8. Staying in touch with family or friends
I will know how often I can see or speak to family or friends while I’m in custody.
It’s important that you can stay in touch with family, friends and other people in your life (for example, your social worker or personal advisor) while you’re in custody.
Phone calls
Within 2 hours of your arrival, you will be allowed to call someone and tell them where you are if you could not call before you arrived. If you arrive late at night, you may be asked to wait until the following morning.
Each site has its own rules about how many calls you can make or receive. You will be told what these are during your induction.
In some secure accommodation, there’s a phone in your room that you can use to make these calls.
You can also ask to receive a video call in some secure accommodation.
Visits
You will be allowed a visitor within 3 days of arriving in custody.
If you’re in custody after being sentenced, you will be allowed a visit at least once every 2 weeks, including one weekend visit every 4 weeks.
If you are in custody on remand, you can have a visit 3 times each week in a young offender institution or one visit a week in a secure training centre. The number of visits in a secure children’s home or a secure school may vary.
These visits can be from your friends or family.
In some cases, your family may be able to get financial support to visit you. A member of staff can tell you more about this when you arrive.
Each visit will last at least one hour.
Custody officers or key workers might stay with you during the visit.
As part of the rules, sometimes visits may be different if there’s a behaviour or a security issue that makes them a risk. You may have to have closed visits where you are not allowed physical contact with the person visiting. If you feel that this is unfair, you can appeal the decision by speaking to a member of staff or an independent advocate.
Letters
You will be able to send at least one letter a week and will be given stationery and stamps for free. Each place has its own rules about how many letters you can send or receive, so ask a member of staff if you have any questions.
In some places, custody staff are allowed to read letters you have written before sending them to check the content is appropriate. The law says that if they find the content inappropriate, they may decide not to send the letter.
If you would like to send a letter to someone, but would like help writing the letter, you can ask a member of staff. They can also help you read any letters you receive.
In some secure accommodation, you have access to a secure email service where you can also write to people.
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