Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

visit to hmp maidstone

  • Crime, justice and law
  • Prisons and probation

East Sutton Park Prison and Young Offender Institution

East Sutton Park is an open prison and young offender institution (YOI) in Maidstone, Kent, for women aged 18 and over.

Help us to improve this page. Give us your feedback in this 2-minute survey .

Book and plan your visit to East Sutton Park

To visit someone in East Sutton Park you must:

  • be on that person’s visitor list
  • book your visit at least 2 working days in advance
  • have the required ID with you when you go

Contact East Sutton Park if you have any questions about visiting.

Help with the cost of your visit

If you get certain benefits or have a health certificate, you might be able to get help with the costs of your visit , including:

  • travel to East Sutton Park
  • somewhere to stay overnight

How to book family and friends visits

You can book your visit online , by email to [email protected] or by telephone.

Telephone booking line: 0300 303 0630

Find out about call charges

The booking lines are open:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 12pm to 5pm

Tuesday and Thursday: 9am to 5pm

Please arrive at the prison 20 minutes before your visit.

Visiting times:

  • Saturday: 9:30am to 11:30am and 2pm to 4pm
  • Sunday: 9:30am to 11:30am and 2pm to 4pm

How to book legal and professional visits

There are currently no legal visits taking place.

Getting to East Sutton Park

Find East Sutton Park on a map

The closest railway station is Headcorn.

To plan your journey by public transport:

  • use National Rail enquiries
  • use Traveline for local bus times

There is a car park with 2 disabled spaces.

Entering East Sutton Park

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 .

Refreshments will be available to purchase during your visit.

You will have to leave large amounts of cash, bags and mobile phones in your car or in a locker.

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 will be refreshments available to purchase during your visit. There is also childrens play facilities available.

There is no smoking in or around the visits hall.

Family days

Family days are being held.

Keep in touch with someone at East Sutton Park

Prisoners get one phone call on the day they arrive at East Sutton Park. They will be allowed to make other phone calls to people on their contact list on the next working day after they arrive.

Phone calls

A prisoner at East Sutton Park can only phone you if you are named on their list of friends and family. This list is checked by security.

Prisoners do not have phones in their cells so they will always need to call you rather than you call them. They can make calls from 6am to 10pm.

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.

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

You can request a secure video call with someone in this prison via the Prison Video app.

You will receive a notification when your request has been accepted.

Read more about how it works

You can send emails to someone in East Sutton Park 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 East Sutton Park.

Include the person’s name on the envelope.

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

Include the person’s name on the parcel. Contact East Sutton Park for more information on what is allowed.

All parcels will be opened and checked by officers.

People in East Sutton Park can also order items from catalogues and can bring back up to 6 items if they are on temporary release, if this has been approved in advance.

Friends and families 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 East Sutton Park

East Sutton Park is focused on providing a safe environment and the support prisoners need to successfully move back into the community.

Security and safeguarding

Every person at East Sutton Park has a right to feel safe. The staff at East Sutton Park 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

Every new prisoner gets to make a phone call. They will be shown their cell and introduced to their house by another prisoner who will give them support in their first week.

Each person who arrives at East Sutton Park 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

About 100 prisoners live at East Sutton Park.

There are a mixture of cell sizes, from 7-bed dormitories to 2-bed cells.

Prisoners can move freely and use the gardens.

Prisoners have 2 ‘association’ rooms in their free time. One is a quiet room and the other has a TV and stereo.

Prisoners can visit each other’s cells and use the gym, library and gardens.

Faith services

East Sutton Park has a multi-faith room for prisoners.

Education and work

There is a range of education and skills provision. This includes a working farm, butchery, horticulture and gardens, catering, vocational and distance learning, and physical education.

East Sutton Park has good community links. Up to 35 prisoners work outside in voluntary and paid employment on a daily basis.

All prisoners work and can earn pay for the job they do. Prisoners can spend their money on canteen items.

Prisoners are also supported to get paid work for when they leave custody.

Temporary release

All prisoners have a risk assessment to see if they can have temporary release.

Support for family and friends

Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends .

Concerns, problems and complaints

In an emergency.

Call 01622 785000 if you think a prisoner is at immediate risk of harm. Ask for the Orderly Officer and explain that your concern is an emergency.

Problems and complaints

If you have any other problem Contact East Sutton Park .

Contact East Sutton Park

Governor: Amy Dixon

Telephone (24 hours): 01622 785 000 Fax: 01622 785 001 Find out about call charges

Follow East Sutton Park on Twitter/X

HMP/YOI East Sutton Park Sutton Valence Maidstone Kent ME17 3DF

Opening hours updated for visits booking telephone line.

Updated new Governor name

Updated visiting guidance based on 1 April COVID rule changes

Added link to new safer custody information under Security and safeguarding.

Updated visiting information: Testing for visitors aged 12 and over.

Updated rules for sending in money and gifts.

Added link to information about testing for physical contact at visits.

New visiting times and booking information added.

Updated visiting information in line with coronavirus restrictions.

Updated visit info

Updated visiting information in line with new local restriction tiers.

Updated visiting information in line with new national restrictions in England.

Updated: HMP East Sutton Park visiting times and visiting procedure changes in line with coronavirus restrictions.

Added confirmation of secure video calls being made available at this prison.

updated survey link

Prison visits update.

First published.

Related content

Is this page useful.

