Lincoln Prison
Lincoln is a prison and young offender institution (YOI) in the East Midlands, for men aged 18 and over.
Applies to England and Wales
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Book and plan your visit to Lincoln Prison
To visit someone in Lincoln Prison you must:
- be on the prisoners approved visitor list
- book your visit 48 hours in advance
- have the required ID with you when you go
At least one visitor at each visit must be 18 or older.
A maximum of 3 adults up to 6 children (aged 16 and below) can attend each visit.
There may be a limit to the number of visits a prisoner can have.
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 Lincoln
- somewhere to stay overnight
- meals
How to book family and friends visits
You can book a visit by calling the telephone booking line, 01522 663 172. Approved visitors can book their visit online or by telephone.
The booking line is open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to midday, except Bank Holidays
Visiting times:
- Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2pm to 4pm
- Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 11am and 2pm to 4pm
We also offer family visits once a month. These are extended visits often with a specific focus and prisoners apply for these internally.
How to book legal and professional visits
You can book a legal visit by email to LincolnVisitsBooking@justice.gov.uk. For video link bookings, you can email Video_Link_Lincoln@justice.gov.uk. Any non-legal enquiries to either of these addresses will not be answered.
Face to face legal and professional visit times:
- Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9am to 11:30am
Electronic equipment such as laptops will need to be authorised before a visit. All equipment must have a visible factory printed serial number for to be allowed entry. You can request an authorisation from the booking team by email, where you can also raise any queries them.
Getting to Lincoln Prison
The prison is opposite Lincoln County Hospital. The closest railway station is Lincoln Central. The prison is a 20 minute walk from the train and bus station.
To plan your journey by public transport:
There are limited spaces in the pay and display car park near the prison for family and friends visiting. There are also limited Blue Badge holder spaces directly in front of the prison gate.
Entering Lincoln Prison
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.
For your first visit, please arrive from 12:20pm and look out for the ‘purple people’ so that you can have an induction prior to booking in (from 1:30pm).
All visitors will need to be given a pat-down search, including children. You may also be sniffed by security dogs.
There are strict controls on what you can take into Lincoln Prison. You will be provided with a locker key when you book in. Please be aware that there is only limited space for belongings available. Pushchairs and car seats can be left with security.
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.
Visitors Dress Code
Visitors to HMP Lincoln must be dressed appropriately at all times, reflecting our aim to create a family atmosphere as part of the Reducing Reoffending and Decency agenda. This instruction applies to all visitors to the establishment regardless of age and gender.
At HMP Lincoln it is considered to be inappropriate to wear the following types of clothing:
- short/cropped tops that reveal naked midriff
- low cut tops or shirts that unbutton to reveal cleavage or bare chest
- vests (as a single garment)
- mini-skirts that are shorter than knee length and expose thighs
- shorts that are shorter than knee length and expose thighs
- all types of see-through clothing
- headwear (other than for religious purposes)
- clothing that is offensive in nature or displays offensive discriminatory, or inappropriate material
- ripped clothing
- no cloaks, capes, scarves, jackets, coats, hoodies or gloves or other articles that could prevent staff from observing visitors or prisoners in the visits hall
These items need to be removed before entering visits hall.
Any visitor that does not comply with this dress code will not be permitted entry to HMP Lincoln at the discretion of the visits staff.
This notice will be displayed in the visitors centre and available as an annex to the visits policy.
Visitors must leave all property in their vehicle or the visitors centre with the exception of the articles listed below:
- card (only for purchasing refreshments)
- medication (to be held by visits staff for emergency use only)
- babies dummies
- baby’s bottle with dry, powdered milk (water to be supplied by refreshments team) and an unopened jar of baby food (not glass)
- locker key
- In the case of legal advisors or other professional visitors, documents, and briefcases, containing documents needed for the visit.
No recording equipment may be taken into the visit room without express permission from the Head of Security.
Visiting facilities
Lincoln Prison has a tuck shop where you can purchase food and drink during weekend visits, or you can order food from ‘On a Roll’ prior to your visit which will be delivered to the prison. Please order your food from this website
There is also a facility in the visits centre for a sit-down meal in the training restaurant ‘Berties’ on weekdays only. Enhanced prisoners can apply for this. All payments for this service are card only.
Counter service is also available for all visitors.
The children’s play area is available for use.
