Once the initial procedures are done, you’ll be taken to your wing. It’s likely, though not certain, that you’ll start out on an “induction wing”, where new prisoners typically spend their first week or two while they’re assessed and settled in, before being moved to a longer-term wing. You’ll be escorted there by a prison officer and handed over to the wing staff, who’ll show you to your cell and introduce you to your cellmate. You’ll be given the bare minimum of bedding – blankets, a pillow, a plastic plate, mug and cutlery – along with an issue of prison clothing, before being locked in your cell to get your bearings.
The information on this page is based on the law in England & Wales. If you’re in Scotland or Northern Ireland, click here for the guide for your jurisdiction.
The clothing you’re issued is basic: typically three or four pairs of socks and underwear, a couple of jogging bottoms and tops, and three or four t-shirts. These are exchanged on a one-for-one basis each week, and most prisoners end up either having their own clothes sent in or buying extra items while inside. The exact rules vary from prison to prison, and are covered on the individual prison pages of this site.
Who your cellmate turns out to be is largely down to luck. You’ll have been asked during reception whether you smoke or vape, and the prison will try to place you with someone similar, though it isn’t guaranteed. Your new cellmate might have been inside for a couple of weeks, a couple of years, or could have arrived the same day as you. There’s no set hierarchy, so you’ll need to agree between you who has which bed, cupboard space and so on. The same goes for cleaning – most cells are pretty grim when you arrive, since prisoners move on quickly and nobody has much time to clean up on their way out.
Your cell will usually be one of a few types, unless you have a medical need that puts you on the medical wing. There are two kinds of double cell – bunk beds, or “flat doubles” with two single beds – both usually with a toilet but little privacy or ventilation. If you’re lucky, you might get a single cell, though that has its own downside if you’d rather have someone to talk to. Cells will generally have a small TV with a limited range of channels.
Most wing officers want a quiet, trouble-free wing, so they do think about who they put together. You won’t usually be celled with someone convicted of violence or a sexual offence, and staff will try to avoid obvious clashes (a die-hard Millwall fan probably won’t end up with a die-hard West Ham fan), but beyond that you’ll be placed with another prisoner regardless of your age, colour, faith or background. Both of you will need to compromise and adapt, and that can be genuinely difficult in the first weeks of a sentence.
| Insiders at Court | Transport to the prison |
| Arrival at the prison | Initial Phone Call |
| First Night | Personal Officer |
| Phone credit and money | Induction Processes |
| Working in the prison | |