  • Yes this page is useful
  • No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone.

Blog Government Digital Service

https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2014/09/15/you-can-now-book-a-prison-visit-online/

You can now book a prison visit online

You can now book a prison visit online

Booking a prison visit should be simple and straightforward. Until now that was far from the case. Booking a visit required both prisoner and visitor to jump through hoops: paper forms and drawn-out phone calls. And if the visit date turned out to be impossible, they had to start all over again.

Now you can book a visit online . It takes about 5 minutes. Before, picking an available date was pot luck. Now there's a date-picker that lets you select 3 possible slots instead of 1. It’s a straight-forward service with user-needs at its heart but, if you get stuck, you can call the prison's visits booking line and someone will help you with the booking.

Here's a very short film we've made about it:

By making it easier to book visits, prisoners will see more of their friends and family. Evidence suggests this will help their rehabilitation. Transformation isn't just about websites.

The service was built by the Ministry of Justice, with a combined team from the National Offender Management Service, HM Prison Service and MoJ Digital Services.

For more of the story behind this service, read Mike Bracken's account of his trip to HMP Rochester or check out the service’s transformation page .

Join the conversation on Twitter , and don't forget to sign up for email alerts .

You may also be interested in:

  • Prison visit booking: using digital analytics to inform alpha development
  • Making prison visits easier to book
  • Meet the Transformation team

Sharing and comments

Share this page, 20 comments.

Comment by Pauline posted on 23 August 2015

How do you find out the prisoners number??? so you can go ahead with online booking of a visit?

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 24 August 2015

You can find a prisoner using this service: https://www.gov.uk/find-prisoner However it will be the prisoner's responsibility to get in touch with you to let you know their prison number etc.

Comment by linda posted on 15 August 2015

This service does not appear to work this is day 2 trying to use it

Comment by Olivia posted on 30 July 2015

Hi, If a visit is booked and someone cant make it, is it possible to change the name of one of the people to someone else?

Comment by Louise Duffy posted on 30 July 2015

It's best to contact the prison directly if this happens. You can find contact details here: http://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder

Thanks, Louise

Comment by Paige posted on 28 July 2015

Hi my partner was sent to nottingham today, I was on his previous list 4 months ago for a visit. Will that still be on the system all will it have to he put through again if so how long does it take to be approved for a visit? Thanks Paige.

Comment by Louise Duffy posted on 29 July 2015

You might want to get in touch with the prison first before booking a visit. You can find the contact details of the prison here: http://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder

Comment by Debs posted on 27 July 2015

Hello Is there a list of prisons where online booking can't be used?

Comment by Louise Duffy posted on 28 July 2015

According to the information on this page: https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits , you can arrange a visit to any prison in England and Wales through this service. If you're visiting someone in Northern Ireland or Scotland you'll need to contact the prison directly.

This link also lists the type of visits that are not covered by the online service: https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits so you need to get in touch with the prison directly.

Hope that's helpful.

Comment by c.steer posted on 26 July 2015

So how do I find the booking form to fill in I am new to computers

Comment by Louise Duffy posted on 27 July 2015

Here's the link to the booking form: https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits

You'll need this information to complete the form:

prisoner number prisoner’s date of birth dates of birth for all visitors coming with you make sure the person you’re visiting has added you to their visitor list

Hope that's useful.

Comment by Shawnaa posted on 09 May 2015

i have a visit booked which i did online but i do not have a visiting order woll the prison let me in?

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 11 May 2015

Your identity will be checked on arrival to make sure you’re on the visitor list.

Comment by jessicca posted on 27 January 2015

What happens after you book the visit and its confirmed by email do you need the visiting order ?

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 29 January 2015

The Visiting Order (VO) number is generated by the booking system, it is included in your confirmation email and you will need this to change or cancel a booking.

However, if you're visiting a prison the guidance is that you only need your ID, not the VO number. If when you visit the prison you are asked for the VO number you should report this via the Contact Us link on the Prison Visits Booking form.

I hope that helps.

Comment by Ilysa Mcnally posted on 18 November 2014

How late in advance can I book e.g. book a visit today (Tuesday) for the Sunday coming???

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 19 November 2014

Hi Ilysa. Thanks for your question. A visit needs to be booked 3 working days in advance. So in this case, the visit request would have to be no later than Tuesday to allow for a visit on Sunday.

Comment by carole posted on 23 October 2014

How far in advance can you book visits

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 23 October 2014

Hi Carole. You can book up to 28 days in advance. Thanks for your question.

Comment by kimberly posted on 16 August 2015

does anyone know how to cancel a visit online?

Related content and links

Government digital service.

GDS is here to make digital government simpler, clearer and faster for everyone. Good digital services are better for users, and cheaper for the taxpayer.

Find out more .

Sign up and manage updates

Be part of the transformation.

The unit of delivery is the team

If you’re interested in joining us, check out all open opportunities on the GDS careers site.

  • GDS Podcasts

Recent Posts

  • How we’re using Webinars to demonstrate how quick and easy it is to use GOV.UK Forms 28 February 2024
  • How we are improving GOV.UK Pay with user satisfaction feedback 29 January 2024
  • How we migrated our PostgreSQL database with 11 seconds downtime 17 January 2024

Comments and moderation

Social media house rules.

Read our guidelines

  • The weekly online and monthly printed national newspaper for prisoners and detainees

Search articles and comments

Hmp maidstone.

