Onley Prison
Onley Prison is a men’s prison in Rugby, Warwickshire.
Applies to England and Wales
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Book and plan your visit to Onley
To visit someone in Onley you must:
- be on that person’s visitor list
- book your visit in advance
- have the required ID with you when you go
You can book the day before provided there is space. At least one visitor must be 18 or older at every visit.
There may be a limit to the number of visits a person can have. You can check this with Onley.
Call 01788 523 402 if you have any questions about visiting.
Contact Onley 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 Onley
- somewhere to stay overnight
- meals
How to book family and friends visits
You can book your visit online.
You can book your visit by telephone.
Booking line: 01788 523 402
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm
Find out about call charges
Visiting times:
- Monday: No visits
- Tuesday: 2pm to 4pm
- Wednesday: No visits
- Thursday: 2pm to 4pm
- Friday: 2:30pm to 4pm
- Saturday: 2pm to 4pm
- Sunday: 2pm to 4pm
How to book legal and professional visits
You can book your visit by telephone. There is no online booking service available.
Booking line: 01788 523 402
The booking line is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 12:45pm and 1:15pm to 4pm.
Visiting Times:
- Monday: No visits
- Tuesday: 2pm to 4pm
- Wednesday: No visits
- Thursday: 2pm to 4pm
- Friday: 2:30pm to 4pm
Getting to Onley
The closest railway station is Rugby. From there you can get a taxi.
The sat nav postcode is CV23 8SZ.
There is a free visitors car park.
There is also a disabled visitors car park. Disabled visitors who want to use this car park do not need to contact the prison.
To plan your journey by public transport:
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use National Rail Enquiries. The closest train station is Rugby. There is no bus service from the station. Taxis take about 20 minutes.
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use Traveline
Entering Onley 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 (including children) will need to be given a pat-down search. You may also be sniffed by security dogs.
Visitors must adhere to the prison dress code that applies, further details can be requested on your first visit. Visitors should wear smart clothes (no vests, no low-cut tops, no shorts, no short dresses and no headwear, other than that worn for religious reasons).
There are strict controls on what you can take into HMP Onley. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in a locker in the visitors’ centre or in your car - 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.
Call the booking line if you have any questions about visiting.
Visiting facilities
There is a visitors centre run by PACT. It includes toilets and a children’s play area, and staff are available to offer support and advice to visitors.
The visitors centre is open every day from 8am to 4:30pm.
Telephone: 01788 523615 Find out about call charges
Family days
Family days are run once per month on the 4th Wednesday of every month. Our family days are themed to make them more fun for our prisoners and their loved ones. E.g., Mother’s Day, Superheroes, Summer Fun, Back to School, Space. Booking is easy. Your family or friend in prison will apply in advance of the dates each month, and it is booked on a first-come-first-served basis.
Keep in touch with someone at Onley
There are several ways you can keep in touch with a prisoner during their time at Onley.
Phone calls
Prisoners do not have phones in their cells so they will always have to call you. To do this, they have to buy phone credits and use Pin phones on the wings when they are out of their cells.
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 to help keep people safe.
You can send emails to someone in Onley using the Email a Prisoner service.
You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies from the prisoner.
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.
Letters
You can write at any time. Include the person’s name and prison number on the envelope. If you do not know their prison number, contact Onley. 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 Onley are given a list of approved items that can be sent to them as gifts. Contact Onley Prison for more information on what’s allowed.
You can send in clothing parcels if the prisoner has reached and been on ‘enhanced’ status for six months.
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. Make sure to include the person’s name and prison number on the parcel.
All parcels will be opened and checked by officers.
Family and friends of prisoners 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. Contact the prison or visitors centre where available for more information on what’s allowed.
Life at Onley Prison
Onley Prison is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where prisoners can learn new skills to help them on release. There are also opportunities for prisoners to recover from drug and alcohol addiction.
Security and safeguarding
Every prisoner at Onley 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.
