Manchester Prison
Manchester Prison is a men’s high security prison in Manchester city centre. It was known as Strangeways until 1994.
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Book and plan your visit to Manchester prison
To visit someone in Manchester Prison you must:
- be on that person’s visitor list
- book your visit between 2 weeks and 24 hours in advance
- have the required ID with you when you go
At least one visitor must be 18 or older at every visit.
There may be a limit to the number of visits a prisoner can have. You can check this with Manchester Prison.
Contact Manchester Prison if you have any questions about visiting.
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 Manchester Prison
- somewhere to stay overnight
- meals
How to book family and friends visits
You can book a reception visit by calling the prison or by email to, VisitsbookingManchester@justice.gov.uk. Reception visits take place during a prisoner’s first few weeks in Manchester Prison at the times shown below.
All other visits are booked by prisoner led application.
Reception visits booking line: 0161 817 5655
Booking line opening times, Monday to Thursday 8am to 4pm, and Friday 8am to 12pm
Find out about call charges
All other visits must be booked by the prisoner, who will need to inform you of the details.
Visiting times:
- Monday, Tuesday Wednesday: 2:30pm to 4:10pm
- Thursday DDA Visits: 2:15pm to 4pm
- Friday: No visits
- Saturday: 10am to 11:30am and 2:30pm to 4:10pm
- Sunday: 2:30pm to 4:10pm
- Closed visits now run in tandem with Phone Hub Visits
Please call the booking line for up-to-date information.
All visitors must book in at the visitor’s centre 30 minutes before the visit is due to start. Any visitor who does not arrive on time may not be allowed entry unless they have contacted POPS in the Visitors Centre 0161 817 5899/5886.
How to book legal and professional visits
Legal visits must be booked by telephone.
Booking line: 0161 817 5655
Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm
Find out about call charges
Legal visiting times:
- Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 10:30am and 10:30am to 11:30am.
Please note that HMP Manchester is a paperless establishment. You will not be allowed to bring documents into the establishment but you will be provided with an opportunity to print documents within legal visits if required.
Getting to Manchester Prison
Find Manchester Prison on a map
The closest railway station is Manchester Victoria, which is about a 5-minute walk from the prison.
Manchester Piccadilly is 10 minutes from Manchester Victoria by tram or taxi.
Several local buses pass close to the prison.
To plan your journey by public transport:
There is no parking at the prison but there are several public car parks in the city centre.
Entering Manchester 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.
All visitors aged 16 or older must prove their identity before entering the HMP Manchester. Read the list of acceptable forms of ID when visiting a prison.
All visitors will need to be given a pat-down search, including children. You may also be sniffed by security dogs.
Manchester Prison has a family-friendly dress code which means visitors should dress appropriately. You may be turned away if you are wearing items like low-cut tops, see-through or revealing clothing, or ripped jeans. Additionally, you cannot wear football shirts, uniforms (except school uniforms) or anything with offensive patterns or slogans. Ask in the visitors centre if you have questions about the dress code.
Each adult visitor is allowed to take in a maximum of £20 in coins (notes are not allowed). The money can be used to buy food and drink in the visiting hall.
There are strict controls on what you can take into Manchester Prison. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in a locker (you will need a £1 coin) or with security. This includes pushchairs and car seats.
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.
Visiting facilities
There is a visitors centre run by Partners of Prisoners (POPS). Family and friends can relax, buy refreshments and get advice and support from the staff. There is a play area for children.
The centre is open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5pm, Saturday from 8am to 5pm and Sunday from midday to 5pm.
Telephone: 0161 817 5630
Find out about call charges
Family visits
Manchester provides 12 Parental Contact (PCV) visits a year. These visits are facilitated in a more relaxed and less restrictive manner than general social visits.
Families attending these visits will be able to walk around the visits hall freely, with family supportive activities being provided, such as:
- Craft area
- Reading area
- Board games
- Large floor games area
Parental Contact Visits are available to 14 families per session and people living at HMP Manchester can apply for the visits via application.
Keep in touch with someone at Manchester Prison
There are several ways you can keep in touch with a prisoner during their time at Manchester Prison.
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.
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.
Phone calls
Prisoners have phones in their cells which they can use between 8am and 10pm.
The phones do not accept incoming calls so prisoners 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 Manchester Prison using the Email a Prisoner service.
You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies from the prisoner, depending on the rules at Manchester Prison.
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 Manchester 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
You can no longer send gifts or parcels via the visitor’s centre. We can only accept gifts or parcels from family members via the Birthday Parcel process.
It’s not possible to send items or property by post. You can send prisoners money instead which they can use to buy items through a catalogue system.
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.
Life at Manchester Prison
Manchester Prison is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where prisoners convicted of serious offences can make positive use of long sentences.
Security and safeguarding
Every prisoner at Manchester 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.
Arrival and first night
When a prisoner first arrives at Manchester 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 Manchester Prison gets an induction that lasts about a week. They will meet professionals 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, training and independent career advice
- other support (sometimes called ‘interventions’), such as managing difficult emotions
Everyone also finds out about the rules, fire safety, and how things like calls and visits work.
Accommodation
Around 750 prisoners are accommodated at Manchester Prison in a mixture of single and shared cells. They are split across 9 wings in 2 blocks.
There is a sports hall and several gyms offering a range of activities for prisoners of all physical abilities.
Manchester Prison has a diverse, multi-faith chaplaincy team providing support to prisoners.
Education and work
Prisoners have access to education and training provided by Milton Keynes College. Classes include:
- skills for life
- IT
- English for speakers of other languages
- numeracy
- wellbeing
- art therapy
- business
Vocational training courses include industrial cleaning, baking, catering warehousing and waste management.
Work is available in the textiles, printing and laundry workshops, as well as throughout the prison. All areas offer the chance to earn qualifications at the same time.
Manchester Prison also runs a number of accredited offending behaviour programmes.
Support for family and friends
Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends.
Support at Manchester
To contact our head of family provision at HMP Manchester email:VisitsbookingManchester@justice.gov.uk.
Concerns, problems and complaints
In an emergency
Call 01618 175 600 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 | 01618 175 958 | 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 a problem contact Manchester Prison. If you cannot resolve the problem directly, you can make a complaint to HM Prison and Probation Service.
Inspection reports
HM Prison and Probation Service publishes action plans for Manchester Prison in response to independent inspections.
Contact Manchester Prison
Governor: Rob Knight
Telephone: 0161 817 5600
Fax: 0161 817 5601
Find out about call charges
Follow Manchester Prison on Twitter/X
Address
HMP Manchester
1 Southall Street
Manchester
M60 9AH
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Updates to this page
Published 5 May 2020Last updated 9 March 2023 + show all updates
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Updated legal visits booking number.
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Secure video calls update.
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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: 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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Additional guidance about new COVID-19 variant in the Bolton and Blackburn areas.
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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 update
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Updated prison 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 information about secure video calls.
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First published.