  • Inside Time Reports
  • 13th December 2014
  • Foreign Nationals - NEW , Kent & Sussex , Male Cat. C , Prison Visit

Prison information

Address: HMP Maidstone 36 County Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1UZ Switchboard: 01622 775300 Managed by: HMPPS Region:  Kent and Sussex Category: Category C Foreign National Link to: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/maidstone-prison

Description

Wholly foreign national population

Visit Booking: On-line

Use this online service to book a social visit to a prisoner in England or Wales you need the:

  • prisoner number
  • prisoner’s date of birth
  • dates of birth for all visitors coming with you

The prisoner must add you to their visitor list before you can book a visit.

You’ll get an email confirming your visit. It takes 1 to 3 days.

ID: Every visit Children’s Visits: One per month, applied for by offenders. Family visits enquiries to Spurgeons children’s charity.

Acceptable forms of ID

Search reports

IMB Reports

Prison Inspectorates Reports

Probation Service Reports

Prisons and Probations Ombudsman

Search the InsideTime library

Related posts

The inspector calls, revealed: biggest prison covid outbreak of 2021, a tent for a home, santa’s clause   , band to play prison gigs, morton hall to reopen as prison for foreign nationals, art versus crime – art wins, private investigations, something missing or outdated.

If you have any information that you would like to be included or see anything that needs updating, contact Gary Bultitude at  [email protected]

Share this on:

visit to hmp maidstone

You might also enjoy...

  • Category C - NEW
  • Male Cat. C
  • 24th January 2017

HMYOI WARREN HILL

  • 4th January 2015

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Conditions of acceptance of website comments

No products in the basket.

Maidstone Prison Information

  • Accommodation: The prison consists of multiple residential units with individual cells or shared accommodation for inmates. The cells are equipped with basic amenities, including beds, personal storage, and sanitation facilities.
  • Education and Vocational Training: Maidstone Prison provides educational programs to help inmates improve their literacy, numeracy, and other skills. Vocational training opportunities are also offered to enhance employment prospects upon release.
  • Work Opportunities: Inmates have access to work opportunities within the prison, such as maintenance, cleaning, kitchen, and other designated roles. These work activities aim to develop skills, a sense of responsibility, and a work ethic.
  • Healthcare: Maidstone Prison has an on-site healthcare unit staffed with medical professionals who offer primary healthcare services to prisoners. Mental health support, substance abuse programs, and specialist services are also available.
  • Family Contact: The prison recognizes the importance of maintaining family relationships and supports visits and contact with family members, subject to specific guidelines and regulations.
  • Resettlement Support: Maidstone Prison offers pre-release planning and support to help inmates prepare for their eventual release. This may include assistance with accommodation, employment, and access to community-based support services.

Contact Information

Booking a visit to maidstone prison.

Prison Phone Calls

Unlimited Prison Phone Calls Package

DoingTime,  a guide to prison and probation

HMP Maidstone

HMP Maidstone

  •    Community News
  •    Inspections,
  •    Regimes,
  •    Visits and getting there,
  •     Local News

General Information

The prison is run as part of the Kent & Sussex region by HMPS. It has a capacity of 600 and the #1 governor is Dawn Mauldon, who has been in charge since April 2022

Share this:

visit to hmp maidstone

You don't always get what you are entitled to unless you ask properly!

We can introduce you to  experienced  lawyers can help you with parole,  probation,  immigration, adjudications, visits and any other complaints  and disputes you have with the Prison Service.

The solicitors are all experts on how the Prison Service/Criminal Law  system works and will be able to provide to you the necessary advice and support to ensure you or your loved ones are treated fairly. These lawyers are "small enough to care about you, but big enough to fight for you"

and remember the old saying:

"  A Man Who Is His Own Lawyer Has A Fool for a Client"

Click here to go to the list of lawyers in your area

Prison Phone Logo

Maidstone Prison

Tel: 01622 775 300  –  36 County Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1UZ

HMP Maidstone is a category C prison with a capacity of 600, housing only adult male foreign nationals who have no less than 3 and no more than 27 months left to serve of their sentence. It’s situated on the outskirts of Maidstone and dates back to 1819, when it was considered one of the most advanced prisons in the county. Parts of the original building still stand, making it the one of the oldest penal establishments in the UK. If you’re visiting HMP Maidstone and would like directions, please refer to the map on this page.

Tel: 01622 775 300

Operational capacity: 600

36 County Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1UZ

The Prison Phone service started saving prisoners within HMP Maidstone back in 2013 and since then almost a third of inmates here use he service to contact fiends and family.

Our service dedicates a secure and fully compliant BT landline number to your existing mobile phone which means the inmate only pays local rates to call you on your mobile phone.

Send me Maidstone prison details via FREE SMS

Mobile number:

Here’s some facts about Maidstone Prison

HMP Maidstone is a category C working prison in Maidstone, Kent. Opened in 1819, and re-roled to a foreign nationals’ prison and Home Office Immigration Enforcement centre in 2013, the prison has capacity to hold 600 men.

There are four residential units and one segregation unit. The Kent unit was built in 1850, and holds up to 178 prisoners, mainly in single cells. The Medway unit was built in 1966, and holds 101 prisoners in single cells. The Thanet unit was built in 1909 but extended in the 1970s to hold 174 prisoners in single cells. The Weald unit was built in 2009, and holds 149 prisoners.

