HMP Five Wells Phone Calls

Five Wells opened in March 2022 and was immediately one of the largest Category C prisons in England. It draws prisoners from across the Midlands and beyond, holding men who are closer to the end of their sentences and who are being prepared for release back into the community. The resettlement focus matters for families because it shapes the culture of contact at Five Wells, maintaining family ties is built into the prison's stated purpose, not treated as an afterthought.

That said, the prison has also faced real challenges since opening. Independent Monitoring Board reports have raised serious concerns about drug availability, violence, and illicit phones. The prison leadership and G4S have been working to address these issues, but families visiting or calling someone at Five Wells should understand it is a large, busy establishment with all the complexity that brings.

About HMP Five Wells

HMP Five Wells stands on Doddington Road in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, on the same ground where HMP Wellingborough stood until it closed in 2012 and was subsequently demolished. The new prison cost £253 million to build and opened on 4 March 2022. It was the first new prison to open in England and Wales since HMP Oakwood in 2012, and at the time of opening it was the largest Category C prison in the country.

The name Five Wells refers to five medieval wells discovered during construction — a nod to Wellingborough's local history that the prison chose to honour in its branding. The prison holds approximately 1,680 to 1,687 adult male prisoners in single-occupancy cells designed to a modern standard, with private shower and toilet facilities in each room. It employs around 700 people, making it one of the largest employers in Wellingborough.

The prison is operated by G4S Care and Rehabilitation Services under contract with the Ministry of Justice. G4S is one of the UK's major private prison operators, also running establishments including HMP Oakwood, HMP Medway, and HMP Altcourse. Unlike publicly managed HMPPS prisons, Five Wells has its own senior management structure under G4S, with Pete Small as Director. This matters in a practical sense because welfare concerns, visit queries, and operational questions go to the G4S management team rather than a regional HMPPS governor.

Five Wells holds Category C prisoners — men who cannot be trusted in open conditions but who do not present the escape risk of Category A or B prisoners. Most are serving medium-length sentences, with a significant proportion in the final two years before release. The resettlement focus includes employment workshops in engineering, catering, and carpentry, as well as education programmes, offending behaviour work, and extensive partnership arrangements with local employers through the Release on Temporary Licence scheme.

HMP Five Wells Contact Details

How Phone Calls Work at HMP Five Wells

HMP Five Wells has in-cell phones installed in every cell. Prisoners make calls from their own room using a PIN system, the same underlying technology used across modern UK prisons, but delivered from each cell rather than shared communal handsets on the wing. This means your loved one is not competing for a limited number of shared phones during a fixed association window. Within the permitted call hours at Five Wells, they can call whenever they have credit and the number is approved.

The process for making calls is straightforward. Each prisoner has a personal PIN that identifies them to the phone system and links them to their approved contact list. When they want to call, they enter their PIN, select the number, and the call connects if it has been through the security approval process. New numbers cannot be called until they have been vetted by security staff.

All social calls at HMP Five Wells are recorded and may be listened to by security staff. G4S operates the same monitoring protocols as HMPPS-run prisons. Both parties are told at the start of each call that the conversation is being recorded. Legal calls to solicitors and legal representatives are held on a separate account and are not recorded. You cannot call a prisoner directly, all calls are outgoing, initiated by the prisoner from their cell.

The IMB report for the period April 2023 to March 2024 raised serious concerns about illicit phones circulating within Five Wells. This is relevant context for families because it explains why legitimate phone access matters so much — prisoners who cannot get credit to use the official system may be pressured towards illicit alternatives. Keeping phone credit topped up and ensuring the virtual landline number is approved reduces that pressure and supports legitimate family contact.

Getting on the Phone List at HMP Five Wells

When a prisoner arrives at Five Wells, they go through an induction process during which they submit the numbers they want to be able to call. Security staff at the prison check each number before activating it. Because Five Wells is a Category C resettlement prison rather than a high-security establishment, the approval process is generally faster than at Category A prisons, typically a few days rather than a week or more. That said, during particularly busy intake periods the wait can extend, and families should not be alarmed if the first call takes up to a week to arrive.

Each prisoner can hold up to 20 approved numbers on their personal contact list. Legal contacts are held separately and do not use up any of the 20 slots. If your number changes, your loved one will need to resubmit the new number for security approval.

Pass your loved one a Prison Call virtual landline number to add to their approved list rather than your mobile number. The security approval process takes the same amount of time either way — but every call from the moment it is approved saves over 55% compared to calling your mobile directly. Nothing changes on your end; calls come through to your mobile as normal.

Phone Call Costs at HMP Five Wells in 2026

Although Five Wells is privately operated by G4S, it follows the same national call rate tariff as HMPPS-managed prisons. The rates below have been in force since 1 April 2025 and are fixed until 31 May 2027 following a 20% reduction agreed by the Ministry of Justice. All costs come out of the prisoner's phone credit account, not from you as the recipient.

A 20-minute weekday call to a mobile from HMP Five Wells costs £1.10 in phone credit. Phone credit is purchased by the prisoner through the canteen system, funded from their private cash balance. For a prisoner on a standard prison wage of around £10 per week, daily calls to a mobile number can consume more than half their weekly earnings. Families regularly need to top up balances to keep calls running, which transfers the cost burden onto households already managing without an income.

The HMPPS weekend rate for mobile calls (3.60p per minute) is around 35% cheaper than the weekday rate. HMPPS defines weekend as midday Friday through to midnight Sunday. If your loved one has in-cell phone access and both of you have flexibility, scheduling longer calls on Friday afternoons or at weekends reduces costs without any additional services. Combined with a Prison Call virtual landline number, a Friday afternoon call costs just 2.20p per minute — the weekend landline rate — saving nearly 60% compared to a standard weekday mobile call.

