hmp belmarsh visit booking line

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• Crime, justice and the law
• Prisons and probation

Visit someone in prison

Use this service to request a social visit to a prisoner in England or Wales. There’s a different way to book a prison visit in Northern Ireland or a prison visit in Scotland .

To use this service you need the:

• prisoner number
• prisoner’s date of birth
• dates of birth for all visitors coming with you

If you do not have the prisoner’s location or prisoner number, use the ‘Find a prisoner’ service .

You can choose up to 3 dates and times you prefer. The prison will email you to confirm when you can visit.

The prisoner must add you to their visitor list before you can request a visit. This can take up to 2 weeks.

Request a prison visit

Visits you cannot book through this service.

Contact the prison directly if you need to arrange any of the following:

• legal visits, for example legal professionals discussing the prisoner’s case
• reception visits, for example the first visit to the prisoner within 72 hours of being admitted
• double visits, for example visiting for 2 hours instead of 1
• family day visits - special family events that the prison organises

Help with the costs of prison visits

You may be able to get help with the cost of prison visits if you’re getting certain benefits or have a health certificate.

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Blog Government Digital Service

https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2014/09/15/you-can-now-book-a-prison-visit-online/

You can now book a prison visit online

Booking a prison visit should be simple and straightforward. Until now that was far from the case. Booking a visit required both prisoner and visitor to jump through hoops: paper forms and drawn-out phone calls. And if the visit date turned out to be impossible, they had to start all over again.

Now you can book a visit online . It takes about 5 minutes. Before, picking an available date was pot luck. Now there's a date-picker that lets you select 3 possible slots instead of 1. It’s a straight-forward service with user-needs at its heart but, if you get stuck, you can call the prison's visits booking line and someone will help you with the booking.

Here's a very short film we've made about it:

By making it easier to book visits, prisoners will see more of their friends and family. Evidence suggests this will help their rehabilitation. Transformation isn't just about websites.

The service was built by the Ministry of Justice, with a combined team from the National Offender Management Service, HM Prison Service and MoJ Digital Services.

For more of the story behind this service, read Mike Bracken's account of his trip to HMP Rochester or check out the service’s transformation page .

Join the conversation on Twitter , and don't forget to sign up for email alerts .

You may also be interested in:

• Prison visit booking: using digital analytics to inform alpha development
• Making prison visits easier to book
• Meet the Transformation team

Sharing and comments

Share this page, 20 comments.

Comment by Pauline posted on 23 August 2015

How do you find out the prisoners number??? so you can go ahead with online booking of a visit?

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 24 August 2015

You can find a prisoner using this service: https://www.gov.uk/find-prisoner However it will be the prisoner's responsibility to get in touch with you to let you know their prison number etc.

Comment by linda posted on 15 August 2015

This service does not appear to work this is day 2 trying to use it

Comment by Olivia posted on 30 July 2015

Hi, If a visit is booked and someone cant make it, is it possible to change the name of one of the people to someone else?

Comment by Louise Duffy posted on 30 July 2015

It's best to contact the prison directly if this happens. You can find contact details here: http://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder

Thanks, Louise

Comment by Paige posted on 28 July 2015

Hi my partner was sent to nottingham today, I was on his previous list 4 months ago for a visit. Will that still be on the system all will it have to he put through again if so how long does it take to be approved for a visit? Thanks Paige.

Comment by Louise Duffy posted on 29 July 2015

You might want to get in touch with the prison first before booking a visit. You can find the contact details of the prison here: http://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder

Comment by Debs posted on 27 July 2015

Hello Is there a list of prisons where online booking can't be used?

Comment by Louise Duffy posted on 28 July 2015

According to the information on this page: https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits , you can arrange a visit to any prison in England and Wales through this service. If you're visiting someone in Northern Ireland or Scotland you'll need to contact the prison directly.

This link also lists the type of visits that are not covered by the online service: https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits so you need to get in touch with the prison directly.