Prisoners were given £5 at Christmas time in 2015 to call their families. A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said “This credit is for prisoners to speak to their families using the prison phone system and cannot be used elsewhere.

To view the latest HMIP inspection report, click here .

Visiting hours are 14:00 – 15:45 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 14:00 – 16:00 Saturdays and Sundays.

The original sections of the building are constructed from local stone called Kentish Ragstone.

Reggie Kray married Roberta Jones at HMP Maidstone.

A visitor to the prison was charged with the supply of class A drugs and possession of class B drugs. He was bailed on the 25 th July 2017, and appeared in court on the 8 th September 2017.

Prison Phone offers phone tariffs that reduce the costs of calls from this prison by up to 75%! This enables prisoners to get the support and love that they are missing from home, while reducing costs for the inmate. Find out more below.

Recent blogs.

visit to hmp maidstone

Dartmoor Prison to stay open

Nikki 2021-12-22T15:20:04+00:00 December 29th, 2021 | Categories: feature , Justice System , Law and Order , Law Enforcement , Midweek feature , News discussion , News Roundup , politics , Uncategorized | Tags: category a prison , category b prison , category c prison , dartmoor prison , hmp dartmoor , prison news , prison reform , uk prison service , uk prison system |

A new lease to keep HMP Dartmoor open "beyond [...]

visit to hmp maidstone

Gartree Prison Expansion Plans Moving Closer

Nikki 2021-12-22T14:43:06+00:00 December 23rd, 2021 | Categories: feature , Guide to all things Prison related , Midweek feature , prison phone , Prison reform scheme 2016 , Specific Prison posts , Uncategorized | Tags: category b prison , council , family support for inmates , Gartree Prison , HMP Gartree , ministry of justice , moj , new prison , prison reform , uk prison service , uk prison system |

The new Prison Programme has now moved one huge [...]

visit to hmp maidstone

HMP Hull has its own TV show

Nikki 2021-12-06T21:57:16+00:00 December 9th, 2021 | Categories: England and Wales Prisons , feature , Justice System , Law and Order , Midweek feature , prison phone , Specific Prison posts , Uncategorized | Tags: category b prison , education in prison , HMP , hmp hull , hull prison , inmates , prison categories , tv show |

HMP Hull has started their very own TV show, [...]

Tell us whether you accept cookies

We use cookies to collect information about how you use this website. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve Ofsted services.

Big Listen Logo

Have your say on our work:

HMP Maidstone

From February 2020 arrangements for Ofsted inspection of education, skills and work in prisons and young offender institutions are:

  • We usually inspect as part of a His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) inspection and our findings are published in the ‘Purposeful activity’ section of the report on the  HMIP website .
  • We may carry out an inspection without HMIP and our findings are published on this website.

 From January 2012 to February 2020 we only inspected with HMIP.

Rating and reports

All reports.

20 July 2021

19 September 2011

02 February 2007

About HMP Maidstone

  • Type: Prison and young offender institutions
  • Religious character: Does Not Apply
  • Local authority: Kent
  • Address: 36 County Road, MAIDSTONE, Kent, ME14 1UZ
  • Region: South East

Not what you're looking for?

Search and compare other prison and young offender institutions near you.

Get report alerts for HMP Maidstone

You’ll only receive an email alert when we publish a new report.

Read our Contacting or Working with Ofsted: privacy notice to see what we do with your personal information.

You can also set up email alerts for other parts of the website. Find out more about email alerts for Ofsted.

Share this page

  • Email this page

hmp maidstone visit

DoingTime,  a guide to prison and probation

Visits & Getting there, HMP Maidstone

Visits are held every day except Tuesday, and are between 14:00 – 16:25

To book online, go to www.gov.uk/prison-visits . All you need is the name and date of birth of the person you are visiting and their prisoner number. You can choose up to 3 possible dates and times. Prison booking staff will check what’s available and confirm your visit by email. If you’ve made an online visit booking request and haven’t received a confirmation email within 1-3 working days, email [email protected]  or call 01622 775619, lines open 10.00am – 2.00pm, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday. Bookings may be made up to 4 weeks in advance and can be made in person at the Visits Centre, at least 24hrs notice must be given.

If you book by email, complete the Maidstone Visits Booking Request Form (439KB) as part of you application.

Standard Visiting Order (VOs) are valid for all visit sessions; Privilege Visiting Orders (PVOs) are only valid mid week. The number of visits allowed each month depends upon the IEP status of the prisoner.

Visitors should book in at the Dinsmore Visitors Centre (this is located in County Road next to the main prison entrance) from 12:30. This centre is equipped with toilets, and baby changing facilities. You can book a visit at the Centre between 1pm and 2pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Maidstone Prison is situated on the northern edge of the County town of Kent. The nearest railway station is Maidstone East a short walk away from the prison. Click here for train details On leaving the station, County Road is directly in front of you with County Hall on the left, approx. 100 yards along this road is the Prison Visitors’ Centre and the main prison gate.

There are a number of buses into the centre of Maidstone. The most convenient stop to use is for County Hall, this is situated by Maidstone East

If traveling by car from London via M2 leave the M2 at junction 3 and follow signs to Maidstone Town Centre. From London M20 come off at junction 6 and follow signs to Maidstone Town centre. The prison is situated next door to County Hall. The prison does not have a visitors car park, but is well served by various car parks, both long and short stay all within easy reach.

