lewes prison visit days

Visits & Getting There, HMP Lewes

Visits are held daily 14:10 – 15:35, and on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 9:30-11:00.

To book online, go to www.gov.uk/prison-visits , all you need is the name and date of birth of the person you are visiting and their prisoner number. You can choose up to 3 possible dates and times. Prison booking staff will check what’s available and confirm your visit by email. If you’ve made an online visit booking request and haven’t received a confirmation email within 1-3 working days, email [email protected]  or call 01273 785271 or 01273 785277.  The lines open 09:30 -12:00 & 14:00 -16:30hrs seven days a week (excluding Bank Holidays). If you are disabled let the prison know when booking the visit and where possible they will arrange for the visit to be held on a easily accessible floor. Bookings can be taken up to 14 days in advance.

If you book by e-mail, complete the Social Visits Booking Form (122KB), and follow the instruction on the form.

Convicted/sentenced prisoners get three visits a month. Remand prisoners can have three visits a week – two during the week and one at weekends

You are advised to arrive 30 minutes before the start of your visits early to allow for processing/administration.. You must bring your visiting order with you to your visit, along with your booking reference number/email confirmation and your ID. Suitable ID includes

• driving licence
• benefit book
• EC identity card
• Senior citizen’s public transport pass issued by a local authority

or you will need 2 official documents:

• Birth/marriage certificate
• Rail or bus pass with photo
• Cheque book or credit/debit card (counts as one, do not accept as two)
• Young person’s ‘proof of age’ card
• Trade Union or National Students’ union membership Card
• Library card, if it has a signature that can be compared with the visitor’s signature
• Foreign identity or resident’s card (other than EC ID cards acceptable in their own right)

Like at almost all prisons, you cannot bring anything on the visit for the prisoner unless he has filled out an application for it to be brought in, and the application has been approved.

The prison is situated in the town of Lewes, East Sussex, about ½ mile from the town centre. There is a regular bus service from Brighton. Click here for details The local station, Lewes, is on the main line between London Victoria and Brighton. Click here for details  The station is about a 25 mins walk, taxis are available at the station.

By car from London take A23, M23, A27 then join A275 and prison is on left.

Return to Lewes

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• Inside Time Reports
• 13th December 2014
• Kent & Sussex , Male Local , Male YOI , Prison Visit

Prison information

Address: HMP LEWES 1 Brighton Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1EA Switchboard: 01273 785 271 or 01273 785 277 Managed by: HMPPS Region: Sussex Category:  Male Link to:   https://www.gov.uk/guidance/lewes-prison

Description

Lewes is a men’s prison in Lewes, East Sussex.

Visit Booking: On-line

Use this online service to book a social visit to a prisoner in England or Wales you need the:

• prisoner number
• prisoner’s date of birth
• dates of birth for all visitors coming with you

The prisoner must add you to their visitor list before you can book a visit.

You’ll get an email confirming your visit. It takes 1 to 3 days.

ID: Every visit

Children’s Visits:

Acceptable forms of ID

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Lewes Prison Information

• Accommodation: The prison consists of multiple residential units with individual cells or shared accommodation for inmates. The cells are equipped with basic amenities, including beds, personal storage, and sanitation facilities.
• Education and Vocational Training: Lewes Prison provides educational programs to help inmates improve their literacy, numeracy, and other skills. Vocational training opportunities are also offered to enhance employment prospects upon release.
• Work Opportunities: Inmates have access to work opportunities within the prison, such as maintenance, cleaning, kitchen, and other designated roles. These work activities aim to develop skills, a sense of responsibility, and a work ethic.
• Healthcare: Lewes Prison has an on-site healthcare unit staffed with medical professionals who offer primary healthcare services to prisoners. Mental health support, substance abuse programs, and specialist services are also available.
• Sports and Physical Activities: The prison promotes physical fitness and well-being by providing access to sports facilities and organized activities. These activities aim to promote positive lifestyle choices and encourage teamwork.
• Family Contact: Lewes Prison recognizes the importance of maintaining family relationships and supports visits and contact with family members, subject to specific guidelines and regulations.
• Resettlement Support: The prison offers pre-release planning and support to help inmates prepare for their eventual release. This may include assistance with accommodation, employment, and access to community-based support services.