Hope that's helpful.

Comment by c.steer posted on 26 July 2015

So how do I find the booking form to fill in I am new to computers

Comment by Louise Duffy posted on 27 July 2015

Here's the link to the booking form: https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits

You'll need this information to complete the form:

prisoner number prisoner’s date of birth dates of birth for all visitors coming with you make sure the person you’re visiting has added you to their visitor list

Hope that's useful.

Comment by Shawnaa posted on 09 May 2015

i have a visit booked which i did online but i do not have a visiting order woll the prison let me in?

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 11 May 2015

Your identity will be checked on arrival to make sure you’re on the visitor list.

Comment by jessicca posted on 27 January 2015

What happens after you book the visit and its confirmed by email do you need the visiting order ?

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 29 January 2015

The Visiting Order (VO) number is generated by the booking system, it is included in your confirmation email and you will need this to change or cancel a booking.

However, if you're visiting a prison the guidance is that you only need your ID, not the VO number. If when you visit the prison you are asked for the VO number you should report this via the Contact Us link on the Prison Visits Booking form.

I hope that helps.

Comment by Ilysa Mcnally posted on 18 November 2014

How late in advance can I book e.g. book a visit today (Tuesday) for the Sunday coming???

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 19 November 2014

Hi Ilysa. Thanks for your question. A visit needs to be booked 3 working days in advance. So in this case, the visit request would have to be no later than Tuesday to allow for a visit on Sunday.

Comment by carole posted on 23 October 2014

How far in advance can you book visits

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 23 October 2014

Hi Carole. You can book up to 28 days in advance. Thanks for your question.

Comment by kimberly posted on 16 August 2015

does anyone know how to cancel a visit online?

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Visits & Getting There, HMP & YOI Isis

Visits are held at the following times:

• Tue: 09:30-11:15 & 14:30-16:15
• Wed: 09:30-11:15 & 14:30-16:15
• Sat: 09:30-11:15 & 14:30-16:15

To book a visit call 020 3356 4031 The booking line is staffed Monday to Friday 09.30-12.30 and 13.30-16.00 and you can also book in person in the Visits Reception area. If you arrive later than 45 mins before the END of the visiting time you will not be allowed to take the visit.

There is a Visitor’s Centre run by Spurgeons, a national charity which is adjacent to the prison and is shared with HMP Belmarsh. Make sure you arrive at least 45 mins before your visiting time so that you can be processed through security. The are lockers (£1 deposit) in which you will be able to leave your possession and you will be able to take £15 into the visits hall to buy refreshments. For more information please go to www.spurgeons.org/hmp-isis , call 020 8317 3888 or email [email protected] .

The visits complex in the prison consists of a main room with 40 tables, a supervised children’s play area, a refreshment counter and vending machines.

Isis is on the same site at HMP Belmarsh, so follow the signs for Belmarsh.

From Woolwich Arsenal Station catch the 244/380 bus to the prison. Click here for timetables The bus stops are situated directly outside the exit from the railway station. The nearest stations are Woolwich Arsenal and Plumstead. Catch a bus from Woolwich Arsenal station to the prison, or walk from Plumstead station, about a mile away.

By car from from M25 Dartford Bridge/Tunnell take the first slip road immediately after tolls, (NB head for 4 left hand tolls when coming over the bridge). Signposted A206. First exit at roundabout and come over the motorway. Then on the roundabout over M25 – signposted A206 Crayford/ Erith. University Way and:

• Roundabout end of University Way/ dual carriageway signposted A206 Crayford / Erith.
• Into Bexley / single carriageway / roundabout.
• 4th exit signposted Erith A206 Crayford/Erith Roundabout end dual carriageway
• 2nd exit signposed Woolwich/ Thamesmead A206
• Roundabout 2nd exit signposted A2016 Thamesmead, Plumstead, Woolwich
• Series of roundabouts signposted A2016 Thamesmead, Plumstead, Woolwich
• Dual carriageway towards Thamesmead, roundabout signposted Western Way
• Signpost to Belmarsh and Courts – left slip road at traffic lights.

