Safety concerns about someone in prison
Information about what to do if you are concerned about the safety or wellbeing of someone in prison.
What to do if you are concerned for the safety or wellbeing of someone in prison
If you have concerns about the safety of someone in prison, you can contact the prison’s Safer Custody Team about this.
Every prison has a Safer Custody Team (also called Safer Prisons Team or just Safety Team). The Safer Custody Team has a responsibility to identify and support prisoners who are at risk of harm to themselves, to others, and from others.
Every Safer Custody Team in England and Wales has a direct number, often called a Safer Custody hotline, which you can call to share concerns about the safety and wellbeing of someone in prison. You can find these numbers on the relevant prison page on Gov.uk.
Alternatively, Prisoners’ Families Helpline has a list of direct Safer Custody numbers for each prison, which you can access here.
Safer Custody hotlines will usually lead to a voicemail, which should be checked by prison staff regularly.
Remember to give as much detail as possible about the person you are worried about, including their prison number if you know it. Explain why you are concerned for their safety and include your name and contact details so that the prison can get back to you if appropriate.
If you think there is an immediate risk to the person, it is better to call the main number for the prison and ask to speak to someone directly. You can ask to speak to someone in the Safer Custody Team, or to the Duty Governor/Orderly Officer if they are not available. Make it clear to the member of staff on the switch board that you think there is an immediate risk to the person so that they understand you need to speak to a member of staff instead of leaving a voicemail.
Prisoners’ Families Helpline has helpful information which includes the direct Safer Custody numbers for each prison, which can be found here.
You can also contact the Prisoners’ Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003 (Freephone: including most mobiles). The Helpline is open 9am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am – 3pm Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays (excluding Christmas Day & Boxing Day).
There is more information about safety and wellbeing on our Safety in prison page.
If you need further information or advice you can also contact our Advice and Information service by emailing advice@prisonreformtrust.org.uk.