Family days
We offer family visits once per month, these are extended visits often with a specific focus and are applied for internally by prisoners.
For more information regarding family visits, please call the visits booking line or Lincolnshire Action Trust for more information.
Keep in touch with someone at Lincoln Prison
There are several ways you can keep in touch with a prisoner during their time at Lincoln.
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
- Be an approved visitor on the prisoners’ visitors 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.
Please note that a prisoners’ call list and visitors list are different. You will need to be added to both in order to receive calls and visit a prisoner.
Phone calls
Prisoners do not yet have phones in their cells 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.
You can also exchange voicemails using the Prison Voicemail service.
Officers may listen to phone calls as a way of preventing crime and helping keep people safe.
You can send emails to someone in Lincoln Prison using the Email a Prisoner service.
Letters
You can write at any time.
Include the person’s name and prisoner number on the envelope.
If you do not know their prisoner number, contact Lincoln Prison.
All post apart from legal letters will be opened and checked by officers.
Send money and gifts
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 will allow you to send money by post.
Gifts and parcels
Prisoners are given a list of items they can have in prison, known as the ‘facilities list’.
Convicted prisoners can not have any items posted or handed in and must save their money and buy them from the approved catalogue.
Un-convicted men on remand can have clothes handed in or posted, but in limited amounts. Make sure to include the person’s name and prisoner number on the parcel.
Family and friends of prisoners are 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. For the full list of approved retailers, you can read the HMPPS Incentives Policy, Annex F.
All parcels will be opened and checked by officers. Contact Lincoln Prison for more information on what’s allowed.
Life at Lincoln Prison
Lincoln Prison is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where men can learn new skills to help them on release, including workshops, education and vocational courses.
Security and safeguarding
Every prisoner at Lincoln Prison 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.
There is a Listeners’ Scheme, prison mentors and peer support schemes to aid well-being. There is addiction counselling available.
Charity workshops are available and many community links, for example, volunteers who help with family visits.
Arrival and first night
When a prisoner first arrives at Lincoln Prison, they will be able to contact a family member by phone. This could be quite late in the evening, depending on the time they arrive.
They will get to speak to someone who will check how they’re feeling and ask about any immediate health and wellbeing needs.
Induction
Each prisoner who arrives at Lincoln Prison gets an induction that lasts about a week. They will meet professionals and peers (known as ‘Insiders’) who will help them with:
- 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
Every prisoner is allocated a key worker officer who meets them weekly to monitor progress and discuss any problems. Prisoners also find out about the rules, fire safety, and how things like calls and visits work.
Accommodation
Around 650 prisoners live in Lincoln Prison across 4 main residential wings. A, B and C wings hold a mix of prisoners while E wing holds any prisoners who are considered vulnerable.
All wings have access to showers, telephones, toasters and recreational activities, such as pool and table tennis.
Education and work
Lincoln offers a wide range of education, including English and maths, and also vocational courses in painting and decorating and bricklaying.
There are tailoring workshops, a laundry and a recycling centre where prisoners can earn recognised qualifications.
Temporary release
There is no release on temporary licence (ROTL) at Lincoln.
Organisations Lincoln Prison works with
Lincoln works with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), Shelter and Lincolnshire Action Trust which offer varied resettlement support. Support is offered with employment, accommodation, mental and physical health and drug support services in the community.
Support at Lincoln Prison
Further information and support provided by Lincolnshire Action Trust for children and families of a person in prison.
Telephone: 01522 663 355
Concerns, problems and complaints
In an emergency
Call 01522 663 000 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 | 01522 663287 | 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 problem with any aspect of the prison, please write to the prison governor.
Contact Lincoln Prison
Governor: Colin Hussey
Telephone: 01522 663 000
24 hours
Fax: 01522 663 001
Find out about call charges
Follow Lincoln Prison on Twitter/X
Address
HMP/YOI Lincoln
Greetwell Road
Lincoln
LN2 4BD
Help us to improve this page. Give us your feedback in this 2-minute survey.
Updates to this page
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Dress code and refreshment purchases updated.
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Added Christmas period visiting times
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Social and legal visits updated.
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Updated Governor
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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: Reduced visit schedule and testing for visitors aged 12 and over.
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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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visit info
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Updated visit info
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Updated visit info
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Updated visit info
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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 dress code
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Updates to entering and visits sections
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updated survey
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First published.