How to Cut the Cost of Calls From HMP Five Wells

The 5.50p weekday mobile rate is more than double the 2.48p landline rate. This difference exists because of how the national telephony contract categorises number types — mobile numbers are in a more expensive billing tier. The practical result is that families without a traditional home landline, which is most families, pay the higher rate by default.

A Prison Call virtual landline gives your loved one a standard UK local number to dial instead. When they call it from their in-cell phone, the system routes the call through as a landline call and charges them the lower rate. You receive it on your mobile exactly as you would any other call. No app to install, no changes to your phone, no contract beyond a rolling monthly subscription.

On a daily 20-minute weekday call, switching to Prison Call saves 61p per call, over £13 per month, and more than £160 per year. The same amount of credit lasts more than twice as long, which means less money needs to be sent in and less stress around credit running out mid-conversation. Prison Call plans start from £19.99 per month with same-day number activation, no setup fee, and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.

How to Send Money to Someone at HMP Millsike

Phone credit at Millsike is purchased through the in-cell device from the prisoner's private cash balance. To add money to that balance, use the official free online service at gov.uk/send-prisoner-money. Pay by Mastercard, Visa, or Maestro debit card. You need the prisoner's full name, date of birth, and prison number. Funds typically arrive within one to three working days. Bank transfers, postal orders, cheques, and cash by post are not accepted.

Because Millsike's canteen ordering runs digitally, credit purchases are processed through the device as soon as the balance is available — typically faster than at older prisons where canteen orders are collected and processed once a week on a fixed day. This means topping up mid-week is more likely to result in credit being available quickly at Millsike than it might be elsewhere.

How to Send Money to Someone at HMP Five Wells

Phone credit at Five Wells is purchased through the prison canteen system, funded from the prisoner's private cash balance. To top up that balance, use the official free online service at gov.uk/send-prisoner-money. You pay by debit card and need the prisoner's full name, date of birth, and prison number. The service is free and funds typically arrive within one to three working days. Cash, cheques, postal orders, and bank transfers are no longer accepted.

The prison number is on letters, court paperwork, or visit confirmation documents. If you do not have it yet, call 01933 718888 and the reception team can help. Getting money in as soon as possible after arrival is particularly important given how quickly call credit can run down on the mobile rate — and is one more reason to give your loved one a landline number from the start.

Video Calls at HMP Five Wells

HMP Five Wells uses the Purple Visits platform for secure video calls the same system used at HMP Millsike and several other newer establishments. Your loved one arranges the video call from inside the prison and you receive it through the Purple Visits app, which you download on your phone or tablet. Video visits are a particularly valuable contact channel for children, and Five Wells's family-focused culture encourages their use as a supplement to in-person visits.

To arrange a video visit, contact the visits team by calling 01933 718888 (option 1, then option 1) or emailing Fivewells.visits@uk.g4s.com. Make sure you have downloaded and set up the Purple Visits app before your first scheduled call. Your loved one will be notified of the video visit time through the prison system.

The Invisible Walls Visitor Centre

The visitor centre at HMP Five Wells is operated in partnership with Invisible Walls Family Services, a specialist charity that works with families of prisoners. Invisible Walls supports visitors before and after visits, helps fathers maintain positive relationships with their children and partners, and builds a sense of community among families who are going through similar experiences. They run group sessions, one-to-one support, and activities for children visiting the prison.

The visiting hall itself is large and well-equipped, with a café managed by Aramark offering hot food, drinks, and snacks during every visiting session. There are vending machines, play equipment and activities for children, baby changing facilities, high chairs, and pushchair storage. This is a considerably more family-friendly environment than at older, more austere prisons a deliberate design choice by G4S and the prison leadership.

You can contact Invisible Walls directly at fivewells.invisiblewalls@uk.g4s.com. If you are visiting Five Wells for the first time and feeling anxious, reaching out to them in advance is worth doing. They can explain what to expect, help with any particular concerns, and let you know what support will be available on the day.

Visiting HMP Five Wells

Before you can visit, you must be on the prisoner's approved visitor list. Your loved one adds you to this through the prison's administration process. Once on the list, visits are booked by calling 01933 718888 and selecting option 1 twice, or by emailing Fivewells.visits@uk.g4s.com. Email monitoring runs Monday to Friday. Pre-booking is mandatory under all circumstances, there are no walk-in visits.Arrive at least one hour before your visit starts. This allows time for ID checks, booking in, searching, and moving into the visiting hall. The prison operates biometric access controls including fingerprint and facial recognition, so the processing on arrival takes longer than at older establishments. Do not leave this time short arriving less than 30 minutes before a visit session risks being turned away.

Bring valid photo identification on every visit, such as a passport, driving licence, or PASS-approved ID card. Children do not generally require ID but should be listed in your booking. Up to three adults and three children can attend most visits. The visiting hall has a café, children's play area, baby changing facilities, and pushchair storage.

A strict dress code applies. Visitors should not wear clothing that could be confused with prisoner or staff uniforms, including grey or navy jogging bottoms or plain grey sweatshirts. No revealing clothing, offensive slogans, or camouflage. Footwear must be worn at all times. The prison operates extensive CCTV coverage throughout. All visitors are searched on entry.Wellingborough railway station is the closest rail connection, on the Midland Main Line with regular services running from London St Pancras in approximately 55 minutes. From Wellingborough station the prison is approximately 1.5 miles away, accessible by taxi or local bus. Free car parking is available at the prison on Doddington Road. The full address for sat-nav is 301 Doddington Road, Wellingborough, NN8 2NX.If you are eligible for certain benefits or hold an NHS health certificate, you may be able to claim travel costs through the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme. Details are at gov.uk/help-with-prison-visits. Wellingborough's good rail connection from London makes this particularly relevant for families travelling from the capital.