfield Road

London

SW18 3HR

(Prisoners name and prison number)

You must write your own name and address on the back of the envelope or it will not be delivered to the prisoner.

If you do not know the prisoners’ prison number, please address the envelope as above with the prisoner’s date of birth next to his name.

Email

Wandsworth uses a service called Email a Prisoner, which can be accessed at emailaprisoner.com

Through this service, family and friends can send a message which is printed out and delivered by prison staff by hand. Once you have signed up, you will receive an activation link via email which you must click on in order to activate your account and send a message. You must buy a minimum of £5 credit in order to use the service, which runs at a cost of 40p per email and at no charge to the recipient.

Voicemail

Family members and friends can sign up to PrisonVoicemail.com, a service which allows social contacts to exchange voicemails with prisoners.

On signing up, you will be given a unique local landline number you can call at any time to leave a message; this message will be instantly available for your loved one to listen to. Prisoners can check their messages by dialling the same unique number from any phone in the prison and may leave a reply. When the message has been heard, the family member receives an instant text notification, signalling they may leave another message.

In order to access messages, the prisoner pays the cost of a landline call, but the cost of the service itself is paid by the family or friend.

Plans start from £5 per month.

Secure Video Calls 

This prison offers a secure video call service called Prison Video. You will need to use the Prison Video app on your phone or tablet device to have a video call with someone in prison. 

The Prison Video app is available to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store (or equivalent app stores outside the UK).  HMPPS has produced a user guide and a list of frequently asked questions that will give you all the information you need to start using Prison Video. You can find this at https://www.prisonersfamilies.org/change-of-video-call-service  

Only people aged 18 or over can register for an account with Prison Video. 

You will need to provide your name, address, and date of birth, and upload photos of your ID and face. You will also need to add details of any other people who wish to take part in the video calls with you, such as children, and upload a clear photo of each participant’s face. 

You will need to upload ID for people over the age of 18 only, unless the prison specifically asks for anything else.

Security checks

You may be required to have your finger or thumb prints scanned as part of a security check. You may also have an iris scan.

Sometimes you will be sniffed by security dogs. Make sure you wear clothes that are not contaminated by any form of drug as you will be returned to the Visitors’ Centre and will not be able to have your visit. You may also be searched by a prison officer (of the same gender).

During your visit, officers will be with you throughout and will open and lock doors in front of and behind you at all stages.

Identification Policy

All visitors to HMP Wandsworth will be required to provide proof of identification before entry is granted with their details and finger-scans being entered onto the biometrics system. The establishment will not allow entry if visitors do not comply with these procedures and or identification cannot be satisfactorily established.

In setting the ID requirement, it has been necessary for the prison to strike a balance between the need to satisfactorily establish the identity of any visitors, and preventing visitors’ entry to the establishment because they are not in possession of sufficient identity documents. It is recognised that in exceptional circumstances, there may be occasions where visitors are genuinely unable to meet the ID requirements. In these instances, visitors should make a written application to the Governor explaining their circumstances. It should be noted that exceptional permission such as this will only be granted in advance of a visit, and visitors should not expect exceptional permission to be granted on the day of the visit. 

Please view Updated I.D. requirements here.

If you do not have a passport or driving license you can order a citizen ID card that you can use. You can find out more here www.citizencard.com. You can also receive a 10% discount on your application by contacting [email protected].

Adults (18 years and over) visitors must provide:

 You will need to bring one or more forms of identification with you to all your prison visits.

 If you have photographic identification (ID with your name and picture on - for example, a passport or driving licence) then you will only need to show this one form of ID. You can find a list of acceptable types of photographic ID in List A below.

 If you do not have photographic identification, you will need to show two different forms of ID before you are allowed to visit. You can find a list of the acceptable forms of non-photographic ID in List B and List C below

 

List A: Acceptable types of photographic ID

You can use any one of the following documents with your photograph on:

 

If you aren't able to provide one of the ID documents listed above, you will need to provide two different forms of ID – one from List B and one from List C.