Contact Information

Booking a visit to lewes prison.

Unlimited Prison Phone Calls Package

• Be on the prisoners visits list
• Book your visit in advance
• Have the required ID when you visit
• At least one visitor must be over 18

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• Crime, justice and the law
• Prisons and probation

Visit someone in prison

Use this service to request a social visit to a prisoner in England or Wales. There’s a different way to book a prison visit in Northern Ireland or a prison visit in Scotland .

To use this service you need the:

• prisoner number
• prisoner’s date of birth
• dates of birth for all visitors coming with you

If you do not have the prisoner’s location or prisoner number, use the ‘Find a prisoner’ service .

You can choose up to 3 dates and times you prefer. The prison will email you to confirm when you can visit.

The prisoner must add you to their visitor list before you can request a visit. This can take up to 2 weeks.

Request a prison visit

Visits you cannot book through this service.

Contact the prison directly if you need to arrange any of the following:

• legal visits, for example legal professionals discussing the prisoner’s case
• reception visits, for example the first visit to the prisoner within 72 hours of being admitted
• double visits, for example visiting for 2 hours instead of 1
• family day visits - special family events that the prison organises

Help with the costs of prison visits

You may be able to get help with the cost of prison visits if you’re getting certain benefits or have a health certificate.

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Lewes Prison

Tel: 01273 785 100  –  1 Brighton Road, Lewes BN7 1EA

HMP Lewes is a local remand prison, holding both male adults and young offenders. When the prison was originally built in the 1950s, it was well outside the town of Lewes; however, over time the town has expanded and now the prison is only half a mile from the town centre. It was updated in 2008 and has a capacity of 742. If you’d like to visit HMP Lewes, please refer to the map on this page for directions.

Tel: 01273 785 100

Operational capacity: 742

1 Brighton Road, Lewes BN7 1EA

Prison Phone have been reducing the cost of calls from HMP Lewes since 2013. Our secure system works with the current PINS phone system to help inmates maintain family ties which in turn aids in rehabilitation.

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Here’s some facts about Lewes Prison

HMP Lewes is a category B local prison in the town of Lewes, West Sussex. Opened in 1853, the prison has capacity to hold 742 male inmates.

A wing provides drug and alcohol support for 134 prisoners. C wing has 150 places for sentenced and unconvicted prisoners. F wing has 147 places for both unconvicted and convicted sex offenders and others requiring protection. F1 landing is the first night and induction centre housing 30 prisoners. G wing is a care and support unit and has units for 23 vulnerable and at risk prisoners. K wing is a drug and alcohol detox unit for 22 prisoners. L wing and M wing have 80 and 94 places for sentenced category C or D prisoners respectively. The health care unit has space for 12 prisoners.

Khalid Masood , the terrorist shot dead after leading the Westminster attack of 2017, spent time here after convictions of assault, GBH and possession of an offensive weapon.

Staff at Lewes recieved pay rises of upnto £5,000 in February 2017 after a parliamentary announcement made by Elizabeth Truss.

To view the latest inspection report from the HMIP, click here .

Visiting hours are 9:30 – 11:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and 14:10 – 15:35 Monday to Sunday.

300 Finnish grenadiers were held at HMP Lewes during the Crimean War.

In 2004, the prison officially opened its new healthcare suite, which features a 19 bed facility for assessing the mental health of the inmates.

HMP Lewes’ most notorious inmate was Reggie Kray.

Prison Phone offers phone tariffs that reduce the costs of calls from this prison by up to 75%! This enables prisoners to get the support and love that they are missing from home, while reducing costs for the inmate. Find out more below.

