I haven’t heard from them
A missed call can leave you going over every possibility. Start with what you know and what needs attention now.
Is there a reason to think they are unsafe?
If you believe there is an immediate risk, call the prison’s main switchboard, explain that it is urgent and ask to speak directly to staff. Ask for the Duty Governor or Orderly Officer if the Safer Custody Team is unavailable. Do not wait for a routine email, voicemail or a phone-service update.
For a non-immediate welfare concern, use the prison’s published safety contact. Describe what has worried you and when it happened. Give identifying and callback details directly to prison staff.
Find the prison’s official contacts ↗︎ · Urgent help information ↗︎
If you are waiting for the first regular call
A short arrival call does not mean a person’s own phone account is ready. Their contact list needs checking. Ask, when contact is possible, whether the correct number has been submitted and whether it is approved, still awaiting a check or restricted.
There is no waiting-time countdown on this page. Prisons and individual circumstances differ. A delay does not establish that contact is authorised, or tell you whether someone is well.
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.
This was my experience, rather than a standard call allowance or timetable. Read more about arrival and the first few days ↗︎
If calls were happening and have stopped
Work through a few checks without assuming you know the cause:
- Check your own phone. Look at missed calls, blocked numbers, voicemail and signal. If your phone screens unfamiliar callers, check whether that might affect incoming calls.
- Separate a missed call from a pattern. Note privately when you last heard from them, the usual contact arrangement and anything specific that worries you.
- Use the right contact. Ask the prison or its family support team whether there is a general communication issue they can tell families about. They may not be able to discuss personal information.
- Keep welfare concerns visible. If you have a reason to worry about their safety, use the safety route above. A rumour about a phone outage does not resolve that concern.
Credit, access to phones, checks, transfers and individual restrictions are matters to clarify. Silence does not confirm which, if any, applies.
Questions that may help
- Has my correct number been submitted, and has it been approved?
- Is there a general problem with phone access or the service?
- Who should I contact about this concern, and how should I follow up?
Keep your own note of who you spoke to and the next step they suggested. Do not put names, prison numbers, phone numbers or private case details into a public report.
Other ways to stay in touch
Letters: use the prison’s postal instructions and check what can be sent. Letters can be checked and are not an urgent welfare-reporting route.
Email or messages: check whether the prison offers the service, its costs and how replies work. A sent message does not confirm it has been read.
Video calls: check the app, approval requirements, booking process and allowance with the prison. The main caller must be an adult, and participants need to be approved. Use the official video-call guidance and the prison’s current page.
GOV.UK: letters and phone contact ↗︎
GOV.UK: secure video calls and setup ↗︎
Find local contact and visiting information ↗︎
Follow contact restrictions. Do not use another person, number or account to get around a restriction. If contact is unsafe or unwanted, ask an appropriate support service for advice.
You can ask for support too
Waiting can affect the whole household. You do not have to work through every worry on your own.
Find independent family support ↗︎Support for a child at school ↗︎ · More about PIN and phone contact ↗︎
Before the Gate guidance and personal experience. Sources checked 26 October 2026: Prison Reform Trust: safety concerns and the GOV.UK contact and video-call guidance linked above. Official contact rules need checking with the prison.