Can Prisoners Face Extra Charges?

If you have a loved one in prison, there’s a good chance you’ve worried about how they’ll manage financially. Keeping up with phone calls, sending letters, buying small essentials from the canteen it all costs money, and many people fear that their loved one might somehow spend more than they’re allowed, get into debt inside, or be hit with extra charges they can’t afford.

A question we hear often is: “Can prisoners overspend on phone calls or mail? Could they end up owing the prison money or being punished for going over a limit?”

‍It’s completely understandable to have these concerns. Prison finances seem complicated and aren’t well explained to families. This guide lays it out clearly: how prisoner spending accounts actually work, whether they can go into debt, what happens if they use up their weekly spending allowance, and how families can help them stay connected affordably without running into problems.

How money works inside UK prisons

In UK prisons, inmates aren’t walking around with wallets of money. Instead, they each have a personal prison account, sometimes known as a “spends account.”

Any wages they earn from working inside (like cleaning, laundry, kitchen duties or workshop jobs) are paid into this account. Family and friends can also send money in through official channels, like the GOV.UK “Send money to someone in prison” service. This central account is the only place their money is stored and managed.

There’s a reason for this: by keeping all funds in a controlled, trackable account, prisons can prevent bullying, theft, or money being used for contraband. It also means the prison can automatically take off any court fines, compensation orders, or other deductions before the prisoner sees the balance.

Why phone access matters so much

Regular phone contact helps prisoners feel less isolated, maintain bonds with their children and partners, and reduce anxiety about life on the outside. Studies consistently show that people who stay in close contact with family while in prison are less likely to reoffend after release.

For children especially, hearing from a parent behind bars can be a huge reassurance. This makes it all the more distressing when phone access is taken away.

Spending from the account

Prisoners use this account to pay for:

- phone calls
- buying stamps, envelopes and writing materials
- buying food items or extra toiletries from the canteen
- renting a TV (where available)
- sometimes paying for in-cell educational materials

There is no way for them to “spend more than they have” in the same way someone outside might accidentally rack up an overdraft or credit card bill.

So if your loved one only has £10 in their account for the week, they simply can’t buy £15 worth of items or make that many calls — the system will automatically block it.

Can prisoners overspend or get into debt inside?

Unlike a bank account outside, a prisoner’s spending account cannot go into overdraft. It’s a pre-paid system. If the prisoner tries to make a phone call or buy canteen items without enough funds, the transaction just won’t go through.

For example, if your loved one tries to buy £8 worth of items from the canteen but only has £6 available, they’ll be told it’s declined or will be forced to adjust their order down to what they can afford. Similarly, if they try to make a call and don’t have enough credit to pay for the minimum first minute, the call won’t connect at all.

Weekly spending limits

Here’s where it gets slightly more complicated. UK prisons also cap how much of their money prisoners are allowed to spend each week, under the Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) scheme. This means even if someone has £200 in their account (say, from family sending money in), they might only be allowed to spend £15–25 of it this week.

The typical ranges are:
- Basic level (for poor behaviour): often £4–£6 per week
- Standard level: roughly £15 per week
- Enhanced level (for good behaviour): £25 or more per week

This is designed to encourage good conduct. If they’re on basic, spending is tightly restricted. As they show positive behaviour and move to standard or enhanced, they’re trusted with more access to their own funds.

So what happens if they try to go over this?

If a prisoner tries to buy more than their weekly allowance permits say they’re on a £15 weekly limit and try to spend £20 the system simply won’t approve the extra. Staff overseeing the canteen orders or electronic kiosks will ensure transactions stay within these limits.

So they can’t accidentally run up a “bill” with the prison. The spending cap acts like a hard brake.

What about phone calls specifically?

Phone calls in prison come out of the exact same personal account used for canteen and stamps. Before they make a call, the system checks if they have:

- Enough credit to start the call (some prisons require a minimum balance for the first minute)
- Room within their weekly spending cap

If either of these isn’t met, the call won’t connect. So they can’t keep chatting and unknowingly pile up charges they can’t pay.

Costs add up quickly

- Calls to landlines cost roughly 8p per minute
- Calls to mobiles cost around 19–25p per minute

‍That means a 10-minute call to a mobile could eat up £2–£2.50 — a big chunk of a £15 allowance if they’re also buying toothpaste, shampoo or snacks.

This is why many families turn to services like Prison Call, which provides a virtual local landline number. The prisoner dials this landline, pays only 8p per minute, but it connects straight to your mobile. Over weeks and months, this can double or triple how many minutes they can afford, without straining the rest of their spending for essentials.

Can you be fined by the prison for too many calls or letters?

Not directly. There’s no rule saying, “You’ve sent too many letters this month, now you owe the prison £20.” They simply can’t send more than they can pay for.However, there are ways prisoners do lose money that might feel like an extra penalty:

Court-ordered deductions:
‍ If someone owes fines, compensation to victims, or child maintenance, the prison will automatically deduct this from their funds before they can spend on anything else.

‍Disciplinary penalties:
If they break rules, part of the punishment might be a temporary reduction in spending limits or being moved to the “basic” level, which slashes their weekly allowance. That means even if they have plenty saved, they can’t use it freely.

What happens if they run out of money altogether?

If your loved one has no funds left in their account (and hits their minimum canteen balance, often called a “subsistence level”), they simply can’t buy anything more until new wages come in or someone sends money.

- Calls won’t connect.
- Canteen items can’t be ordered.
- Letters they write might pile up until they can afford stamps.

This often leads to anxious periods where families don’t hear anything, worrying something has happened, when it’s just that there’s no credit left to call.

Are there hidden “extra charges” for overspending?

No. Unlike mobile phone contracts on the outside where if you go over your minutes or data you’re hit with hefty fees prison phone systems can’t do this. The system is designed to stop calls before they become unaffordable.

But there are stealth costs that do hurt families long-term, such as:
- paying more than double for mobile calls instead of landline rates
- sending in extra money constantly just to keep calls going, draining household budgets outside

This is why many families say that switching to a virtual landline was the single biggest relief on their finances  stretching £10 of phone money to feel like £20 or more.

Why does it seem like prisoners sometimes go without calls or mail?

It’s not because they’ve somehow overspent and are now in “debt” to the prison. It’s usually because:

- They’ve used up their weekly spending allowance early, perhaps on snacks or other essentials.
- They’ve had deductions taken off automatically for fines or damages, leaving less for calls.
- They’re on “basic” level under IEP rules, meaning they have a very tiny weekly limit.
- They simply ran out of funds and have to wait for wages or for someone to send more.

When prisoners stop calling suddenly, it’s often down to this tight balancing act, not an extra penalty or secret charge, but the harsh reality of limited weekly spending stretched over too many needs.

The good news? In UK prisons, your loved one can’t run up hidden debts for phone calls or mail. The system just stops them spending what they don’t have. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Weekly limits are strict, deductions for fines are common, and basic living costs inside add up quickly.

This makes every minute on the phone that much more precious. By understanding how these spending rules work — and taking simple steps to cut call costs — you can keep your connection strong without extra financial strain. It means fewer worried silences, fewer missed conversations, and a bit more peace of mind for everyone involved.