Prisoners can also get support from ‘peer supporters’ and ‘listeners’. These are other prisoners who help those at risk of self-harm.
Arrival and first night
When a prisoner first arrives at Onley 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. They will have the opportunity to speak to a support worker.
Induction
Each prisoner who arrives at Onley Prison gets an induction that lasts about five days. They get an induction booklet and 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
Around 742 prisoners are at Onley. There are 11 wings, each with a mixture of single and double cells. On different wings are a care and separation unit, a resettlement unit, a first-night unit and two substance misuse recovering units. All cells have a toilet, sink and a phone.
Education and work
Prisoners at HMP Onley are encouraged to take part in meaningful activity and gain qualifications by enrolling into education and vocational training or work in one of the prison industries or domestic roles.
Prisoners are offered either full-time or part-time education which meets the needs of both the National Curriculum and the national specifications for numeracy, literacy and information technology (IT).
The Shannon Trust trains prisoners who can read to help others improve their reading.
There’s a library with books, magazines, newspapers, audio books, DVDs, multimedia computers and reprographics facilities that is open every day.
It opens 4 evenings a week and learning support is offered then.
Training is in catering, fork-lift truck driving, gardening, contract work, kitchen work, industrial cleaning, bikes academy, carpentry workshop, painting & decorating, barbering, and recycling.
We have partnered with employers who are working with prisoners in custody and offering them employment on release.
Functional skills, key skills and language support is offered to all prisoners. Particular support is offered to prisoners who finish their NVQ portfolios and other qualifications. Distance Learning/Open University is available to all prisoners if they wish to extend their learning further.
Onley has a multi-faith chaplaincy team that provides corporate worship, faith-based teaching, and pastoral care. Each new prisoner is seen by chaplaincy on arrival and extra support can be given at difficult times. The prison fellowship charity work in partnership with chaplaincy delivering Sycamore Tree courses. The course addresses victim awareness and principles of restorative justice.
There are several offending behaviour programmes and interventions offered at Onley.
There are resettlement services that offer advice on housing, debt management and help with finding employment.
Temporary release
HMP Onley does not currently operate the ROTL scheme.
Organisations Onley works with
Onley healthcare services (including dental and optical) are open 7 days a week provided by the Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust. They include a primary care team, a mental health team and an integrated drug treatment service.
Onley also provides a range of drug and alcohol support services in partnership with the Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust and Forward Trust. Forward Trust also gives prisoners access to Alcoholics Anonymous and to a peers’ supporter scheme.
Support for family and friends
Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends.
Support at Onley
A family support worker helps to find useful services for family and friends. For more information, you can contact Phoenix Futures.
To contact our head of family provision at HMP Onley visit the Pact website www.prisonadvice.org.uk or by email: Onley@prisonadvice.org.uk.
Concerns, problems and complaints
In an emergency
Call 01788 523 400 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 | 01788 523 500 | 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 Onley.
Inspection reports
HM Prison and Probation Service publishes action plans for Onley Prison in response to independent inspections.
Contact Onley Prison
Governor: Matthew Tilt
Telephone (24 hours): 01788 523 400
Fax: 01788 523 401
Find out about call charges
Email: correspondenceonley@justice.gov.uk
Address
HMP Onley
Rugby
Warwickshire
CV23 8AP
Help us to improve this page. Give us your feedback in this 2-minute survey.
Updates to this page
Last updated 1 April 2022 + show all updates
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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: Reduced visit schedule and testing for visitors aged 12 and over.
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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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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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Updated visiting information in line with new local restriction tiers.
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Updated prison info
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Updated prison info
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Updated visiting information in line with new national restrictions in England.
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Updated ID requirements for families and friends visiting the prison.
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Added confirmation of secure video calls being made available at this prison.
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Updated: HMP Onley visiting times and visiting procedure changes during coronavirus.
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updated survey link
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Updated safer custody contact information.
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Prison visits update.
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First published.