Your first few days: reception and induction
What to ask about health, belongings, contact home and finding your way around.
The first days can bring a lot of information at once. You do not have to remember it all. Start by telling staff what you need now, then ask for one thing at a time to be explained.
If something needs attention now
Tell staff immediately if you feel unsafe, have an urgent medical problem, are thinking of suicide or harming yourself, or are worried about medication or withdrawal. Do not wait for induction to finish or rely on a routine application. If speaking is difficult, say plainly that you need staff help now and ask for communication support.
Reception: belongings and immediate needs
Expect identity and property procedures, information about the prison and an assessment of immediate needs. Ask what you can keep, what is stored and how to raise a problem with your property record. If there is something you cannot understand or read, ask for help before confirming it.
Ask about essentials for the night: toiletries, bedding, food, drinking water, clothing and any accessibility or dietary need. The exact pack and arrangements vary. If something is missing, tell staff rather than assuming you have to go without.
The reception health check
Reception screening includes physical and mental health needs, medication, alcohol or drug use, and self-harm or suicide risk. Tell healthcare about existing conditions, allergies, medication, your last dose and anything you are worried about. Explain if you have trouble remembering names or doses, so staff know more information is needed.
You can say: “I take regular medication. Can we check what happens about my next dose?” If your condition changes or you need urgent help afterwards, tell staff again. A peer mentor can help you find the right route, but cannot make treatment decisions.
The first call home is not the same as regular calls
The prison communications instruction requires local arrangements for an early call within the first 24 hours of first reception. It should not be read as a promise of a call immediately on arrival, a fixed call length or permission to contact someone where restrictions apply. Tell staff if you have not been able to notify an appropriate person.
My first call was about two minutes. It was enough to let family know where I was. But that didn’t mean my own phone account was ready. I could then be waiting around a week for numbers to go onto my PIN. Families need to know there can be that gap after hearing from you the first time.
The two-minute call and week-long wait are personal experience, not standard allowances. Ask how to submit your contact numbers, what checks apply and how to follow up. Keep your PIN private.
A delayed number is not the same as an authorised contact. Domestic abuse concerns, victim protection, child safeguarding and court or other contact restrictions can mean further checks or contact being refused. Ask staff whether a request is pending or contact is restricted. Never use another person’s account or a third party to get around restrictions.
Families should not assume silence means rejection or that everything is fine. For a welfare concern, use the prison’s published contacts; for an immediate risk, open urgent help.
More about waiting for phone contact ↗On the first night, ask the practical questions
- How do I get staff help from my cell or room?
- Who do I tell if I feel unsafe or unwell?
- What happens about medication, meals and drinking water?
- How do I get essential toiletries, suitable clothing or bedding?
- When will someone check in with me again?
- Who can help if I need an interpreter or help with reading?
Accommodation and routines differ. Do not rely on somebody else’s account of another prison as a promise about yours.
Induction: understanding how this prison works
Induction introduces the local rules, daily routines and support routes. It can cover health, education, activities, family contact, visits, fire safety and asking for help. Its length and order vary: Preston’s official page, for example, describes around a week. That is a local example, not a timetable for every prison.
Ask how to make applications, contact healthcare, register visitors, arrange phone numbers, access education, use the library and find approved peer support. Check how to order essentials and what to do while waiting. Ask for information again if it came too quickly.
Find a person, not just a form
Ask which staff member or approved peer mentor can help with your question. If a request is unanswered, say when you made it and what is still unresolved. If reading, language or another access need is making things difficult, tell staff and ask for suitable help.
I’d introduce myself and ask how somebody was getting on, rather than start firing checklist questions at them. If they said there was too much to take in, I’d break it down. What needed sorting first? Who could deal with it? Then I’d go back and check what happened. A completed induction checklist wasn’t the end of the conversation.
For families waiting outside
You may not receive every update, and the first call may be short. Have a brief list of important things to say and leave space to ask how they are. You do not have to solve every problem during one call. Ask what staff already know and what help the person wants from you, within any contact restrictions.
Find independent family support ↗ · Find the prison’s official contacts ↗
Before sentencing: what to prepare ↗ · Print the first-days conversation sheet ↗
Based on Before the Gate Resource 18 and the experience shared for this project. Official guidance checked 16 October 2026: GOV.UK arrival guidance · NICE reception health guidance · Prisoner communication services, section 6.1–6.2 (PDF) · Authorised communication controls (PDF) · Preston induction information.
Before the Gate’s original guidance, shaped by lived experience. Local rules and individual restrictions need checking. This information does not predict a sentence, prison allocation or legal outcome. For urgent concerns, open urgent help.