Moorland Prison
Moorland is a prison and young offender institution (YOI) near Doncaster, South Yorkshire for men aged 18 and over.
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Book and plan your visit to Moorland prison
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 Moorland prison
- Somewhere to stay overnight
- Meals
To visit someone in Moorland you must:
- be on that person’s visitor list
- book your visit in advance
- have the required ID with you when you go
A visit can only be booked 28 days in advance.
Contact Moorland if you have any questions about visiting.
How to book family and friends visits
There are two ways a visit boking can be made at HMP Moorland:
Using the online booking service. These requests are monitored Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am and 4pm. Although the system advises you will hear back within 3 days, this is not always possible as we do work in visit date order and therefore, if your requested date is further in the future, it will take longer than 3 days for a response. On the online booking service, please choose HMP Moorland Closed.
By calling our visits booking line on 01302 523 289. This telephone line is open every Tuesday and Thursday between the hours of 9:30am and 3:30pm.
Visiting times:
- Tuesday: 2pm to 4pm
- Thursday: 2pm to 4pm
- Saturday: 2pm to 4pm
- Sunday: 2pm to 4pm
Please be aware visiting times and availability may change at short notice in line with guidance from Public Health England but we will update Twitter and inform your loved ones as soon as possible if this is the case.
Please be aware, visits can only be booked 28 days in advance.
How to book legal and professional visits
We are currently booking legal visits through email only. The email address to contact is LegalVisits.Moorland@justice.gov.uk.
This mailbox is monitored between the hours of 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday but please allow up to 5 working days for a response.
Visiting times:
- Tuesday: 2pm to 4pm
- Wednesday: 2pm to 4pm
- Thursday: 2pm – 4pm
Getting to Moorland
The closest railway stations is Doncaster and you can get a taxi from there.
To plan your journey by public transport:
There is a visitor car park available on Vulcan Way.
Entering Moorland
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 will need to be given a pat-down search, including children. On your first visit, you will have your photo taken. You may have your fingerprints taken and an eye scan. You may also be sniffed by security dogs.
To visit someone at HMP Moorland you must:
- be listed on that person’s visitor list
- have at least 1 of the 3 visitors over 18 years of age
- book your visit at least 48 hours in advance
have the required ID with you when you come
Keep in touch with someone at Moorland
There are several ways you can keep in touch with a prisoner during their time at Moorland.
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 so they will be able 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.
They can call at these times:
- Mondays to Fridays: 6.30am to 8am, 9am to 1.30pm, 4pm to 11.30pm
- Weekends: 6.30am to 11.30pm
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 Moorland using the Email a Prisoner service.
You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies from the prisoner.
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 Moorland.
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
People in Moorland are given a list of approved items that can be sent to them as gifts. Prisoners need to apply for permission to have items sent in.
Contact Moorland for more information on what’s allowed.
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.
Make sure to include the person’s name and prisoner number on the parcel.
All parcels will be opened and checked by officers.
Visiting facilities
The crèche area is now open with table based baskets of activities available.
A full list of refreshments is available. This includes nappies, baby food and milk. All milk brought into the establishment needs to be in sealed cartons and not pre-prepared unless it is medicated and supported by a prescription / specialist letter.
Family days
Family Days are taking place at HMP Moorland. Your loved ones will be informed of how to apply for this when one is arranged.
Life at Moorland
Moorland is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where prisoners can learn new skills to help them on release.
Security and safeguarding
Every prisoner at Moorland 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.
There is also a ‘Listener’ scheme for those prisoners who may be at risk from suicide or self-harm.
Arrival and first night
When a prisoner first arrives at Moorland, 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 Moorland 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 and training
- 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
Moorland houses about 1,000 prisoners in 7 units, mostly in single cells.
It has a modern gym, including 2 weight and cardiovascular gyms, a remedial gym area, sports hall and external football field. Full-time courses lead to vocational qualifications in personal training, cycling, healthy living and first aid.
Education and work
Moorland provides 3 offending behaviour programmes (‘interventions’) which focus on thinking skills, anger management and recovery from substance abuse. There is peer group support around these.
It also runs 2 non-accredited programmes which help offenders to talk about their offending behaviour and look at what it is to be a man.
Workshops and work experience are available in farms and gardens, furniture and TV repair, industrial cleaning, kitchens, lighting, painting and decorating, tailoring, joinering, recycling and Braille.
The education department encourages prisoners to get vocational qualifications in basic English and maths, computing, bricklaying, art, hospitality, catering and horticulture to prepare them for release.
There are other courses available about drugs, alcohol, rights and responsibilities, society and family relationships.
Temporary release
Release on temporary licence (ROTL) is based on an individual risk assessment.
Support for family and friends
Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends.
Support at Moorland
The Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) is the family services provider for Moorland.
Two full time family support workers help prisoners at Moorland.
The family support workers strengthen relationships with families and children in a number of ways.
Concerns, problems and complaints
In an emergency
Call 01302 523 000 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 | 0800 496 1364 | 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 any other problem contact Moorland.
Inspection reports
HM Prison and Probation Service publishes action plans for Moorland in response to independent inspections.
Contact Moorland
Governor: Jennifer Willis
Telephone: 01302 523 000
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
Fax: 01302 523 001
Find out about call charges
Address
HMP/YOI Moorland
Bawtry Road
Hatfield Woodhouse
Doncaster
South Yorkshire
DN7 6BW
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Updates to this page
Published 21 April 2020Last updated 21 June 2022 + show all updates
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Updated Governor
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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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Visiting information has been updated.
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Updated visiting information: Visits temporarily suspended
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Added link to information about testing for physical contact at visits.
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Name of Governor updated
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New visiting times and booking information added.
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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 visit info
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Updated visits info
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Updated visiting information in line with coronavirus restrictions.
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Updated: HMP Moorland visiting times and visiting procedure changes in line with coronavirus restrictions.
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added survey link
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First published.