Cardiff Prison Telephone Number, Visits and Address
Last reviewed: July 2026
HMP Cardiff is a category B local men’s prison right in the centre of Cardiff, a few minutes’ walk from Queen Street station. It holds around 800 men, most of them on remand from the local courts or serving shorter sentences. If someone has just been sent there, this page gathers the verified contact details, visiting times and booking steps so you can arrange your first visit without stress.
Contact details at a glance
| What you need | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | HMP Cardiff, Knox Road, Cardiff CF24 0UG |
| Switchboard (24 hours) | 029 2092 3100 |
| Social visits booking | 0300 303 2301 (Mon–Fri 9am–3pm) or online |
| Video visits (non-legal) | [email protected] |
| Family support line | 029 2092 3389 |
| Type of prison | Category B local men’s prison, publicly run, approx. 800 places |
Visiting times at HMP Cardiff
Social visits run Monday to Friday from 2pm to 3.30pm, on Saturdays from 9.30am to 11am and 2pm to 3.30pm, and on Sundays from 2pm to 3.30pm. Book at least 48 hours in advance. On weekdays you check in at the family visitors’ centre just outside the prison before going through security, so arrive at least half an hour early. Every adult needs photo ID, and Cardiff applies the dress code firmly – nothing too revealing, no offensive slogans, and keep hoods down.
How to book a visit
Most families use the GOV.UK online service: you will need the prisoner’s name, date of birth and prison number, plus dates of birth for everyone attending. The phone line (0300 303 2301) covers anyone who cannot book online and also handles first “early days in custody” visits for men who have just arrived – worth knowing, because those first visits are often the ones families are most anxious to arrange. The prisoner must have you on his approved visitor list before a booking will go through. Our booking a visit to Cardiff prison page walks through it step by step, and the prison visiting rules guide covers ID and what you can take in.
What HMP Cardiff is like in 2026
Cardiff is a busy Victorian local prison and, like most of them, it is overcrowded – inspectors found many men doubled up in cells designed for one. That said, HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ most recent full inspection (reported in 2024) found it cleaner, calmer and safer than many similar prisons, while flagging drugs and self-harm as continuing concerns. Daily life, wings and regime are covered on our what is Cardiff prison like page and the HMP Cardiff profile.
Families are better supported here than at many prisons: the visitors’ centre is run by Invisible Walls Family Services (open Monday to Friday, 1pm–4.15pm), and the prison runs regular family visits through the year plus baby-group sessions for fathers with very young children. Ask the visitors’ centre team or ring the family support line to find out how to get on the list.
• Booking less than 48 hours ahead – the system will not accept it.
• Going straight to the main gate on a weekday instead of checking in at the visitors’ centre first.
• Forgetting photo ID – no ID means no visit, with no exceptions.
• Not being on the approved visitor list yet – the prisoner adds you from inside, so ask him to do it early.
• Bringing your phone to the visits hall – lock it away before security.
Writing, phoning and sending money
Letters go to Knox Road with the prisoner’s full name and prison number. He can call you from his prison phone account – you cannot call him – so keeping credit topped up matters, especially in the early weeks; see our prison phone credit guide. Send money through the official GOV.UK service rather than posting cash or postal orders, which take far longer and can go missing.
A note from experience
Prison Guide’s founder Daniel Hockey served a sentence himself, from HMP Wandsworth to open conditions at HMP Ford, and wrote The Secret Prisoner (2021). His practical advice for local-prison visits like Cardiff: book the moment you know the prison number, because the first fortnight is when a visit means the most.
Frequently asked questions
What category is Cardiff prison?
HMP Cardiff is a category B local prison, taking men directly from the South Wales courts, both on remand and sentenced.
How do I find out someone’s prison number?
Ask the prisoner in a call or letter, or use the GOV.UK find a prisoner service if you have lost touch.
Is there parking at HMP Cardiff?
There is no visitor car park; the prison is central, so most people use public transport – it is around ten minutes on foot from Cardiff Queen Street station.
Can children visit?
Yes, children can attend social visits with an adult, and the family visits and baby-group sessions are designed specifically for keeping children connected with their dads.
Official sources: GOV.UK – Cardiff Prison and HM Inspectorate of Prisons.
