Before custody
What should I prepare before sentencing? ↗︎
Clothing, medication information, contact numbers and questions for court.
Find your next step
What do you need help with today?
Start with the question on your mind. Find practical guidance, official contacts and tools you can use.
19 questions to explore.
Before custody
What happens in the first few days? ↗︎
Reception, health checks, induction and finding somebody to help.
Contact
I haven’t heard from them. What can I do? ↗︎
Start with safety, then work through contact checks and who to approach.
Contact
How do phone numbers get approved? ↗︎
The first call, the PIN account and why contact can take time.
Visits
What do I need for a first visit? ↗︎
Choose the prison and work through a checklist you can save or print.
Visits
What might our visit cost? ↗︎
Add your own travel and other costs, then check help you could apply for.
Visits
Where do I check booking, clothing and parking? ↗︎
Find the prison’s official visiting page and directions. Confirm its visitor entrance.
Visits
Can I get help with travel costs? ↗︎
Find the official eligibility rules and application route.
Contact
What about letters, messages and video calls? ↗︎
Ways to stay in touch and what to check with the prison first.
Family & children
How do I speak to my child’s school? ↗︎
Four questions, family experience and a printable conversation sheet.
Family & children
Who can support our family? ↗︎
Independent organisations, local services and ways to make contact.
Everyday life
How do applications and forms work? ↗︎
Ask about the local process and how to follow up an unanswered request.
Everyday life
What if reading or writing is difficult? ↗︎
Find support for understanding information and asking questions.
Everyday life
How do money and canteen work? ↗︎
Practical questions about essentials, spending and family boundaries.
Everyday life
What education or work can I ask about? ↗︎
Local opportunities, how to apply and getting help with learning.
Coming home
What needs arranging before release? ↗︎
Housing, health, money, relationships and the first week home.
Coming home
I was in care. What support could I get? ↗︎
Support during custody, grants and practical help after release. Find your council’s Local Offer ↗︎
Peer support
How can I support someone as a peer? ↗︎
Listening, boundaries, referring concerns and checking back.
Print & plan
Where are the printable sheets? ↗︎
Keep useful questions on paper for someone who cannot use the website.
No matches yet. Try a shorter word or choose All topics. You can also find someone to ask.
Take a useful question with you
You can use the existing planner, save guides, or print prompts for somebody inside.
- My next steps: keep your own plan ↗︎
- Open my saved guides ↗︎
- Browse the full resource collections ↗︎
- First-visit checklist and PDF ↗︎
- School conversation sheet (PDF) ↗︎
- Paper contact and visitor preparation sheet ↗︎
- Print a life-inside conversation sheet ↗︎
- Print care-leaver release questions ↗︎
Plans and saved guides stay in the browser where you created them. They do not sync between devices or browsers.
Where the guidance comes from
Before the Gate brings together practical experience and questions to help you prepare. A section marked “From experience” describes personal experience. Official links take you to the relevant government, prison or service website. Check dates and local arrangements before acting.
We do not publish live waiting-time estimates or confirm whether a prison’s phones are working. A missed call alone cannot tell you why contact has stopped.