Gartree Prison
Gartree is a high security men’s prison in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.
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Book and plan your visit to Gartree
To visit someone in Gartree you must:
- be on that person’s visitor list
- book your visit in advance
- have the required ID with you when you go
At least one visitor must be aged 18 or older at every visit.
The number of visits a prisoner can have a month depends on their privilege level.
Contact Gartree 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 Gartree
- somewhere to stay overnight
- meals
How to book family and friends visits
You can book your visit online.
You can book your visit by telephone.
Booking line: 01858 426 727
The line is open: Monday to Friday, 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm
Find out about call charges
Or email: socialvisits.gartree@justice.gov.uk.
Prisoners can also book their own visits by speaking to a wing officer and completing the application forms.
Visiting times:
- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: 2pm to 4pm.*
*Please note the visiting times include entry into the prison and the search process, we endeavour to ensure everyone gets a minimum of 60 minutes in the visits hall.
The visits centre is open from 1pm and you must be booked in by 2:45pm or you may be refused entry into the visits hall.
How to book legal and professional visits
Email: socialvisits.gartree@justice.gov.uk
You can also book by telephone.
Booking line: 01858 426 727
Line is open: Monday to Friday: 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm
Find out about call charges
Visiting times for legal and professional visits
In Person
- Wednesdays: 9am to 11am. The visiting times include entry into the prison and the search process.
Local Authority Personal Advisors for the care experienced can choose to book a legal or domestic appointment, when visiting our Young Adult population.
Via Video Link
- Monday: 8am to 9am, 9am to 10am and 10am to 11am
- Wednesday AM: 8am to 9am, 9am to 10am and 10am to 11am
- Wednesday PM: 2pm to 3pm, 3pm to 4pm and 4pm to 5pm
Getting to Gartree
The closest railway station is Market Harborough which is about 4 miles from the prison. From the station, you can get a bus (except on Sundays) straight to the prison or you can get a taxi.
To plan your journey by public transport:
There is limited parking at the prison including spaces for Blue Badge holders.
Entering Gartree
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.
Local policy states that all children must provide an acceptable form of ID. If you cannot provide a birth certificate please contact the PACT team in advance to discuss alternatives.
All visitors, including children, will be searched as per local policy to ensure everyone’s safety and establishment security. This will include a dog search, metal detector archway and rub down search. All staff are trained to carry these tasks out whilst maintaining a high standard of professionalism, and respecting decency and individual needs.
Dress code policy
Gartree has a strict dress code policy for visitors. The purpose of the policy is to ensure safety and decency during visits; it sets out to safeguard an appropriate family environment, free from trafficking and other inappropriate behaviour. Please adhere to the following:
- No low-cut tops that reveal cleavage and no unbuttoned shirts. Your shoulders and back must also be covered
- No midriff must show, tops/shirts must be long enough to cover the waist of your trousers/shorts/skirts
- No see-through clothing
- No clothing that displays offensive or inappropriate pictures and/or writing.
- No sports team clothing, ie. football shirts
- No hooded clothing or clothing with full length zips. Quarter zips are permitted.
- No coats, jackets (including suit jackets/blazers) or cardigans. If you are wearing an inappropriate top underneath your coat, jacket or cardigan and this is all you have to wear, your visit will be refused. Suitable lockers are available in the Families and Visitors’ Centre
- There must be no rips or tears in your clothing, ie. ripped jeans
- No shorts, skirts or dresses that are shorter than knee length and expose any part of the leg above the knee
- No headwear unless for religious or medical purposes; this may be subject to searching in private by staff considered appropriate for the task. If the headwear is for a medical purpose, then proof must be shown at initial booking-in
- Footwear must not have a heel height of more than 2 inches and no stiletto heels can be worn
- No scarves or gloves. Suitable lockers are available in the Families and Visitors’ Centre
- No watch of any kind. Suitable lockers are available in the Families and Visitors’ Centre
No non-prescription glasses and/or sunglasses can be worn. Suitable lockers are available in the Families and Visitors’
Personal belongings
There are strict controls on what you can take into Gartree. You will have to leave almost all of the things you have with you including bags, keys, phones and cameras, in a locker in the Families and Visitors’ Centre. The lockers are free to use. You may take your locker key into the prison along with your proof of ID, which is shown again at the prison reception.
Pushchairs and car seats brought into the Families and Visitors’ Centre cannot be taken into the prison. There is a highchair available for use in the Visits Hall.
During the visit
If you are a first-time visitor you will be informed of the visiting process by the local PACT team in the Families and Visitors’ Centre before the start of your visit.
There are strict rules in place for your behaviour and the person that you are visiting in the Visits Hall. You will be told the rules by an officer at the start of your visit. If you break the rules, your visit could be cancelled and you could be banned from visiting again.
If you are a first-time visitor you will be informed of the process by the local PACT team before the start of your visit. If you break the rules, your visit could be cancelled, and you could be banned from visiting again.
Visiting facilities
Gartree has a family-friendly Families and Visitors’ Centre adjacent to the prison, which acts as an initial booking-in and waiting area. The Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) runs the centre and they offer information and support. There are toilet facilities, refreshments available and a children’s play area available to use.
You can speak to PACT directly on:
Telephone: 01858 461134 or 01858 466614
Or by emailing: gartree@prisonadvice.org.uk
The centre is open from 1pm on visiting days. You must be booked in at the centre by 2:45pm or you may be refused entry into the prison.
You can purchase tokens in the centre to acquire refreshments in the Visits’ Hall for consumption during your visit. You can only purchase tokens using cash and there is no ATM facility at Gartree. The token purchase limit is £50.00. Any refreshments left over after the visit can be retained by you as a visitor. Prisoners are not allowed to take any of the excess refreshments back to their cells.