 

If you don’t have photographic ID you must provide one of the following ID documents:

 

List B

  • A Home Office travel document (convention travel document, stateless person's document, one-way document or a certificate of travel).
  • An older person's bus pass.
  • Freedom Pass.
  • Proof of age card recognised under the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) without a unique reference number.

 

In addition to one of the above documents, you will also need to provide one of the items from the following list:

 

List C

  • Your birth or adoption certificate.
  • An education certificate from a regulated and recognised educational institution (such as an NVQ, SQA, GCSE, A Level or degree certificate)
  • A rental or purchase agreement for a residential property (signed and dated).
  • Your marriage or civil partnership certificate.
  • A bank, building society or credit union current account card (which has your name on it).

 Any combination of the above documents should be accepted, but you will need one from List B and one from List C

    Children’s Identification Policy

    Children (under 18 years) may be required to produce one piece of ID that includes their date of birth, to confirm that they are under 18.

    This might include:

    • birth certificate,
    • Personal Child Health Record (also known as the PCHR or 'red book’) if the child is under three months,
    • valid passport.

    Dress code

    For security, health and safety reasons, some prisons have a specific dress code for visitors and others have a more relaxed policy, making assessments on a case by case basis.

    At the time we compiled this information, the dress code at HMP Wandsworth was as follows.

    • Hats/scarves – may not be worn in the visits hall with the exception of religious headwear (e.g. Sikh turbans, Jewish yarmulkes, Muslim kufi, the hijab and Rastafarian hats). These will be subject to searching as per HMP’s Searching Policy.
    • Gloves/sunglasses – are not to be worn. These should be left in the lockers provided in the Visitors' Centre.
    • Hooded tops – can be worn but not with the hood up.
    • Skirts/dresses – skirts must cover the top third portion of the legs and when sat down underwear must not be seen.
    • Shorts – high cut shorts are not permitted.
    • Tops and dress tops – torn or ripped tops may not be worn and must be sufficient to cover both breasts, back and the midriff area and must not be transparent. Cleavage must be appropriately covered so as not to cause offence, athletic singlets (vests) are not permitted.
    • Trousers – ripped or torn jeans/trousers may not be worn.
    • Footwear must be enclosed – sandals/flip-flops may be worn but these are at the visitor's own risk due to the visits area being outdoors prior to entering the social visits hall and climbing stairs.
    • Logos – clothing displaying offensive patterns or logos will not be permitted (such as cannabis leaves, racist logos or offensive language).

    What can I bring in for my children?

    Please note, some of these rules may have changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Please contact the prison to confirm.

    You can take a reasonable amount of nappies and wipes. Baby food can be taken in but not in a glass jar.

    Staff have discretion to allow in dummies and similar items.

    You are not authorised to take in the following items:

    • no extra clothing,
    • no food i.e. crisps, biscuits etc. (these items can be bought within the visit hall),
    • no cream i.e. Sudocrem, Bonjela etc.

    Food and drink

    There is a cashless tea bar open to visitors at HMP Wandsworth.

    Money

    How do I send money to a prisoner?

    From 2nd November 2020 the way prisoners can send and receive money has changed. You can no longer send money by bank transfer, cheque, postal order or send cash by post to any prison. You’ll need to send money through the Money to Prisoners Portal using a debit card instead. 

    The Money to Prisoners Portal service is free, secure and available in all prisons in England and Wales.

    To get started on the Portal you will need the prisoner's date of birth and prisoner number.

    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

    You cannot give money to the prisoner during a visit.

    Banned items

    Do not attempt to bring any of the following into prison during your visit:

    • illegal drugs,
    • alcohol,
    • weapons,
    • a camera,
    • a mobile phone,
    • indecent or obscene material,
    • material that threatens the security of the prison,
    • material that is written in code.

    If you are unsure what you can bring, contact the prison directly.