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HM Prison Lewes

Table of Contents

Her Majesty’s Prison Lewes, known simply as HMP Lewes, is a category B local prison located in the town of Lewes in East Sussex. With a history dating back to the 19th century, Lewes has faced many ups and downs over the decades but continues to serve as an important prison in the South East. This article will provide an overview of HMP Lewes – its history, facilities, issues, and notable inmates.

The History of HMP Lewes

HMP Lewes is a Victorian-era prison, originally built in 1853 to replace the outdated Lewes Gaol that had stood since 1791. The old Lewes Gaol had become far too small, despite expansions in 1818. After the new prison opened, the old gaol was sold to the Admiralty to house prisoners from the Crimean War, before being demolished in 1963.

Some of the early 20th century prisoners held at Lewes were famous figures from the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland, including Éamon de Valera and Thomas Ashe . The prison also housed George Witton , a Bushveldt Carbineers lieutenant court-martialed for murdering Boer prisoners during the Boer War. After a campaign led by Winston Churchill, Witton was pardoned in 1904.

In 2004, a £1 million healthcare suite opened at Lewes Prison, with both physical and mental health treatment facilities for prisoners. However, inspections in 2008 found issues like prisoners eating meals in their toilet areas due to overcrowding. This led to a new accommodation block being built that year for 174 more inmates.

Wings and Facilities at HMP Lewes

The prison today has a capacity for 742 male inmates. Different wings serve various functions:

• A Wing  – Drug and alcohol rehabilitation (134 places)
• B Wing  – Care & Separation Unit (16 places)
• C Wing  – Sentenced and unconvicted prisoners (150 places)
• F Wing  – Vulnerable prisoners including sex offenders (173 places)
• G Wing  – First Night Centre for new inmates (23 places)
• K Wing  – Integrated Drug Treatment System unit (22 places)
• L & M Wings  – Sentenced prisoner accommodation (174 places total)
• Healthcare Centre  – 9 places for prisoners needing medical care

The accommodation is a mix of shared and single cells. Educational facilities are offered such as IT, literacy, numeracy and life skills classes. Work opportunities exist in the prison workshops and libraries are accessible weekly. The Listeners Scheme provides peer support for those feeling suicidal.

Inspections Reveal Overcrowding and Mental Health Issues

In 2016, an inspection found concerning issues at the prison. With 640 prisoners, HMP Lewes was overcrowded. Over a quarter of inmates reported feeling suicidal or depressed. Anti-ligature knives were lacking for some staff. The COVID-19 pandemic led to more offenders on recall to Lewes from 2020 to 2021.

These findings highlighted the need to address problems like prisoner mental health strains, outdated facilities, and staff shortages to improve safety and rehabilitation.

Notable Inmates Over the Years

Some famous names have spent time within the walls of HMP Lewes:

• Mick Jagger  – The Rolling Stones frontman was imprisoned for drug offenses in 1967.
• Reggie Kray  – The notorious East End gangster served time in Lewes in the 1950s.
• Khalid Masood  – The terrorist responsible for 2017’s Westminster attack was jailed here prior for violent crimes.
• Tom O’Carroll  – A pro-pedophilia activist convicted of child molestation did time in Lewes.

Lewes has housed many Irish republican prisoners, London gangsters, and violent extremists over the decades. While often overlooked by the public, its history has intersected with many high-profile figures and cases.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

In summary, HMP Lewes is an aging yet important category B prison in East Sussex that has faced many ups and downs since its Victorian founding. Issues like overcrowding, poor facilities, inmate mental health strains, and staffing shortages have presented challenges in recent years.

Moving forward, refurbishment and modernization investments along with a focus on rehabilitation and safety will be key to ensuring Lewes can effectively serve its local prisoner population. Though it has weathered many storms, HMP Lewes continues adapting to the needs of the present day.

When was HMP Lewes built originally?

