Guidance

Eastwood Park Prison and Young Offender Institution

Eastwood Park is a prison and young offender institution (YOI) in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, for women aged 18 and over.

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Book and plan your visit to Eastwood Park

To visit someone in Eastwood Park you must:

  • be on that person’s visitor list
  • book your visit at least 24 hours in advance
  • have the the required ID with you when you go

At least one visitor must be 18 or older at every visit.

Each prisoner is allowed a maximum of 3 adult visitors per visit, plus children.

Contact Eastwood Park if you have any questions about visiting.

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, including:

  • travel to Eastwood Park
  • somewhere to stay overnight
  • meals

How to book family and friends visits

You can book your visit online, by email to socialvisits.eastwoodpark@justice.gov.uk or by telephone.

Telephone booking line: 0300 303 0631

Find out about call charges

The booking lines are open:

  • Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 12pm to 5pm

  • Tuesday and Thursday: 9am to 5pm

Visiting times:

  • Tuesday: 2pm to 3pm and 3:30pm to 4:30pm
  • Wednesday: 2pm to 3p and 3:30pm to 4:30pm
  • Friday: 2pm to 3pm and 3:30pm to 4:30pm
  • Saturday: 2pm to 3pm and 3:30pm to 4:30pm
  • Sunday:2pm to 3pm and 3:30pm to 4:30pm

Children can visit their mothers outside regular visiting hours. These visits can take place Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 11:45am, either in the visits hall or on the mother and baby unit. Prisoners can apply for these visits internally.

Face to Face legal visiting times:

  • Monday and Thursday: 2pm to 3pm and 3:30pm to 4:30pm

Booking line: 0300 303 0631 or email HMPPSvisitbooking@justice.gov.uk Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm Find out about call charges

Video Link legal visiting times:

  • Monday to Friday: 9am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 4:30pm

To book a video link legal visit, use the following functional mailbox only custody.eastwoodpark@justice.gov.uk.

Where possible give a range of dates and times and specify how long of a period you are booking the visit for.

Getting to Eastwood Park

Find Eastwood Park on a map

The closest railway station is Bristol Temple Meads, where you can catch a bus to Falfield except on Sundays.

To plan your journey by public transport:

There is a free visitors car park with disabled blue badge parking.

Entering Eastwood Park

All visitors, aged 16 or older must prove their identity before entering the prison. Read the list of acceptable forms of ID when visiting a prison.

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

Visitors must adhere to the prison dress code that applies, further details can be requested on your first visit.

Each adult visitor is allowed to take in a maximum of £10 in coins (notes are not allowed).

There are strict controls on what you can take into Eastwood Park. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in a locker in the visitors’ centre or in your car - this includes pushchairs and car seats.

You will be told the rules by an officer at the start of your visit. If you break the rules, your visit could be cancelled and you could be banned from visiting again.

Call the booking line if you have any questions about visiting.

Visiting facilities

Refreshments are available to purchase during your visit. There is a children’s play area available to use.

There is a visitors centre at Eastwood Park, which includes toilet facilities. Visitors are offered a warm welcome, information and support. It is open on visiting days.

The visits room is on the ground floor and wheelchair accessible. Pushchairs are not allowed in the room. Drinks and snacks are available from the cafe and there is a small play area for children.

Family days

Eastwood Park run 12 family visits a year. Details on how these visits run can be found by contacting: socialvisits.eastwoodpark@hmps.gsi.gov.uk.

Keep in touch with someone at Eastwood Park

You may not be able to speak with someone at Eastwood Park during their first few days. This is because it can take time to approve who they can be in touch with.

Prisoners have phones in their cells but these do not accept incoming calls so they will always need to call you.

Phone calls

Prisoners in Eastwood Park can call anyone named on their list of friends and family. This list is checked by the prison.

You can also exchange voicemails using the Prison Voicemail service.

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

Secure video calls

To have a secure video call with someone in this prison you need to:

  • Download the Prison Video app
  • Create an account
  • Register all visitors
  • Add the prisoner to your contact list.

How to book a secure video call

You can request a secure video call with someone in this prison via the Prison Video app.

You will receive a notification when your request has been accepted.

Read more about how it works

Email

You can send emails to someone in Eastwood Park using the Email a Prisoner service.

You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies, depending on the rules at Eastwood Park.

Letters

Include the person’s name and prison number on the envelope.