If driving from Woolwich proceed along Plumstead Road, turn left into Pettman Crescent (just before Plumstead Bus Garage) then take the second left at the traffic lights into Western Way. Belmarsh is situated approximately half a mile down on the right-hand side. Follow signs for HMP Belmarsh and Courts.

From Plumstead go along Plumstead High Street, turn right into Pettman Crescent (just after Plumstead Bus Garage) then take the second left at the traffic lights into Western Way. Belmarsh is situated approximately half a mile down on the right-hand side. Follow signs for HMP Belmarsh and Courts.

There is a visitors’ car park, be sure to use the car park for Isis, not for HMP Belmarsh

Return to Isis

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You don't always get what you are entitled to unless you ask properly!

We can introduce you to  experienced  lawyers can help you with parole,  probation,  immigration, adjudications, visits and any other complaints  and disputes you have with the Prison Service.

The solicitors are all experts on how the Prison Service/Criminal Law  system works and will be able to provide to you the necessary advice and support to ensure you or your loved ones are treated fairly. These lawyers are "small enough to care about you, but big enough to fight for you"

and remember the old saying:

"  A Man Who Is His Own Lawyer Has A Fool for a Client"

Click here to go to the list of lawyers in your area

• The weekly online and monthly printed national newspaper for prisoners and detainees

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• Inside Time Reports
• 13th December 2014
• Greater London , Male Cat. C , Prison Visit

Prison information

Address: Western Way Thamesmead London SE28 0NZ Switchboard: 020 3356 4000 Managed by: HMPPS Region: London Category:  Male Cat. C and YOI Link to: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/isis-prison

Description

HMP & YOI Isis protects the public by holding sentenced young adult males and category C offenders.

HMP & YOI Isis is sited within the perimeter wall of HMP Belmarsh

Visit Booking: On-line Use this online service to book a social visit to a prisoner in England or Wales you need the:

• prisoner number
• prisoner’s date of birth
• dates of birth for all visitors coming with you

The prisoner must add you to their visitor list before you can book a visit.

You’ll get an email confirming your visit. It takes 1 to 3 days.

ID: Every visit

Acceptable forms of ID

Related documents

• Prison Inspection Reports

Something missing or outdated?

If you have any information that you would like to be included or see anything that needs updating, contact Paul Sullivan at  [email protected]

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• Category C - NEW
• Male Cat. C
• 24th January 2017

HMYOI WARREN HILL

• 4th January 2015

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Belmarsh Prison Information

Contact information, booking a visit to belmarsh prison.

Unlimited Prison Phone Calls Package

Guide to view your disclosure @ HMP Belmarsh

Guide to view your disclosure discs with your, client on a booked legal visit.

You can copy your discs on to your own laptop as long as your laptop has been authorized by the Access to Justice Department. Your laptop must NOT have a Webcam, and once authorized your laptop will be valid for 3 months from the signed date. You need to fax a new copy of the laptop request form each time it runs out.

If you don’t have an authorized laptop then you will need to send your discs in to the Access to Justice Department at least 72 hours prior to your booked Legal Visit. If you need a laptop to view your discs then you MUST request in writing to loan one of our Section 45 Laptops for your visit. You must include the following information on your letter:

A Headed letter with your client’s name & prison number.

The date of your booked confirmed visit (if you have more than 1 visit booked & confirmed then you can request these dates on 1 letter).

The amount of discs you have sent.

The Exhibit titles of each of your discs

If you need to loan one of our laptops then you must ask to request a Section 45 Laptop in your letter.

YOU NEED TO DO THE ABOVE EACH TIME YOU REQUEST ANY NEW CONFIRMED BOOKED DATES TO VIEW YOUR DISCS, THIS IS SO WE ARE AVAILABLE TO HAND YOUR DISCS TO THE VISITS STAFF FOR YOUR VISIT.