    Property

    Property Hand ins will recommence from Thursday 10th June

    • The property hand- ins are re-opening for hand-ins of clothing, for details of what clothing please see the facilities list (Available to prisoners on the kiosks). They will take place in the visitors centre.
    • Anyone who has not had their initial 28 day hand in of property since arrival will be able to get a hand in of property.
    • You will need to book a slot via the property app on the kiosk. There will be a maximum of 25 slots per day during the week and 12 slots on a Saturday.
    • The person dropping off needs to be on the visits list, they will need to have ID and are required to wear a mask and observe social distancing when dropping off property.

    Property hand in times:

    Tuesday and Thursday - Between 09:00-11:45 and 13:30-15:45

    Saturday - 09:00 -11:45

    To avoid disappointment please remember: No Hoodies, No ripped jeans, No black trousers, No white shirts, No white T-shirts, No sports jerseys, football, rugby or cricket (team colours), No clothing with offensive language should be handed in.

    Underwear – socks and boxers/underpants. No limit but be sensible. ID is required for drop off but no prior booking required for just underwear and socks

    Social distancing rules apply Masks must be worn, if a visitor arrives without a mask they will be refused entry.

    Financial Assistance for Visits

    If you are on a low income or receive benefits you may be entitled to financial assistance for the cost of visiting your relative in prison. Help is provided by the Assisted Prison Visits Unit (APVU). For more information, visit: www.gov.uk/help-with-prison-visits

    How to get there

    Train: the nearest National Rail services are Clapham Junction, Earlsfield and Wandsworth Common train stations.

    • From Clapham Junction, catch the 77 bus service to Earlsfield Road, or the 219 bus service (towards Tooting Broadway) to the County Arms Public House.
    • From Earlsfield station, take the 77 bus all the way down Earlsfield Road to the Heathfield Road stop. At Wandsworth Common station, walk from Bellevue Road across common (approximately 10-15 minutes) to the prison. Alternatively, there is a mini-cab office beside station.
    • Take a London Underground train to Tooting Bec (Northern line), then complete the journey by bus routes below.

    Bus:

    • From Clapham Junction, catch the 77 bus service to Earlsfield Road, or the 219 bus service (towards Tooting Broadway) to the County Arms Public House.
    • From Earlsfield station, take the 77 bus (towards Waterloo) all the way down Earlsfield Road to the Heathfield Road stop.
    • From Tooting Bec tube station catch the 219 bus (towards Clapham Junction) to the County Arms Public House.

    Car:

    • The prison is situated in Heathfield Road, just off the junction of Trinity Road and Earlsfield Road/Windmill Rd SW18. If using a SatNav, the postcode to be entered is SW18 3HU. From Wandsworth Bridge roundabout, travel up Trinity Road, take the first right at traffic lights, then first left at next traffic lights.
    • From East or South London: South Circular Rd (A205) westbound to Clapham Common, then Nightingale Lane (B237) towards Wandsworth, then Trinity Road (A214).
    • From West or North London: South Circular Road eastbound to Wandsworth, then follow signs for Streatham to Trinity Road.

    For urgent concerns:

    If you have a concern about the well-being of a prisoner that is urgent, but not life threatening:

    You should ring the Safer Custody team on 020 8588 4296 between 7am and 4pm. If you are taken to an answer phone you will need to leave a message explaining your concern, along with your name and ask for the team to return your call if you would like them to, leaving your contact details. Outside of these hours, please call 0208 588 4290 and ask to speak to the Orderly Officer.

    For more information about what to do if you are worried about your loved one in prison, or to share non-urgent concerns with the prison via an online form, visit: HMP Wandsworth | Prisoners' Families Helpline (prisonersfamilies.org)

    See some information that needs updating?

    This guide includes information that you may find useful for the duration of the time your family or friend is a resident at HMP Wandsworth. If you notice anything that is incorrect on this page, please contact us on [email protected].

    Any further information can be found on the prison website at www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder/wandsworth or you can ring the main switchboard on 020 8588 4000.