Family days
In addition to regular family and friends’ visits, Gartree aims to hold 12 Family Days a year, specifically for prisoners with young relatives under the age of 18. The Family Days are organised and run by the PACT staff and allow prisoners to have a more interactive visit with their younger visitors, through play and craft activities.
The Family Days must be applied for by the prisoner and pre-approved before the visitors confirm their attendance. More details on the Family Days and the booking procedure can be obtained by contacting the Pact team directly at gartree@prisonadvice.org.uk.
Keep in touch with someone at Gartree
There are several ways you can keep in touch with someone during their time at Gartree.
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
Secure video calls at this prison can be requested by prisoners only.
You will receive a notification if a prisoner has requested a video call with you.
These are available during visit days at 2:15pm to 3pm and 3:15pm to 4pm.
Phone calls
Prisoners have phones in their cells and are able to make calls whenever they wish to whilst in their cell.
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.
Officers may listen to phone calls as a way of preventing crime and helping keep people safe.
You can send emails to someone in Gartree using the Email a Prisoner service.
You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies, depending on the rules at Gartree.
Letters
You can write at any time.
Include the person’s name and prisoner number on the envelope. If you do not know the prisoner number, use his date of birth instead.
All post, apart from legal letters, will be opened and checked by officers.
Send in money
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 exemption would allow you to send money by post.
Gifts and parcels
The only items that you can bring into the prison for a prisoner are books. The books will be collected from you in the search area and given to the prisoner after they have been checked by security.
Family and friends of prisoners are also 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.
Gartree does not accept clothing parcels into the establishment or allow families to purchase items from our suppliers to be sent here.
Prisoners are given a list of items that they can buy from approved suppliers and must order themselves.
For the full list of approved retailers, you can read the HMPPS Incentives Policy, Annex F.
Contact Gartree for more information.
Life at Gartree
Gartree is committed to providing a safe, decent and educational environment where men can learn new skills to help them on release. It is focussed on reducing reoffending and promoting a rehabilitative culture.
Security and safeguarding
Every prisoner at Gartree 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.
Arrival and first night
When someone first arrives at Gartree, they will get to speak to a trained member of staff who will check how they’re feeling and ask about any immediate health and wellbeing needs. They will also be seen by a clinical healthcare professional.
They will get an information pack and usually be issued with any property that arrived with them.
After the reception process, they will be moved to the induction unit where they can take a shower and make phone calls.
Induction
Each prisoner who arrives at Gartree gets an induction that lasts about a week. This will cater for any individual needs including:
- 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
They will be shown the library and gym. Everyone also finds out about Gartree’s therapeutic community, prison rules, fire safety, and how things like calls and visits work.
Accommodation
Over 700 prisoners live at Gartree, most have their own cells.
Education and work
All programmes and services at Gartree are designed to help prisoners adapt their behaviour and lower their risk of reoffending. There is support for those with learning disabilities, help with thinking skills, reducing violence and maintaining healthy relationships.
Gartree has a range of workshops that include woodworking, gardening, laundry and IT. Some qualifications are available in the workshops as well.
The prison also provides a recording service for local and regional Talking Newspapers. Prisoners can develop skills in web design and desktop publishing and get involved in the prison newspaper.
Milton Keynes College provides a range of courses, starting with literacy and numeracy. Other courses include English literature, art, cookery, IT, barbering and construction skills. Further education opportunities are offered through distance learning and the Open University.
Organisations Gartree works with
Leicestershire Libraries provide the library facility at Gartree. There is a programme of craft sessions, wellbeing days and speakers along with the books.
The Shannon Trust helps prisoners at Gartree develop their reading skills, build confidence and progress to educational qualifications.
Support for family and friends
Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends.
To contact our family provision at HMP Gartree please email: gartree@prisonadvice.org.uk.
Support at Gartree
The Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) provides individual support with a range of issues facing families with loved ones in prison. Ask in the visitors’ centre for more information.
Concerns, problems and complaints
In an emergency
Call 01858 426600 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 | 01858 426795 | 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 problems contact Gartree.
Inspection reports
HM Prison and Probation Service publishes action plans for Gartree in response to independent inspections.
Contact Gartree
Acting Governing Governor: Rachel Martindale
Telephone: 01858 426 600
Fax: 01858 426 601
Find out about call charges
Address
HMP Gartree
Gallow Field Road
Market Harborough
Leicestershire
LE16 7RP
Help us to improve this page. Give us your feedback in this 2-minutes survey.
Updates to this page
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Non-emergency/Safer Custody phone number updated in Concerns, Problems and Complaints section.
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Information about Local Authority Personal Advisors added.
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Page updated with new information regarding booking lines, visiting times, legal visits, visiting facilities, family days, entering Gartree, gifts/parcels, and acting Governor.
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Secure video calls update.
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Updated visiting guidance based on 1 April COVID rule changes
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Added link to new safer custody information under Security and safeguarding.
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Updated visiting information: Testing for visitors aged 12 and over.
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Added link to information about testing for physical contact at visits.
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New visiting times and booking information added.
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Prison moved into National Stage 3 framework and is now preparing to open visits for family, friends and significant others. We will update this page with specific visiting information as soon as possible.
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Updated visit info
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Updated visiting information in line with new local restriction tiers.
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Updated visiting information in line with new local restriction tiers.
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Updated visiting information in line with new national restrictions in England.
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Updated visiting information in line with coronavirus restrictions.
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Updated visiting information in line with coronavirus restrictions.
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Updated information to include confirmation of secure video calls being available at this prison.
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First published.