If you need a DVD Player to view your discs then you can request this on your legal visit booking form that you receive from the Legal Booking Office in the Enrolment Centre but you must still send your discs in with above information.

We will fax you a letter of authorization once we have received your request and discs. If you don’t receive an authorization letter from Access to Justice then we may not have received your discs, you can ring a few days before your visit to enquire if we have received your discs, and this is your responsibility.

Please send your discs in by Special Delivery or Recorded delivery as it will be quicker, the post does not come straight to our office but goes through prison postal procedures before being delivered to our office. The Post Room is closed at weekends, and the post takes longer on bank holidays.

YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BRING LEGAL DISCS INTO THE PRISON UNLESS YOU HAVE WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE PRISON.

Where is HMP Belmarsh? History of the prison explored in new Channel 5 documentary and its most famous inmates

Belmarsh is a category a prison whose inmates have included ian huntley, john worboys, julian assange and jeffrey archer.

A new Channel 5 documentary explores the history of one of the UK’s most infamous prisons, HMP Belmarsh .

HMP Belmarsh: Maximum Security provides a “remarkable and often harrowing insight into the prison”, according to Channel 5, “from the gangs which can dominate its corridors, to the brave officers who served there, and the infamous prisoners.”

Belmarsh is used in high-profile cases, particularly those concerning national security.

Here’s what you need to know.

What is the history of HMP Belmarsh?

HMP Belmarsh was built on part of the site of the former Royal Arsenal in Thamesmead, south-east London. It became operational on 2 April 1991.

Belmarsh is a category A prison, known for its high-security function, with a population of around 900 inmates. It gained a reputation for holding prisoners accused or convicted of terrorism-related offences in the 2000s.

It is opposite Woolwich Crown Court , which it is connected to by tunnel, providing a secure route for transferring defendants in high-profile cases.

The prison also serves the local region, accepting different categories of prisoners from primarily the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) and magistrates’courts in south-east London.

More from Television

Who are its most famous inmates past and present?

Ian Huntley

Huntley was sent to Belmarsh following the murder of two 10-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. He was later transferred to HMP Wakefield before being moved again to HMP Frankland in 2008.

John Worboys

Known as the black cab rapist, Worboys began his sentence in HMP Wakefield in 2009. However, in 2018, he was transferred to Belmarsh after the parole board announced plans to release him. His move to London caused controversy as it was the city where he carried out most of his crimes. After a short period, Worboys was transferred back to HMP Wakefield.

Anjem Choudary

Choudary spent time at HMP Belmarsh ahead of his release in 2018. The Islamist preacher was sentenced to five years and six months in prison in 2016 after being found guilty under section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for inviting support of a proscribed organisation. But he only served half of his original sentence.

Ronnie Biggs

The train robber was sent to Belmarsh after he returned to the UK from Brazil in 2001, having escaped from Wandsworth prison in 1965. He remained there for six years until he was transferred to Norwich Prison on compassionate grounds due to his failing health before his death in 2013.

Jeffrey Archer

Archer spent less than a month in Belmarsh, in 2001, but he still documented his time there and later published his experience in the three volume book, A Prison Diary, which detailed his time in three separate prisons. The disgraced politician described Belmarsh in the book as a “hell hole”.

Charles Bronson

The criminal, dubbed Britain’s most violent prisoner, has spent numerous stints in Belmarsh since being sentenced for armed robbery in 1976 – bar a brief period of freedom. During his time there he took three other prisoners hostage.

Julian Assange

The WikiLeaks founder has been kept at Belmarsh since May 2019 after he was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for skipping bail. In November 2019, a group of doctors claimed that Assange was at risk of dying in prison due to his poor mental and physical health. He married his long-term partner in the prison earlier this year.

