What Time Do Prisoners Get Phone Calls?

In prisons with in-cell phones including HMP Berwyn, HMP Birmingham, HMP Five Wells, HMP Fosse Way, and HMP Millsike, prisoners can typically make calls any time between around 7am and 11pm. In prisons with communal wing phones only, calls are restricted to association periods, usually 2 to 3 hours per day split across morning, afternoon, and early evening. There is no single national call time that applies to all prisons.

The Short Answer, It Depends on the Type of Phone System

There is no national rule in England and Wales that says prisoners must get phone calls at a specific time. The time your loved one can call you is determined by two things: what type of phone system their prison uses, and what privilege level they are on. These two factors together set the window within which any given call can happen.

The most important distinction to understand is between prisons with in-cell phones and those that rely on communal wing phones. It is the single biggest factor affecting when calls arrive.

How Association Time Works in Older Prisons

In prisons without in-cell phones, the phone is only accessible during association the periods when prisoners are unlocked from their cells and allowed to use communal facilities. Association typically amounts to around two to three hours per day on weekdays, spread across different times depending on the wing's schedule.

A typical weekday structure at a communal-phone prison might look something like this: a short morning period after breakfast (around 8am to 9am), an afternoon period following lunch (around 1:30pm to 3pm), and an early evening period (around 6pm to 8pm). The exact times vary by prison, by wing, and by day. Some prisons run different schedules on different wings to reduce congestion on shared facilities.

The problem with communal phone systems is demand. In a busy wing, there may be 60 or 80 prisoners sharing four to six handsets during a two-hour window. Prisoners have to queue, and if the queue is long they may not get through to a phone before the period ends. This is particularly acute on Sunday evenings, when demand typically peaks, and around public holidays when regimes are sometimes reduced. It means that even when association is running, there is no guarantee your loved one will be able to make a call during that window.

Weekend association at communal-phone prisons tends to be longer than on weekdays, partly because there are fewer structured activities like work and education to fill the day. HMPPS data suggests average association time is around 2 to 3 hours daily, but this varies considerably across the estate.

At prisons with communal phones, Sunday evening association typically sees the highest demand of the week. Many prisoners prioritise calls to family at the start of the week. If your loved one has not called by Sunday and you are expecting a call, the queue for the phone may be the reason — not a problem with their credit or their approved list.

In-Cell Phones Are The New Standard

Modern prisons built or substantially refurbished over the last decade have moved decisively towards in-cell telephones. The difference for families is transformative. Instead of your loved one having a narrow two-hour window in which they must queue for a shared handset, they can call at 7:30am before the working day, at 9pm after dinner, or at any point in between when it suits both of you.

The confirmed call hours at specific modern prisons are worth knowing:

The rollout of in-cell phones across the estate is ongoing but uneven. HMP Leyhill and other open prisons have been working to expand PIN phone provision, and HMPPS has confirmed intentions to pilot mobile PIN phones in parts of the estate where in-cell telephony is not available. The direction of travel is clearly towards more flexible access, but many older prisons remain on communal systems and will continue to do so for years.

How the IEP System Affects Phone Call Times

The Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme — commonly known as IEP gives prison governors the ability to reward positive behaviour with additional privileges and withdraw them for poor behaviour. Phone access is one of the privileges that can be affected. The three IEP levels are Basic, Standard, and Enhanced, and each carries different entitlements.

It is important to understand that IEP levels affect entitlement to phone time, not the physical availability of the phones. At a prison with in-cell handsets, even a Basic level prisoner still has a phone in their cell but their permitted usage hours or total daily call time may be restricted compared to a Standard or Enhanced prisoner. The specific restrictions at Basic level are set by each Governor and are not uniform across the estate.

Reviews of IEP levels happen every 28 days. A prisoner who has been moved to Basic can return to Standard relatively quickly through consistent positive behaviour. If your loved one's phone access has suddenly reduced significantly, it is worth asking whether there has been an IEP level change, though they will usually know and tell you themselves.

Remand Prisoners Have Different Rules

Prisoners on remand so those awaiting trial or sentencing who have not yet been convicted, sit in a different position in the prison system to sentenced prisoners. Remand prisoners are not required to follow the same structured daily schedule as sentenced prisoners and generally have slightly more flexibility around phone access, because the regime is less built around work and education programmes.

That said, the practical difference for families is often smaller than expected. Remand prisoners are typically held at local Category B prisons serving the courts establishments like HMP Manchester, HMP Leeds, or HMP Wandsworth, which are often older buildings with communal phone systems. The physical constraint of the infrastructure frequently matters more than the theoretical IEP flexibility.