If you do not know their prison number, contact Eastwood Park.

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

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 - 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 at Eastwood Park are given a list of approved items that can be sent to them as gifts. Contact Eastwood Park for more information on what is allowed.

Make sure to include the person’s name and prison number on the parcel.

All parcels will be opened and checked by officers.

Friends and families of prisoners are permitted to send books directly to their loved ones, or can order books from approved retailers, which can source and send the books on to prisoners.

For the full list of approved retailers, you can read the HMPPS Incentives Policy, Annex F.

Life at Eastwood Park

Eastwood Park is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where prisoners can learn new skills to help them on release and reduce the chance of reoffending.

Arrival and first night

When a prisoner first arrives at Eastwood Park, 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 who arrives at Eastwood Park 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 400 prisoners live at Eastwood Park in a mixture of cells for 1, 2 or 3 prisoners. There are phones in every cell.

It has a mother and baby unit for prisoners with children under 18 months old.

Education and work

Prisoners can study a range of subjects within the education department to help them gain employment on release including:

  • English
  • maths
  • cleaning
  • IT
  • beauty
  • hospitality
  • horticulture
  • retail
  • customer service
  • catering

Other courses include victim awareness, peer mentoring and budgeting.

They can also get work experience through placements in the kitchen and canteen, the gardens, laundry, library, gym, cafe and other areas.

Temporary release

Eastwood Park prisoners have the opportunity to leave the prison for short periods of time. This is known as release on temporary licence. It can be used to gain work experience in the local community, maintain family ties and prepare for release.

Organisations Eastwood Park works with

Several local voluntary and community organisations provide support to the prisoners, including The Forgiveness Project, Nelson Trust and One25.

Support for family and friends

To contact our head of family provision at Eastwood Park: eastwoodpark.families@justice.gov.uk

Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends.

Concerns, problems and complaints

In an emergency

Call 01454 382 188 if you think a prisoner is at immediate risk of harm. Ask for the Orderly Officer and explain that your concern is an emergency.

Contact category Phone number Additional information
Non-emergency 01454 382 323 Call this number if you have concerns about a prisoner’s safety or wellbeing which are serious but not life-threatening or complete a safer custody contact form on the Prisoners’ Families Helpline website.
Staff Integrity Hotline 0800 917 6877
(24 hours answering machine)
This number can be called anonymously. If you are concerned about a prisoner being bullied by a member of staff, you can use this number. As this line is managed separately from the prison, you can call this number anonymously.
Prisoners’ Families Helpline 0808 808 2003 The Prisoners’ Families Helpline can provide confidential support, advice and guidance.
Unwanted Prisoner Contact 0300 060 6699 If a prisoner is contacting you and you want them to stop, you can use the Unwanted Prisoner Contact Service.

You can complete the Stop prisoner contact online form, email unwantedprisonercontact@justice.gov.uk or contact by phone.

Problems and complaints

If you have any other problem contact Eastwood Park.

Inspection reports

HM Prison and Probation Service publishes action plans for Eastwood Park in response to independent inspections.

Contact Eastwood Park

Governor: Zoe Short

Telephone (24 hours): 01454 382 100
Fax: 01454 382 101
Find out about call charges

Address

HMP/YOI Eastwood Park
Falfield
Wotton-under-Edge
Gloucestershire
GL12 8DB

See map

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Published 2 October 2019
Last updated 15 February 2024 + show all updates
  1. Opening hours updated for visits booking telephone line.

  2. Updated visiting guidance based on 1 April COVID rule changes

  3. Added link to new safer custody information under Security and safeguarding.

  4. Updated visiting information: Reduced visit schedule and testing for visitors aged 12 and over.

  5. Updated visiting information: Testing for visitors aged 12 and over.

  6. Updated physical contact guidance

  7. Updated rules for sending in money and gifts.

  8. New visiting times and booking information added.

  9. Updated visiting information in line with coronavirus restrictions.

  10. Updated visit info

  11. Updated visiting information in line with new local restriction tiers.

  12. Updated visiting information in line with new local restriction tiers.

  13. Updated visiting information in line with new national restrictions in England.

  14. Updated visiting information in line with coronavirus restrictions.

  15. Updated visiting information in line with coronavirus restrictions.

  16. Updated information to include confirmation of secure video calls being available at this prison.

  17. updated survey link

  18. Prison visits update.

  19. First published.