Important positive and negative changes have occurred since 2018
Since our 2018 review, there have been significant shifts in how people in custody maintain contact with their families. A notable improvement is the introduction of a flat call rate that includes mobile calls, making phone communication more affordable, even as the prison telephone system approaches end-of-life. Phone calls remain the most accessible and reliable method for maintaining family connections. However, access to phones continues to be poor despite an increase in the number of phones and a reduced average ratio of phones to people in custody. Restrictions on phone access hours, often due to lockdowns, remain a significant barrier.
Social visits have declined, with the average number of visits per person falling from 26 in 2018 to 17 in 2024. Compounding this, the proportion of people held on remand has risen from 28% to
approximately 40% in 2025, while their visit entitlements have been reduced following amendments to the Prison Regulations 1982. Visit sessions have also been shortened and cancelled more
frequently. And despite our 2018 recommendation to implement an online booking system for social visits across all prisons, most facilities still do not use the system that was introduced.
COVID-19 and staff shortages have impacted the quality and quantity of visits
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the social visit experience for people in custody. Visit suspensions and restrictions meant people were unable to hug or touch their visitors, share food, or rely on consistent visit schedules, with many visits cancelled or limited due to COVID-19 restrictions and staff taking pandemic-related leave. In response, e-visit technology was rapidly installed across facilities in 2020, offering a promising alternative. However, despite good initial uptake, it is now underutilised. While COVID-19 was initially cited as the reason for ongoing visit limitations, we observed some restrictions extended well into 2022 beyond what seemed reasonable. By 2024, complaints about visit restrictions were more commonly attributed to staff shortages, which continue to limit the availability and quality of visits.
Implementing a digital services platform may improve family contact but rollout will take time
The Department is implementing an Offender Digital Services Platform as part of its Long-Term Custodial Technology Strategy (LTCTS) which aims to modernise a range of offender services. These are positive steps which have the potential to improve the lives of people in custody, the benefits are likely to take years to materialise. Continued delays have hindered the implementation of digital technology, with upgrades to the phone system and e-visit services unlikely to occur in the short term. Additionally, access to Wi-Fi in prisons remains unclear, and while improvements to the online booking system should enhance current functionality, its upgrade is still pending.