Upon arrival at prison, the protocol typically allows a prisoner to make their first phone call within 24 hours, though the security checking process for the PIN approved list can mean the first call takes longer if the prisoner has never been to that establishment before. Newly arrived prisoners can sometimes make one immediate welfare call on arrival before their full PIN list is set up.

The First Call & What to Expect

The period immediately after someone arrives at a prison is the most uncertain time for families. A few things are happening simultaneously: the prisoner is going through induction, their approved contact list is being submitted and checked by security, and they are getting oriented on when phones are available on their wing.

Prisoners can typically make their initial phone call during the first week of arrival, though the exact timing depends on the specific prison's induction process and how long the security check takes. At Category C resettlement prisons like HMP Five Wells and HMP Fosse Way, the security check takes a few days. At Category A high-security establishments like HMP Frankland and HMP Wakefield, it can take up to two weeks.

One practical step families can take is to write a letter to their loved one immediately after they arrive, including the number you want them to add. This means they have it ready when their PIN list submission happens, rather than having to remember it or wait for a letter to arrive first.

Rather than passing your mobile number to add to the PIN list, give your loved one a Prison Call virtual landline number instead. The security check takes exactly the same amount of time for either number, but every call from the moment it is approved costs 2.48p per minute instead of 5.50p. You receive all calls on your mobile exactly as normal.

Special Circumstances That Change Call Times

Lockdowns and security incidents
During a security incident, a fight, a weapons find, a death in custody, or any event that causes the prison to lock down association is suspended and phones become inaccessible. These incidents are unpredictable and can last from a few hours to several days depending on severity. If your loved one suddenly stops calling and you cannot reach the prison's general line for information, the Safer Custody helpline for that prison is the right place to call.

Healthcare and hospital stays
Prisoners who are in the prison healthcare unit, or who have been transferred to an outside hospital, may have restricted phone access. Healthcare units sometimes have their own phone arrangements that differ from the main wings. If your loved one is unwell, phone contact may be through a nursing team member rather than directly from the prisoner.

Segregation
Prisoners who are placed in the segregation unit following a disciplinary offence may have their phone access restricted as part of the sanctions. The specific rules on phone access in segregation vary by prison but access is typically more limited than on normal location.

Transfers between prisons
When a prisoner is transferred from one establishment to another, their PIN approved list does not automatically transfer. They need to resubmit the approved numbers at the new establishment, which means another waiting period before calls can resume. This is one of the most common reasons families experience a sudden gap in communication. It is not cause for alarm, it simply means the process is being repeated at the new prison.

How to Make Sure You Never Miss a Call

Missing a call from prison matters because you cannot call back. UK prisons do not accept incoming calls. If the prisoner calls when you are unavailable and you do not answer, they have to wait for their next available phone time to try again — which at a communal-phone prison could be several hours away.
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Know your loved one's call window
Ask them to write to you with their wing's association schedule. Even a rough idea of when calls usually happen — morning, after lunch, evenings — lets you be available when it matters.

Save the outgoing caller ID
Calls from prison display a generic outbound number, not your loved one's name. If that number appears in your call log, save it in your contacts immediately so you recognise it next time.

Set up Prison Voicemail
Prison Voicemail (prisonvoicemail.com) allows your loved one to leave you a recorded message if you do not answer, without using outgoing call credit. It means missed calls still result in contact.

Keep your phone charged and nearby
Obvious, but worth stating. If your loved one has a short association window, an unanswered call may not get a second chance that day.

‍Switch to a virtual landline number
When your loved one calls a virtual landline from Prison Call, the call costs them 2.48p per minute instead of 5.50p. This means their credit lasts longer — which means more calls, more opportunities to connect, and less pressure on each individual call.

How Call Times Affect the Cost of Calls

The time of a call affects its cost in one specific way: the HMPPS weekend rate is cheaper than the weekday rate. This is worth knowing because it creates a practical opportunity to reduce costs for families where there is flexibility around when calls happen.

HMPPS defines weekend as midday Friday through to midnight Sunday. This means that a call made on Friday afternoon is already at the cheaper weekend rate. For families where the prisoner has in-cell phone access and both parties can schedule a call, Friday afternoons are the best combination of flexibility and cost.

The single most impactful change any family can make to reduce call costs, however, is not about timing it is about the type of number being called. Calls to a standard UK landline number cost 2.48p per minute on weekdays, which is less than half the mobile rate. A Prison Call virtual landline forwards those calls to your mobile so you receive them as normal, but the prisoner pays the cheaper rate automatically.