Return to Maidstone

Share this:

hmp maidstone visit

You don't always get what you are entitled to unless you ask properly!

We can introduce you to  experienced  lawyers can help you with parole,  probation,  immigration, adjudications, visits and any other complaints  and disputes you have with the Prison Service.

The solicitors are all experts on how the Prison Service/Criminal Law  system works and will be able to provide to you the necessary advice and support to ensure you or your loved ones are treated fairly. These lawyers are "small enough to care about you, but big enough to fight for you"

and remember the old saying:

"  A Man Who Is His Own Lawyer Has A Fool for a Client"

Click here to go to the list of lawyers in your area

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

hmp maidstone visit

  • Crime, justice and the law
  • Prisons and probation

Visit someone in prison

Use this service to request a social visit to a prisoner in England or Wales. There’s a different way to book a prison visit in Northern Ireland or a prison visit in Scotland .

To use this service you need the:

  • prisoner number
  • prisoner’s date of birth
  • dates of birth for all visitors coming with you

If you do not have the prisoner’s location or prisoner number, use the ‘Find a prisoner’ service .

You can choose up to 3 dates and times you prefer. The prison will email you to confirm when you can visit.

The prisoner must add you to their visitor list before you can request a visit. This can take up to 2 weeks.

Request a prison visit

Visits you cannot book through this service.

Contact the prison directly if you need to arrange any of the following:

  • legal visits, for example legal professionals discussing the prisoner’s case
  • reception visits, for example the first visit to the prisoner within 72 hours of being admitted
  • double visits, for example visiting for 2 hours instead of 1
  • family day visits - special family events that the prison organises

Help with the costs of prison visits

You may be able to get help with the cost of prison visits if you’re getting certain benefits or have a health certificate.

Related content

Is this page useful.

  • Yes this page is useful
  • No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone.

Blog Government Digital Service

https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2014/09/15/you-can-now-book-a-prison-visit-online/

You can now book a prison visit online

You can now book a prison visit online

Booking a prison visit should be simple and straightforward. Until now that was far from the case. Booking a visit required both prisoner and visitor to jump through hoops: paper forms and drawn-out phone calls. And if the visit date turned out to be impossible, they had to start all over again.

Now you can book a visit online . It takes about 5 minutes. Before, picking an available date was pot luck. Now there's a date-picker that lets you select 3 possible slots instead of 1. It’s a straight-forward service with user-needs at its heart but, if you get stuck, you can call the prison's visits booking line and someone will help you with the booking.

Here's a very short film we've made about it:

By making it easier to book visits, prisoners will see more of their friends and family. Evidence suggests this will help their rehabilitation. Transformation isn't just about websites.

The service was built by the Ministry of Justice, with a combined team from the National Offender Management Service, HM Prison Service and MoJ Digital Services.

For more of the story behind this service, read Mike Bracken's account of his trip to HMP Rochester or check out the service’s transformation page .

Join the conversation on Twitter , and don't forget to sign up for email alerts .

You may also be interested in:

  • Prison visit booking: using digital analytics to inform alpha development
  • Making prison visits easier to book
  • Meet the Transformation team

Sharing and comments

Share this page, 20 comments.

Comment by Pauline posted on 23 August 2015

How do you find out the prisoners number??? so you can go ahead with online booking of a visit?

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 24 August 2015

You can find a prisoner using this service: https://www.gov.uk/find-prisoner However it will be the prisoner's responsibility to get in touch with you to let you know their prison number etc.

Comment by linda posted on 15 August 2015

This service does not appear to work this is day 2 trying to use it

Comment by Olivia posted on 30 July 2015

Hi, If a visit is booked and someone cant make it, is it possible to change the name of one of the people to someone else?

Comment by Louise Duffy posted on 30 July 2015

It's best to contact the prison directly if this happens. You can find contact details here: http://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder

Thanks, Louise

Comment by Paige posted on 28 July 2015

Hi my partner was sent to nottingham today, I was on his previous list 4 months ago for a visit. Will that still be on the system all will it have to he put through again if so how long does it take to be approved for a visit? Thanks Paige.

Comment by Louise Duffy posted on 29 July 2015

You might want to get in touch with the prison first before booking a visit. You can find the contact details of the prison here: http://www.justice.gov.uk/contacts/prison-finder

Comment by Debs posted on 27 July 2015

Hello Is there a list of prisons where online booking can't be used?

Comment by Louise Duffy posted on 28 July 2015

According to the information on this page: https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits , you can arrange a visit to any prison in England and Wales through this service. If you're visiting someone in Northern Ireland or Scotland you'll need to contact the prison directly.

This link also lists the type of visits that are not covered by the online service: https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits so you need to get in touch with the prison directly.

Hope that's helpful.

Comment by c.steer posted on 26 July 2015

So how do I find the booking form to fill in I am new to computers

Comment by Louise Duffy posted on 27 July 2015

Here's the link to the booking form: https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits

You'll need this information to complete the form:

prisoner number prisoner’s date of birth dates of birth for all visitors coming with you make sure the person you’re visiting has added you to their visitor list

Hope that's useful.

Comment by Shawnaa posted on 09 May 2015

i have a visit booked which i did online but i do not have a visiting order woll the prison let me in?

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 11 May 2015

Your identity will be checked on arrival to make sure you’re on the visitor list.

