Visits quick reference guide

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Social Visits
It is essential that all visitors arrive and check in at least 15 minutes before their allotted visit start time. 

You will be refused entry to the prison if you arrive later than 15 minutes prior to your visit

Please ensure you have the correct identification (see below) for your visit. We recommend that you bring proof of address to all visit sessions in the event further documentation checks are required. 

If attending a social visit at HMP Forest Bank for the first time, it may take longer to complete the registration process. We recommend that you arrive 30 minutes prior to your visit session. 

Visiting Times
Please note that there are no social visits on Mondays. 

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 
10:45 – 11:45
14:00 – 15:00
15:45 – 16:45
18:00 – 19:00

Friday: 
10:45 – 11:45
15:45 – 16:45
18:00 – 19:00

Saturday and Sunday:
10:00 – 11:00
14:30 – 15:30

Visit sessions will be booked in by the prisoner on behalf of their visitors (maximum of 3 adults and 3 children per visit). Please note that prisoners are unable to block book sessions. Each visit will be booked in on a month-by- month basis.

Refreshments are available to purchase from the tea bar in the visits halls - payment is by cash only (maximum of £30)

Purple Visits
Purple Visits (virtual visits) are also available:

Tuesday: 10:45, 14:00, 15:45 and 18:00
Wednesday: 10:45, 14:00 and 15:45
Thursday: 10:45, 14:00, 15:45 and 18:00
Friday: 10:45, 15:45 and 18:00
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 and 14:30 

Purple visits are booked internally by the prisoner based on availability. We offer 2 purple visits per month. 

To participate in a purple visit, you must first download the application to your mobile device / tablet via the apple app store or google play and follow the instructions. For further information please visit https://www.purplevisits.com/

Legal and Professional Bookings
Legal and professional visits can be booked by emailing fb.booked@sodexogov.co.uk 
Professional bookings via video link can be made by emailing forestbankvcc@sodexogov.co.uk

Thank you for your co-operation as we continue to maintain a safe environment for colleagues, prisoners and visitors at HMP Forest Bank

Identification required for a visit

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Social visitors (aged 17 years+) have the option to present one photographic ID document from List A:

  • Passports
  • Identity cards from an EU or European Economic Area (EEA) country
  • UK photocard driving licences
  • EU or EEA driving licences
  • NI Electoral identity cards
  • US passport card
  • Proof of age card recognised under PASS with a unique reference number (This includes the Citizen ID card)
  • Armed forces identity card
  • UK biometric residence permit (BRP

Should you be unable to present an ID document from List A, you may present one ID document from List B, supported by one document from List C:

List B:

  • Home Office travel document (convention travel document, stateless person’s document, one-way document or certificate of travel)
  • Older person’s bus pass
  • Freedom Pass
  • Proof of age card recognised under the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) without a unique reference number (please refer to List A where a unique reference number is present)

List C:

  • Birth or adoption certificate
  • Education certificate from a regulated and recognised educational institution (such as an NVQ, SQA, GCSE, A level or degree certificate)
  • Rental or purchase agreement for a residential property (signed and dated)
  • Marriage or civil partnership certificate
  • Bank, building society or credit union current account card (on which the claimed identity is shown)

 

Proof of Address
In addition to the above ID, all visitors (aged 17 years+) must also bring proof of address to every visit (dated within three months of issue). 
Entry will not be permitted if you fail to provide proof of address

Acceptable documents include a utility bill, credit or bank statement or voter registration. 
Documents presented in digital format will not be accepted. 

Child Visitor ID Documents
Children aged 17 years or under must be accompanied by a guardian (18 years or over) and present appropriate identification (birth certificate or passport).  
A red book can be used for ID purposes for babies up to 8 weeks of age. 
Children (aged 0 – 16) are not required to show proof of address.  
 

 

Visits Dress Code

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Please be advised that you are requested to dress appropriately for your visit. Any item of clothing which may facilitate the concealment of unauthorised articles or be considered offensive may result in you being refused entry.

Please consider that you are entering a public visits hall where other families including small children are present. We ask that you apply a level of common sense and decency when choosing your outfit.

Staff reserve the right to refuse you entrance if you are not dressed appropriately. 

