Families and Visitors
Contact with family and friends helps those in custody to cope with their sentence and is one of the strongest influences on whether they return to custody after release. The Corrections Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network therefore treats visits, letters and telephone calls as an entitlement rather than a privilege, and every establishment has staff whose task is to help families keep in touch.
Visits resume under the Department's own rules from Saturday 12 September 2026. Every establishment offers visiting on at least three days each week, including one weekend day, and holds a family session on a weekend morning with facilities for children. The Central Exchange Court Custody Suite does not receive visitors.
Visiting times. The timetable below applies from 12 September 2026. Legal visits are arranged separately by the legal representative and are not counted against the monthly allowance.
| Establishment | Visiting days | Afternoon session | Family session | Allowance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northgate Custody Centre | Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday | 14:00–16:00 | Saturday, 10:00–12:00 | 3 per month |
| Eastfield Remand Centre | Monday to Friday, Sunday | 14:00–16:00 | Sunday, 10:00–12:00 | Unlimited, one per day |
| Westbrook Resettlement Centre | Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday | 13:30–16:30 | Sunday, 10:00–12:30 | 4 per month |
| Southbank Women's Centre | Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday | 14:00–16:00 | Saturday and Sunday, 10:00–12:00 | 4 per month |
| Meridian Young Adults Centre | Wednesday, Friday, Sunday | 14:00–16:00 | Sunday, 10:00–12:00 | 3 per month |
A visit lasts up to two hours. Up to three adults and any number of the person's own children may attend a single visit. Persons on remand may receive one visit on every visiting day; the monthly allowance for sentenced persons may be increased under the establishment's incentives scheme.
Booking a visit. Visits must be booked in advance. The steps below apply to every establishment.
Step 1: Confirm you are on the visitor list
The person in custody names up to ten visitors on their visitor list, which they may change once a month. You cannot book a visit unless your name is on the list. If you are not sure, ask the person to check with the visits clerk of their establishment.
Step 2: Write to the Department
Send the full name and date of birth of the person you wish to visit, the names and dates of birth of everyone visiting, and the session you would like, to the Department's email address not less than 48 hours before the visit. Requests are answered in order of receipt.
Step 3: Receive your confirmation
Confirmation is sent by email, normally within one working day. It states the establishment, the date, the session and the time by which you must arrive. If the session is full you will be offered the next available session.
Step 4: Arrive with identification
Arrive at least 30 minutes before the session begins. Every adult visitor must present photographic identification; a child is admitted on the identification of the accompanying adult. You will be searched, and anything not permitted in the visits room is stored in a locker for the duration of the visit.
Questions from families. The answers below cover the questions the Department is most often asked by families. They will be revised as the Department's services develop.
To book a visit, or with any question not answered here, write to contact@corrections.gov.vin. For the general questions, see the frequently asked questions; for the establishments and their regimes, see Custody.