Comment by jessicca posted on 27 January 2015

What happens after you book the visit and its confirmed by email do you need the visiting order ?

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 29 January 2015

The Visiting Order (VO) number is generated by the booking system, it is included in your confirmation email and you will need this to change or cancel a booking.

However, if you're visiting a prison the guidance is that you only need your ID, not the VO number. If when you visit the prison you are asked for the VO number you should report this via the Contact Us link on the Prison Visits Booking form.

I hope that helps.

Comment by Ilysa Mcnally posted on 18 November 2014

How late in advance can I book e.g. book a visit today (Tuesday) for the Sunday coming???

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 19 November 2014

Hi Ilysa. Thanks for your question. A visit needs to be booked 3 working days in advance. So in this case, the visit request would have to be no later than Tuesday to allow for a visit on Sunday.

Comment by carole posted on 23 October 2014

How far in advance can you book visits

Comment by Carrie Barclay posted on 23 October 2014

Hi Carole. You can book up to 28 days in advance. Thanks for your question.

Comment by kimberly posted on 16 August 2015

does anyone know how to cancel a visit online?

Related content and links

Government digital service.

GDS is here to make digital government simpler, clearer and faster for everyone. Good digital services are better for users, and cheaper for the taxpayer.

Find out more .

Sign up and manage updates

Be part of the transformation.

The unit of delivery is the team

If you’re interested in joining us, check out all open opportunities on the GDS careers site.

  • GDS Podcasts

Recent Posts

  • How we are improving GOV.UK Pay with user satisfaction feedback 29 January 2024
  • How we migrated our PostgreSQL database with 11 seconds downtime 17 January 2024
  • How we’re making it easier to access government forms online 12 January 2024

Comments and moderation

Social media house rules.

Read our guidelines

  • The weekly online and monthly printed national newspaper for prisoners and detainees

Search articles and comments

Hmp maidstone.

  • Inside Time Reports
  • 13th December 2014
  • Foreign Nationals - NEW , Kent & Sussex , Male Cat. C , Prison Visit

Prison information

Address: HMP Maidstone 36 County Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1UZ Switchboard: 01622 775300 Managed by: HMPPS Region:  Kent and Sussex Category: Category C Foreign National Link to: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/maidstone-prison

Description

Wholly foreign national population

Visit Booking: On-line

Use this online service to book a social visit to a prisoner in England or Wales you need the:

The prisoner must add you to their visitor list before you can book a visit.

You’ll get an email confirming your visit. It takes 1 to 3 days.

ID: Every visit Children’s Visits: One per month, applied for by offenders. Family visits enquiries to Spurgeons children’s charity.

Acceptable forms of ID

Search reports

IMB Reports

Prison Inspectorates Reports

Probation Service Reports

Prisons and Probations Ombudsman

Search the InsideTime library

Related posts

The inspector calls, revealed: biggest prison covid outbreak of 2021, a tent for a home, santa’s clause   , band to play prison gigs, morton hall to reopen as prison for foreign nationals, art versus crime – art wins, private investigations, something missing or outdated.

If you have any information that you would like to be included or see anything that needs updating, contact Gary Bultitude at  [email protected]

Share this on:

hmp maidstone visit

You might also enjoy...

  • Category C - NEW
  • Male Cat. C
  • 24th January 2017

HMYOI WARREN HILL

  • 4th January 2015

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Conditions of acceptance of website comments

No products in the basket.

Maidstone Prison Information

  • Accommodation: The prison consists of multiple residential units with individual cells or shared accommodation for inmates. The cells are equipped with basic amenities, including beds, personal storage, and sanitation facilities.
  • Education and Vocational Training: Maidstone Prison provides educational programs to help inmates improve their literacy, numeracy, and other skills. Vocational training opportunities are also offered to enhance employment prospects upon release.
  • Work Opportunities: Inmates have access to work opportunities within the prison, such as maintenance, cleaning, kitchen, and other designated roles. These work activities aim to develop skills, a sense of responsibility, and a work ethic.
  • Healthcare: Maidstone Prison has an on-site healthcare unit staffed with medical professionals who offer primary healthcare services to prisoners. Mental health support, substance abuse programs, and specialist services are also available.
  • Family Contact: The prison recognizes the importance of maintaining family relationships and supports visits and contact with family members, subject to specific guidelines and regulations.
  • Resettlement Support: Maidstone Prison offers pre-release planning and support to help inmates prepare for their eventual release. This may include assistance with accommodation, employment, and access to community-based support services.

Contact Information

Booking a visit to maidstone prison.

Prison Phone Calls

Unlimited Prison Phone Calls Package

Tell us whether you accept cookies.

We use cookies to collect information about how you use this website. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve Ofsted services.

HMP Maidstone

From February 2020 arrangements for Ofsted inspection of education, skills and work in prisons and young offender institutions are:

  • We usually inspect as part of a His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) inspection and our findings are published in the ‘Purposeful activity’ section of the report on the  HMIP website .
  • We may carry out an inspection without HMIP and our findings are published on this website.

 From January 2012 to February 2020 we only inspected with HMIP.

Rating and reports

All reports.

20 July 2021

19 September 2011

02 February 2007

About HMP Maidstone

  • Type: Prison and young offender institutions
  • Religious character: Does Not Apply
  • Local authority: Kent
  • Address: 36 County Road, MAIDSTONE, Kent, ME14 1UZ
  • Region: South East

Not what you're looking for?