HMP Lewes was originally built in 1853 to replace the outdated 18th century Lewes Gaol. It is a Victorian-era prison.

What category of prison is Lewes designated as?

HMP Lewes is categorized as a category B local prison, holding adult males on remand or serving sentences.

What is the current capacity of the prison?

Today, HMP Lewes has an operational capacity of 742 male inmates across its various wings and units.

What are some of the issues identified by recent inspections?

Inspections have found issues like overcrowding, poor inmate mental health, outdated facilities, and staffing shortages that need addressing.

Who are some of the most famous former prisoners held there?

Some notable inmates have included Irish republicans like De Valera, rockstar Mick Jagger, gangster Reggie Kray, and terrorist Khalid Masood.

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HMP Lewes prisoners locked in cells for 23 hours a day as inspectors slam prison

Prison inspectors found that HMP Lewes had failed to make improvements since its last inspection in May 2022. Parts of the prison were deemed unacceptably dirty, violence was not investigated and incidents of self-harm were not examined.

• 00:01, 5 APR 2023

HMP Lewes is facing further criticism from inspectors after it failed to make changes following a damning report into how it was run last year. HMP Inspectorate of Prisons visited the prison in May last year and found a number of failings that have yet to be addressed.

The full report last year found that the level of violence inside the prison was too high, staff levels were too low, and prisoners were living in squalid conditions. Care for the most vulnerable prisoners was also inadequate. But after visiting HMP Lewes for a review, the inspectors found that not enough had been done to make changes at the prison.

Charlie Taylor, chief inspector of prisons, said: “Eight months on from the full inspection, our latest visit found a worrying lack of overall progress at Lewes. Time out of cell was among the worst we have seen outside pandemic restrictions, and we were left concerned for prisoners’ well-being.

READ MORE: HMP Lewes and the notorious criminals who have been jailed there

"It was notable that the number of calls to the Samaritans was escalating. Without significant further action to stabilise officer numbers, this situation was unlikely to improve.”

The most recent report found that there had been "insufficient progress" in tackling violence in the prison and "no meaningful progress" in caring for the most vulnerable inmates. This included failing to adequately investigate serious incidents of self-harm.

It added that "since May 2022, 50% of prisoners who needed a transfer under the Mental Health Act had not been moved within the target time of 28 days, which was unacceptable." Calls to the Samaritans had increased over the last eight months, but prison leaders were unaware of this until the inspectors requested the data.

Men in crisis told the inspectors they felt uncared for, which inspectors said was backed up by evidence they found. This included one prisoner, who was known to be at risk for suicide or self-harm, being held in a cell with broken glass at the windows.

The high level of violence in the prison continued to be high. Staffing levels remained such a problem that members of the safety team were often deployed on the wings. This meant that "even serious violent incidents were not always investigated or acted on promptly".

The prison was slammed for failing to prioritise prisoners spending time outside of their cells. Apart from gym sessions or social visits around half of the prison population only had an hour out of their cell each day. This took place at 7.45am. Many chose not to exercise in the yard which meant they were locked up for the first half hour of this session. The inspectors said this mean that many did not have time to shower, collect medication, submit applications or clean their cells.

"Although COVID-19 restrictions were lifted during the inspection, there were no plans to increase time out of cell for the many unemployed prisoners," the report read.

The prison had introduced a new regime a month before the inspectors' visit, which had been intended to "prioritise prisoners' attendance at purposeful activity". However, the inspectors found that it was now ambitious enough and still only aimed to give most of the men five hours out of their cells a day.

The plans were further undermined because not enough prisoners had been allocated activities. Staff shortages also led to education regularly being cancelled - including for an entire month in November.

HMP Lewes's efforts to improve cleanliness were criticised. Although inspectors found the prison had made efforts to improve cleanliness, the conditions in living areas remained poor and many toilets were in an "unacceptable state". The inspectors said this was "particularly concerning" due to the amount of time prisoners were spent locked in their cells.

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