Guidance

Liverpool Prison

Liverpool Prison is a men’s prison in the Walton area of Liverpool.

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Book and plan your visit to Liverpool prison

To visit someone in Liverpool Prison you must:

  • be on that person’s visitor list
  • book your visit at least 48 hours in advance
  • have the required ID with you when you go

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

There may be a limit to the number of visits a person can have. You can check this with Liverpool prison.

Contact Liverpool Prison 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 Liverpool Prison
  • somewhere to stay overnight
  • meals

How to book family and friends visits

You can book your visit online or by telephone.

Telephone booking line: 0151 530 4050
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm

Find out about call charges

Visiting times:

  • Monday to Sunday: 1:45pm to 2:45pm and 3:15pm to 4:15pm

Late arrivals will have visits cancelled. Please arrive 30 before your visiting time slot to allow time to be entered into the prison. You will be given one full hour from the time you enter the visits hall.

You can book a legal visit by email to, LegalVisits.Liverpool@justice.gov.uk.

Legal visiting times:

  • Tuesday: 8:50am, 9:06am, 10:21am, 10:35am, 1:50pm, 2:05pm, 3:20pm, 3:35pm
  • Thursday: 8:50am, 9:06am, 10:21am, 10:35am, 1:50pm, 2:05pm, 3:20pm, 3:35pm

All slots are 1 hour long.

You can book video link visits by email to videolinkliverpool@justice.gov.uk.

Video link visits times:

  • Monday to Friday: 9am to 10am, 10am to 11am, 11am to 12pm, 2pm to 3pm and 3pm to 4pm.

For any queries on the day of you visit only, you can call 0151 530 4249.

Getting to Liverpool Prison

Find Liverpool Prison on a map

The closest railway stations are Walton and Rice Lane. Liverpool Prison is about a 5-minute walk from either station. You can also travel by bus from Liverpool city centre.

To plan your journey by public transport:

Bus: From Liverpool city centre take the 68 bus which drops you directly outside the prison. This is the only bus that travels along Hornby Road.

Train: From Liverpool Central station you can travel to either Walton or Rice Lane train stations, these are both located on Hornby Road.

Car: M62 junction 6 onto the M57. Leave at junction 6. At the roundabout take the 1st exit onto A506. Turn left onto A59, at traffic signals turn right A5098 arrive at Hornby Road.

Local taxis: Delta 0151 924 7373

Car Parking: Car parking is available on the road facing the prison for a maximum

Entering Liverpool Prison

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.

  • 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
  • There are strict controls on what you can take into Liverpool. 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
  • Call POPS on 0151 5304 158 if you have any questions about visiting

Visiting facilities

There is a visitors centre run by Partners of Prisoners (POPS).

It is open daily from 8:30am to 5pm.

Telephone: 0151 530 4158
Find out about call charges

There is a soft play area for children in the visiting hall. Liverpool also provides activity packs.

Family days

POPS run 6 family days a year.

Keep in touch with someone at Liverpool Prison

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

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

Phone calls

Prisoners have phones in their cells and are able to make calls every day between 6:30am and 11pm.

Phones do not accept incoming calls so they will always have to call you. They have to 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.

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.

Email

You can send emails to someone in Liverpool Prison using the Email a Prisoner service.

You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies from the prisoner, depending on the rules at Liverpool Prison.

Letters

You can write at any time.

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

If you do not know their prison number, contact Liverpool Prison.

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

People in Liverpool Prison have a list of approved items that can be given to them by family and friends during their first 28 days in prison.

Items can be sent in by post or handed in before visits Tuesday to Friday.

You must have a visit booked for the time you hand anything in, otherwise it will not be accepted.

Family and friends 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.

Make sure to include the prisoner’s name and prison number and the sender’s name and address on parcels. All items will be opened and inspected by an officer.

Items and parcels will not normally be accepted after the first 28 days. You can send prisoners money instead which they can use to buy items through a catalogue system.

Contact Liverpool Prison if you have any questions.

Life at Liverpool Prison

Liverpool Prison is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where prisoners can learn new skills to help them on release.

Security and safeguarding

Every person at Liverpool Prison 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.

The Samaritans also train prisoners to be ‘listeners’ to help support other prisoners going through difficult times.

Arrival and first night

When a prisoner first arrives at Liverpool Prison, 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 person who arrives at Liverpool Prison 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

About 750 prisoners live at Liverpool Prison across 8 wings. There is a mixture of shared and single cells.

Prisoners have access to a weights room, exercise equipment, sports hall and outdoor pitches. The physical education department runs a full programme of team activities and circuit training.

Education and work

Education at Liverpool Prison is provided by Novus. Prisoners can learn important skills, such as English and Maths, and train in a variety of professions including plastering, painting and decorating, catering, construction, industrial cleaning and IT. Subjects are picked to match opportunities in the local jobs market. Liverpool Prison works with careers guidance agencies to help guide prisoners into employment on release.

Liverpool Prison runs several industrial workshops providing employment for prisoners. These include the leather workshop, which produces leather goods for prisons, and the laundry, which processes internal and external commercial cleaning contracts.

Liverpool Prison also offers a range of social and personal development courses focusing on rehabilitation and self-improvement.

Support for family and friends

Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends.

To contact our head of family provision at HMP Liverpool email: familiesandSo.HMPLiverpool@justice.gov.uk

Support at Liverpool Prison

Partners of Prisoners (POPS) and the chaplaincy can provide individual support to families and friends of prisoners with a wide range of issues.

To speak to POPS, call 0151 530 4158.

To speak to the chaplaincy, call the Liverpool Prison main telephone number.

Concerns, problems and complaints

In an emergency

Call 0151 530 4000 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 0800 528 0970 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 Liverpool Prison.

Inspection reports

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

Contact Liverpool Prison

Governor: Rob Luxford

Email: bsuliverpool@justice.gov.uk
Telephone (24 hours): 0151 530 4000
Fax: 0151 530 4001
Find out about call charges

Follow Liverpool Prison on Twitter/X

Address

HMP Liverpool
68 Hornby Road
Liverpool
L9 3DF

See map

Help us to improve this page. Give us your feedback in this 2-minute survey.

Published 15 January 2020
Last updated 9 March 2023 + show all updates
  1. Updated legal visits booking and video link booking information.

  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: Testing for visitors aged 12 and over.

  5. Updated physical contact guidance

  6. New visiting times and booking information added.

  7. Updated visit info

  8. Updated prison visits

  9. Updated instructions for sending money to prisoners via non-digital methods.

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

  11. Updated visiting information in line with coronavirus restrictions.

  12. Updated vsiting times for family and friends.

  13. Added visiting times in line with coronavirus restrictions.

  14. Updated: HMP Liverpool visiting times and visiting procedure changes in line with coronavirus restrictions.

  15. Added confirmation of secure video calls made available at Liverpool prison.

  16. update survey link

  17. Prison visits update.

  18. First published.