Search and compare other prison and young offender institutions near you.

Get report alerts for HMP Maidstone

You’ll only receive an email alert when we publish a new report.

Read our Contacting or Working with Ofsted: privacy notice to see what we do with your personal information.

You can also set up email alerts for other parts of the website. Find out more about email alerts for Ofsted.

Share this page

  • Email this page

Prison Phone Logo

Maidstone Prison

Tel: 01622 775 300  –  36 County Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1UZ

HMP Maidstone is a category C prison with a capacity of 600, housing only adult male foreign nationals who have no less than 3 and no more than 27 months left to serve of their sentence. It’s situated on the outskirts of Maidstone and dates back to 1819, when it was considered one of the most advanced prisons in the county. Parts of the original building still stand, making it the one of the oldest penal establishments in the UK. If you’re visiting HMP Maidstone and would like directions, please refer to the map on this page.

Tel: 01622 775 300

Operational capacity: 600

36 County Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1UZ

The Prison Phone service started saving prisoners within HMP Maidstone back in 2013 and since then almost a third of inmates here use he service to contact fiends and family.

Our service dedicates a secure and fully compliant BT landline number to your existing mobile phone which means the inmate only pays local rates to call you on your mobile phone.

Send me Maidstone prison details via FREE SMS

Mobile number:

Here’s some facts about Maidstone Prison

HMP Maidstone is a category C working prison in Maidstone, Kent. Opened in 1819, and re-roled to a foreign nationals’ prison and Home Office Immigration Enforcement centre in 2013, the prison has capacity to hold 600 men.

There are four residential units and one segregation unit. The Kent unit was built in 1850, and holds up to 178 prisoners, mainly in single cells. The Medway unit was built in 1966, and holds 101 prisoners in single cells. The Thanet unit was built in 1909 but extended in the 1970s to hold 174 prisoners in single cells. The Weald unit was built in 2009, and holds 149 prisoners.

Prisoners were given £5 at Christmas time in 2015 to call their families. A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said “This credit is for prisoners to speak to their families using the prison phone system and cannot be used elsewhere.

To view the latest HMIP inspection report, click here .

Visiting hours are 14:00 – 15:45 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 14:00 – 16:00 Saturdays and Sundays.

The original sections of the building are constructed from local stone called Kentish Ragstone.

Reggie Kray married Roberta Jones at HMP Maidstone.

A visitor to the prison was charged with the supply of class A drugs and possession of class B drugs. He was bailed on the 25 th July 2017, and appeared in court on the 8 th September 2017.

Prison Phone offers phone tariffs that reduce the costs of calls from this prison by up to 75%! This enables prisoners to get the support and love that they are missing from home, while reducing costs for the inmate. Find out more below.

Recent blogs.

hmp maidstone visit

Dartmoor Prison to stay open

Nikki 2021-12-22T15:20:04+00:00 December 29th, 2021 | Categories: feature , Justice System , Law and Order , Law Enforcement , Midweek feature , News discussion , News Roundup , politics , Uncategorized | Tags: category a prison , category b prison , category c prison , dartmoor prison , hmp dartmoor , prison news , prison reform , uk prison service , uk prison system |

A new lease to keep HMP Dartmoor open "beyond [...]

hmp maidstone visit

Gartree Prison Expansion Plans Moving Closer

Nikki 2021-12-22T14:43:06+00:00 December 23rd, 2021 | Categories: feature , Guide to all things Prison related , Midweek feature , prison phone , Prison reform scheme 2016 , Specific Prison posts , Uncategorized | Tags: category b prison , council , family support for inmates , Gartree Prison , HMP Gartree , ministry of justice , moj , new prison , prison reform , uk prison service , uk prison system |

The new Prison Programme has now moved one huge [...]

hmp maidstone visit

HMP Hull has its own TV show

Nikki 2021-12-06T21:57:16+00:00 December 9th, 2021 | Categories: England and Wales Prisons , feature , Justice System , Law and Order , Midweek feature , prison phone , Specific Prison posts , Uncategorized | Tags: category b prison , education in prison , HMP , hmp hull , hull prison , inmates , prison categories , tv show |

HMP Hull has started their very own TV show, [...]

People are actually reviewing Kent's prisons and here's what they had to say

Who knew you can also review time spent in Her Majesty's pleasure at Kent's prisons?

  • 05:00, 7 APR 2019
  • Updated 06:53, 7 APR 2019

Officers are wanted to staff HMP Elmley, among other prisons

Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.

We have more newsletters

We've all been there.

You rock up somewhere you've never been before, hungry tired and just looking for a quick bite to eat and turned to Google Maps to help you find the closest supermarket, restaurant or coffee shop.

One of the major advantages to Google Maps is the ability for users to leave, sometimes overly honest, reviews.

And, for whatever reason, this review feature does not only extend to the usual suspects of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and supermarkets, as you can also review time spent in Her Majesty's pleasure at Kent's prisons.

The comments on the online map along with a ratings out of five have been posted by people claiming to have spent time at HMP Rochester , HMP Swaleside, HMP Standford Hill, HMP Elmley and HMP Maidstone .

At Rochester Prison reviews were mixed, with the prison having an overall rating three out of five stars.

hmp maidstone visit

Some were left by partners on the outside struggling to get a visit with their incarcerated loved ones.