 

  • No see through, revealing clothing or crop tops which reveal the stomach.
  • Must wear underwear, Women must ensure their top garment covers their cleavage.
  • No ripped or damaged clothing e.g. ripped jeans, coats, tops. No tears or frays in material.
  • Skirts, dresses, and shorts MUST be knee length.
  • No clothing bearing slogans that are deemed to be racist, insulting, or derogatory.
  • No uniforms, (except children in school uniform and police officers on a legal visit).
  • No watches.
  • Jewellery is best kept to a minimum (earrings to be studs / small hoops only)
  • No knee length boots or over the knee. No stiletto heels.
  • No football and rugby slogan clothing.
  • No caps (religious headgear is permitted) headscarf’s (medical grounds only).
  • No sunglasses. (Prescription only.)
  • No paperwork or photographs to be handed over on a visit.
  • No Work Boots/ steel toe capped or motorcycle boots
  • No ponchos or capes
  • No camouflage clothing 

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated in this matter. Failure to adhere to the policy may result in admittance being refused.

 

What to expect when visiting the prison

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Heading into the visits centre, you’ll be greeted by our colleagues on the front desk.

  • They’ll ask for your name, check your booking and look at your identification.
  • They will take your picture and fingerprint biometric for identification purposes.
    This is a requirement for all visitors to the prison.
     
  • All official visitors will be subject to a level ‘B’ rub down search prior to their visit.
     
  • All social visitors will be subject to a level ‘A’ rub down search prior to their visit. This includes before returning to the visits hall, and after using the amenities.
     
  • Visitors will walk through a metal detector portal.
    • If there is an indication, the staff must be able to identify what is causing the indication.
    • If the item cannot be identified then the visit will be refused.
       
  • Visitors may at times be subject to a search by the police.
    • Refusal to be searched will result in no entry and any action the police wish to take. Any articles recovered may result in the police being called and prosecution of visitors.

Financial Support for visiting a prison

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If you visit a family member, partner or someone who doesn’t get other visitors you might be able to get help paying for travel to the prison, somewhere to stay overnight and meals.

To qualify for assisted help you must be receiving certain benefits or have a health certificate.

If you’re taking a child with you or someone to help you (for example because you’re disabled) you might also be able to get help paying for their visit.

For more information and to apply, please visit the website for the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme.

 

 

How we collect your data

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In order to facilitate your visit to one of our prisons and to ensure that we deliver appropriate levels of security and safety and prevent crime, for identification purposes we shall collect your name, date of birth, address, a biometric template of your fingerprint and a photograph. A series of reference points from a finger print are collected, allowing a unique identification pattern. We do not collect or hold actual fingerprints.

Our prisons operate CCTV and staff may wear Body Worn Video Recording Equipment. We do not collect biometric readings or photographs of children under 16, however with the use of CCTV, images may routinely be captured.

 

DATA SHARING

We will only share your information with a third party where there is a legal obligation to do so.

 

RIGHTS OF ACCESS, CORRECTION, ERASURE AND RESTRICTION

You have legal rights in connection with personal information. Under certain circumstances, by law you have the right to:


Request access to your personal information (commonly known as a “data subject access request”). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal information we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it.

 

Request correction of the personal information that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate information we hold about you corrected.

 

Request erasure of your personal information. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal information where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal information where you have exercised your right to object to processing.

 

Object to processing of your personal information by us or on our behalf in certain situations.

 

Request the restriction of processing of your personal information. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of personal information about you, for example if you want us to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing it.

 

DATA RETENTION

We keep personal data in accordance with our clients’ and Sodexo’s retention procedures. These retention periods depend on the nature of the information (e.g. we apply different retention periods to different type of information such as CCTV and your visitor record), and may be subject to change.

 

 

FURTHER ADVICE / GUIDANCE

To exercise your rights, you can contact us by writing to us at the following address: dataprotection.ukandie@sodexo.com or email the Global Data Protection Office at the following email address: dpo.group@sodexo.com stating your surname, first name and the reason for your request. We will most likely ask you for additional information in order to identify you and to enable us to deal with your request

 

You also have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office and file a complaint. (https://ico.org.uk/concerns/)