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Theatres in Moscow

Cultural life of Moscow city is various and rich! Operas, ballets, symphonic concerts... Russian composers have created some of the most beautiful classical music. Russian classical music is very popular in Moscow. It is performed in many beautiful historical venues. Do not forget to include a visit to a concert hall in your itinerary when you are planning your stay in Moscow! And do it in advance.

There are almost no restrictions on dress code in Russian theatres. Visitors may wear jeans and sports shoes, they may have a backpack with them. Only shorts are not allowed.

A typical feature of Russian theatre – visitors are bringing a lot of flowers which they present to their favorite performers after the show.

Here are some practical advices where to go and how to buy tickets.

The Bolshoi Theatre

The Bolshoi Theatre is the oldest, the most famous and popular opera and ballet theatre in Russia. The word “Bolshoi” means “big” in Russian. You can buy a ticket online in advance, 2-3 months before the date of performance on the official website . Prices for famous ballets are high: 6-8 thousand rubles for a seat in stalls. Tickets to operas are cheaper: you can get a good seat for 4-5 thousand rubles. Tickets are cheaper for daytime performances and performances on the New Stage. The New Stage is situated in the light-green building to the left of the Bolshoi's main building. The quality of operas and ballets shown on the New Stage is excellent too. However, you should pay attention that many seats of the Bolshoi’s Old and New Stages have limited visibility . If you want to see the Bolshoi’s Old Stage but all tickets are sold out, you can order a tour of the theatre. You can book such a tour on the official website.

If you want, following Russian tradition, to give flowers to the performers at the end of the show, in the Bolshoi flowers should be presented via special staff who collects these flowers in advance.

In August the Bolshoi is closed.

The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre

This theatre is noteworthy. On one hand, it offers brilliant classical opera and ballet performances. On the other hand, it is an experimental venue for modern artists. You can check the program and buy tickets online here http://stanmus.com/ . If you are opera lover, get a ticket to see superstar Hibla Gerzmava . The theatre has a very beautiful historic building and a stage with a good view from every seat. Tickets are twice cheaper than in the Bolshoi.

The Novaya Opera

“Novaya” means “New” in Russian. This opera house was founded in 1991 by a famous conductor Eugene Kolobov. Its repertoire has several directions: Russian and Western classics, original shows and divertissements, and operas of the 20th and 21st centuries. It is very popular with Muscovites for excellent quality of performances, a comfortable hall, a beautiful Art Nouveau building and a historic park Hermitage, which is situated right next to it. You can buy tickets online here http://www.novayaopera.ru/en .

Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Center

The Opera Center has become one of the best theatrical venues in Moscow. It was founded in 2002 by great diva Galina Vishnevskaya. Nowadays its artistic director is Olga Rostropovich, daughter of Galina Vishnevskaya and her husband Mstislav Rostropovich, great cellist and conductor. Not only best young opera singers perform here, but also world music stars do; chamber and symphonic concerts, theatrical productions and musical festivals take place here. You can see what is on the program here http://opera-centre.ru/theatre . Unfortunately “booking tickets online” is available in Russian only. If you need help, you can contact us at and we can book a ticket for you. 

Tchaikovsky Concert Hall and The Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory

These are two major concert halls for symphonic music in Moscow. Both feature excellent acoustics, impressive interior, various repertoire and best performers. You can check the program here http://meloman.ru/calendar/ . You need just to switch to English. Booking tickets online is available only for owners of Russian, Ukrainian and Belorussian phone numbers. If you need help, you can contact us and we can book a ticket for you. 

Moscow International Performing Arts Center (MIPAC)

This modern and elegant concert hall houses performances of national and foreign symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, solo instrumentalists, opera singers, ballet dancers, theatre companies, jazz bands, variety and traditional ensembles. Actually, it has three concert halls placed on three different levels and having separate entrances. The President of MIPAC is People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Spivakov, conductor of “Virtuosy Moskvy” orchestra. You can see pictures of the concert halls here http://www.mmdm.ru/en/content/halls . The program is impressive in its variety but is not translated into English. You can contact us at and we can find a performance for you.