Swaleside Prison
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-14)

Swaleside is a men’s high security prison on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. It is part of the Sheppey Cluster, along with Elmley and Standford Hill.

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Book and plan your visit to Swaleside

HMP Swaleside offers visits for family and friends.

Visiting times and availability may change at short notice. You should contact the booking line for any queries.

To visit someone in Swaleside you must:
- be on the prisoners approved visitor list
- book your visit in advance (before midday of the working day before your visit, or midday on Thursday for a weekend visit)
- have the required ID (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/swaleside-prison#entering-swaleside) with you when you go (under 16s must also bring ID)
- have at least one over 18 attending the visit
You can pre-book 4 social visits per calendar month, if the prisoner has the correct number of visiting orders.

However, if you wish to have any further visits within the same calendar month, you will need to request last minute availability up to 3 days before the additional visit dates.

Please note: the booking team can only make bookings 28 days in advance.

Contact Swaleside (#contacts) if you have any questions about visiting.

How to book family and friends visits

You can book your visit online (https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits) or by telephone.

Visits booking line: xx-xxxx-xxxx Find out about call charges (https://www.gov.uk/call-charges)

Booking line open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding Bank Holidays).

Visiting times
- Tuesday, 2:15 to 3:45pm (General population and CSRU)
- Wednesday, 2:15 to 3:45pm (General population and CSRU)
- Thursday, 2:15 to 3:45pm (Hotel and Golf South and IPD)
- Saturday, 2:15pm to 3:45pm
- Sunday, 2:15 to 3:45pm
Please note, weekend visits rotate on a schedule. For further information, please contact the booking line.

Due to the regime, visiting times may differ. However, you will receive a minimum of one full hour.

How to book official visits

To arrange an official visit you should:
- email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)
Official video visit times:
- Monday to Friday - 9am, 10am, 2:30pm, 3:15pm
All video link appointment are for 45 minutes.

Official face to face visit times:
- Tuesday, 2:15pm to 4pm
- Wednesday, 2:15pm to 4pm
- Thursday, 2:15pm to 4pm
Help with the cost of your visit

If you get certain benefits or have an NHS health certificate, you might be able to get help with the costs of your visit (https://www.gov.uk/help-with-prison-visits), including:
- Travel to Swaleside
- Somewhere to stay overnight
- Meals
Entering Swaleside

All visitors aged 16 and over must provide valid photographic ID. Read the list of acceptable forms of ID when visiting a prison (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/management-of-security-at-visits-policy-framework-open-estate/acceptable-forms-of-identification-id-when-visiting-a-prison-in-england-and-wales-annex-a).

All visitors under 16 are encouraged to provide valid photographic ID. However, a Birth Certificate will be accepted.

All visitors will need to be given a rub-down search, including children. You will also be searched by security dogs.

Visitors must adhere to the prison dress code, which can be requested upon booking your visit.

You will be unable to take any personal items into the visit with you. There are lockers available within the Visit Centre which can be used to store your items during your visit.

Visiting facilities

There is a family-friendly visitor’s centre run by the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) (https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/prisons/hmp-swaleside/).

You will need to book in at the visitors centre before your visit starts. The visitors centre opening hours are:
- Tuesday, 11am to 4:30pm
- Wednesday, 11am to 4:30pm
- Thursday, 11am to 4:30pm
- Saturday, midday to 4:30pm
- Sunday, midday to 4:30pm
The latest time to attend your visit 3pm.

(You must be going through the front gate by 3pm not arriving at the visitor centre.)

Lockers are available within the visitors centre for £1, which is returned.

There are also refreshments available during your visit at the Aero Café within the hall, this operates a cashless system. You will need to ensure that you have your bank card available.

For further information, please contact the PACT team within the visitors centre:

Telephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx Find out about call charges (https://www.gov.uk/call-charges)

Secure video calls

To have a secure video call with someone in this prison you need to:
- Download the Prison Video app (https://prisonvideo.com/app)
- Create an account
- Register all visitors
- Add the prisoner to your contact list
- Book a video visit via the app
Read more about how it works (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visit-a-prisoner-using-a-video-call)

Video visits are held on the following days:
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Timings vary depending on the wing rotation schedule.

Prisoners are entitled to two video visits per calendar month, unless they do not receive social visits or are Enhanced 2 and can therefore have four.

Family Days

HMP Swaleside run 6 Family Days per year. Details on how these visits run can be found here Families and significant others strategy 2025 (https://www.nicco.org.uk/directory-of-services/hmp-swaleside-children-families-and-significant-others-strategy-2025).

Getting to Swaleside

Find Swaleside on a map (https://consent.google.com/m?continue=https://xxx@xxx.xx,xx-xxxx-xxxx,15z/data%3D!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x16e6588ea223bf9d!8m2!3d51.3939429!4d0.8550051?shorturl%3D1&gl=IE&m=0&pc=m&uxe=eomtm&cm=2&hl=en&src=1)

The closest railway station is Sheerness. From there you can get a taxi.

To plan your journey by public transport use:
- National Rail Enquiries (https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/)
There is a free visitors car park for those that drive here.

Keep in touch with someone at Swaleside

There are several ways you can keep in touch with a prisoner during their time at Swaleside.

