Prison How-Tos: Step-by-Step Guides for Prisoners and Families
Last reviewed: August 2026
When someone goes to prison, the family left behind is expected to learn a whole new system overnight – booking systems, property rules, phone credit, visit orders. Nobody hands you a manual. This page is our attempt at that manual: the most-used step-by-step guides on the site, organised by situation.
Before prison: preparing for a sentence
If a court date is coming and custody is likely, preparation genuinely reduces the shock. Our guide on how to prepare for prison covers what to sort out beforehand – housing, bills, childcare, what to tell employers – and what actually happens on the first night. See also how to avoid a prison sentence for what mitigation can realistically achieve, and how much of a sentence you actually serve – especially important now the Sentencing Act 2026 has moved standard release towards the one-third point under earned progression.
Staying in touch
Contact is the lifeline of any sentence. The essentials: how to contact a prisoner, how to visit a prisoner, using Email a Prisoner, and how prison phone calls work. If you have lost track of where someone is being held, how to find what prison someone is in explains the official Prisoner Location Service.
Money and property
Prisoners buy phone credit, toiletries and extras from their weekly “canteen”, funded by wages and money sent in. Read how to send money to a prisoner (it is all digital now via GOV.UK), how much money prisoners are allowed, and what prisoners get on release.
Moving through the system
Sentences rarely stay still: men and women move between prisons as their category changes. Our guides cover how to get a prison transfer, how to apply for parole, how to appeal a sentence and how to appeal a conviction.
Most popular how-to guides
| Guide | Who it’s for | What you’ll learn |
|---|---|---|
| How to visit a prisoner | Families and friends | Booking, ID rules, what to wear and bring |
| How to send money | Families | The GOV.UK digital service, limits and timescales |
| How to prepare for prison | Anyone facing sentence | Practical checklist before a court date |
| How to survive prison | First-timers | Routines, etiquette and staying safe |
| How to get a transfer | Serving prisoners | Grounds, applications and realistic timescales |
- Turning up to visit without booking or ID – you will be turned away. Always book and check the ID list first.
- Sending cash or postal orders – money must go through the official digital service in England and Wales; cash sent in the post is refused or delayed.
- Posting parcels unannounced – most prisons only accept property that has been approved in advance; unapproved parcels are returned.
- Assuming every prison works the same – rules differ by establishment and are stricter in higher-category prisons; check the individual prison’s page first.
Why trust these guides?
Prison Guide was founded by Daniel Hockey, who served a prison sentence himself – starting at HMP Wandsworth and finishing in open conditions at HMP Ford – and wrote The Secret Prisoner (2021). These guides combine that first-hand experience with the official rules published by GOV.UK and the findings of HM Inspectorate of Prisons, so you get what the rulebook says and how it works in practice.
FAQ
What should I do first when someone is sent to prison?
Find out where they are held (they can call you, or use the Prisoner Location Service), get their prisoner number, set up money transfers and book a visit. Our contact and visiting guides walk through each step.
How quickly can I visit after sentencing?
Usually within the first week or two, once the prisoner has added you to their visitor list and a visit order is issued. Remand prisoners can generally receive more frequent visits than sentenced prisoners.
Are these guides up to date?
We review guides against current GOV.UK guidance and mark each page with a “last reviewed” date, including changes brought in by the Sentencing Act 2026 – see our plain-English explainer.
I can’t find the guide I need – what now?
Try the prison tools page for services like Email a Prisoner and Prison Voicemail, or use the site search – there are hundreds of guides covering individual prisons and situations.