Phone calls

Prisoners have phones in their cells but will always have to call you. They must buy phone credits to do this.

They can phone anyone named on their list of friends and family. This list is checked by security when they first arrive so it may take a few days before they are able to call. This can take longer depending on individual cases.

You can also exchange voicemails using the Prison Voicemail service (https://prisonvoicemail.com/).

Officers may listen to phone calls as a way of preventing crime and helping keep people safe.

Email

You can send emails to someone in Swaleside using the Email a Prisoner service (https://www.emailaprisoner.com/).

Letters

You can write at any time.

Include the Prisoners name and prisoner number on the envelope. You must also write your own name and address on the back of the envelope.

If you do not know their prisoner number, contact Swaleside (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/swaleside-prison#contacts).

All post, apart from legal letters, will be opened and checked by officers.

National Prison Radio’s Family and Friends request show

National Prison Radio broadcasts into prison cells across England and Wales 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Family and friends can stay connected with their loved ones in prison by sending song requests, written messages and voice recordings. They are then read and played out on weekly episodes.

You can send in a message, and hear the show, at nationalprisonradio.com (https://prison.radio/national-prison-radio/#songrequest)

Send money and gifts

You can use the free and fast online service to send money to someone in prison.

You can no longer send money by bank transfer, cheque, postal order or send cash by post.

If you cannot use the online service, you may be able to apply for an exemption (https://send-money-to-prisoner.service.gov.uk/help/apply-for-exemption/) - for example if you:
- are unable to use a computer, a smart phone or the internet
- do not have a debit card
This will allow you to send money by post.

Gifts and parcels

Prisoners can apply for permission to receive an annual Birthday clothing parcel which can be posted in from friends and family.

You can also send prisoners money as well which they can use to buy items through a catalogue system.

There are limits to the number of items a prisoner can receive. Please discuss these when you speak with him.

All parcels will be opened and checked by officers.

You can also send prisoners money as well which they can use to buy items through a catalogue system.

Life at Swaleside

Swaleside is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where prisoners convicted of serious offences can make positive use of long sentences.

Security and safeguarding

Every prisoner at Swaleside has a right to feel safe. The staff are responsible for their safeguarding and welfare at all times.

For further information about what to do when you are worried or concerned about someone in prison visit the Prisoners’ Families helpline website (https://www.prisonersfamilies.org/pages/category/need-urgent-help?Take=24).

Arrival and first night

When a prisoner first arrives at Swaleside, they will be able to contact a family member by phone. This could be quite late in the evening, depending on the time they arrive.

They will get to speak to someone who will check how they’re feeling and ask about any immediate health and wellbeing needs.

Induction

Each prisoner that arrives at Swaleside gets an induction that lasts about a week. They will meet professionals who will help them with:
- health and wellbeing, including mental and sexual health
- any substance misuse issues, including drugs and alcohol
- personal development in custody and on release, including skills, education and training
- other support (sometimes called ‘interventions’), such as managing difficult emotions
Everyone also finds out about the rules, fire safety, and how things like calls and visits work.

Accommodation

Around 1,100 prisoners live at Swaleside across 8 wings. All prisoners get their own cells, access to in-cell phones and in-cell laptops.

Education and work

Prisoners have access to a broad programme of learning opportunities provided by Amersham and Wickham College. These range from basic skills, such as English and maths, to distance learning with the Open University. Swaleside is part of the Prisons ICT Academy (PICTA) which helps prepare prisoners for work in information and communications technology (ICT) roles.

Work is available throughout the prison in areas such as industrial cleaning and engineering. Prisoners are also employed by several industrial workshops through contracts with outside businesses.

Swaleside also runs a number of accredited offending behaviour programmes (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/offending-behaviour-programmes-and-interventions) and non-accredited courses for personal and social development.

Support for family and friends

Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends (https://www.gov.uk/support-for-families-friends-of-prisoners).

To contact our head of family provision at HMP Swaleside please email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Support at Swaleside

PACT family services team provides a range of information, guidance and support to families and friends of prisoners. Ask in the visitor’s centre for more information.

Concerns, problems and complaints

In an emergency

Call xx-xxxx-xxxx if you think a prisoner is at immediate risk of harm. Ask for the Orderly Officer and explain that your concern is an emergency.

Problems and complaints

If you have any other problem contact Swaleside (#contacts).

Inspection reports

HM Prison and Probation Service publishes action plans for Swaleside (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/swaleside-prison-action-plan) in response to independent inspections.

Contact Swaleside

Governor: Abbie Gardner

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Telephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx Fax: xx-xxxx-xxxx Find out about call charges (https://www.gov.uk/call-charges)

Follow Swaleside on Twitter/X (https://twitter.com/hmpswaleside)

Address

HMP SwalesideBrabazon RoadEastchurchIsle of SheppeyKentME12 4AX

See map (https://consent.google.com/m?continue=https://xxx@xxx.xx,xx-xxxx-xxxx,15z/data%3D!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x16e6588ea223bf9d!8m2!3d51.3939429!4d0.8550051?shorturl%3D1&gl=IE&m=0&pc=m&uxe=eomtm&cm=2&hl=en&src=1)

Help us to improve this page. Give us your feedback in this 2-minutes survey. (https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/swaleside/)