One, which appears to be less serious, said: "Would NOT stay here again. Beds are hard, the food is like something out of a prison and the service non-existent. Stick with Premier Inn."

However another should perhaps attract the attention of the authorities.

It said: "Best prison easy access to weed and phones you see all your mates from road and the best bit is you come here and make more money than on road great prison would recommend if you want make some serious cash."

The worst crime in Kent

hmp maidstone visit

At HMP Maidstone reviews were generally good, with one commenting: "The food is good you don't have spend a penny."

But at HMP Elmley, in Sheerness, reviewers were critical of the quality of the facility and its services, despite the fact it had a solid 3.7 stars out of five.

In a review, a writer known as The Last Saxon, complained about "two stone cold meals a day prepared by blind chimps", "no 4 Music channel" and "beds that creak with every breath".

But not everyone was unhappy.

hmp maidstone visit

A reviewer by the name of Ted Hawk-Scales added: "Really enjoyed, 5 stars! met a lot of great people and was also able to do a few jobs on my stay, like sewing mail bags and peeling potatoes.

"The 10 year stay felt like 9! Really enjoyable!"

Meanwhile over the road at Swaleside, some reviewers praised the "comfy rooms" calling it a "a nice place to get away from everything".

And another concerning review stated: "Getting out of this place is probably not possible for the high wall is very wide."

While a reviewer at another Sheppey prison, HMP Standford Hill, was slightly more positive, if comical. Leaving a three star review, they said: "Not a bad place, shame about the staff, always trying to make you stay for another night."

And someone else simply wrote "best jail ever" - a comment which reflected the prison's overall rating of 4.3 out of 5.

KentLive: We have Kent covered

You can follow Kent Live on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Do you want to stay up to date with everything that's happening across the county with KentLive?

Here's the link to our main Facebook page where we share our latest stories, including anything from breaking news to features, court coverage and much, much more.

For What's On content such as the latest openings, events, and shopping news see here .

And we have a specialist Facebook group covering traffic and travel across the south east, where we provide the latest updates from any incidents on the roads or trains.

You can also follow KentLive on Twitter here , as well as on our Instagram page where we share great pictures of Kent.

For a round-up of the day's top stories direct to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter here .

  • Isle of Sheppey
  • Most Recent

hmp maidstone visit

Get 35% off your Annual Digital subscription today! Use code LOVE35

  • Public Notices

More on KentOnline

  • Family Notices
  • Kent Travel news

News you can trust

11°C | 8°C

5 day forecast

Find local news

Your local news for kent.

  • Romney Marsh
  • Sittingbourne
  • Tunbridge Wells

Latest news

The body shop to shut half its stores – as kent branch closes for good today, kent bafta winner’s night with the stars, m25 workers set to strike over pay.

  • Kent Travel News

Home   Maidstone   News   Article

Inspection at HMP Maidstone praises new governor but highlights 'barely fit for purpose' cells and lack of translators

hmp maidstone visit

An unannounced inspection of a Kent jail has praised its new governor but highlighted a lack of translators for foreign prisoners and described some cells as "barely fit for purpose".

In his visit to the 200-year-old category C men's training prison in County Road, Maidstone , chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor said some cells were "dark, cavernous and sometimes damp" with poor ventilation and little natural light and "barely fit for purpose".

HMP Maidstone. Picture: Google Maps

But he added: "Our most concerning finding was that there was limited use of the translation service by staff.

"This meant that some potentially vulnerable prisoners, who may have been at risk of suicide or self-harm, were not adequately assessed or triaged, particularly when they first came into the prison."

He said key documents from the Home Office were only printed in English and some men claimed they had been asked to sign documents they did not understand.

But he praised new governor Dawn Mauldon who joined from Standford Hill Open Prison on Sheppey in April.

He said: "A clear and active lead was being given by the present governor who had been in post for six months. She was very visible and her positive tone and realistic approach were appreciated by staff and prisoners.

Maidstone prison governor Dawn Mauldon, pictured at Standford Hill Prison on Sheppey

"Her aims and priorities were clear, set out in a straightforward and positive self-assessment report and staff were aware of her values."

On the condition of the cells, he said: "These spartan conditions were, in part, mitigated by very high standards of cleanliness and the fact that most prisoners were in single cells."

He said there was a programme to improve the showers and added: "The governor, well-liked by both prisoners and staff, had begun to make improvements, setting clear, suitable and well-communicated priorities.

"This included an improvement in the regime, which meant that since September, prisoners in work or education were out of their cells for seven hours and 45 minutes a day while those who were unemployed had four hours. This was much better than we had seen in most of our recent category C inspections."

But he said Ofsted rated the provision of suitable work or education for 579 foreign offenders as "inadequate" and said the situation had not improved since a previous visit in 2018. There was no English teacher which, he said, was a "huge loss".

HMP Maidstone in County Road. File photo by Martin Apps

He added: "In our survey, the number of prisoners who told us that staff treated them with respect had reduced compared with our last inspection and this finding was backed up by our observations on the wings and in many discussions with prisoners.

"There were some excellent officers who engaged with the men very well and the atmosphere in the prison was mostly good but some staff did not appear to understand the needs of this group of prisoners, particularly the many who were contesting their immigration status.

"We were told of cases where prisoners had reported to officers that they were feeling depressed and were told to fill out an application form to mental health services."

He said prisoners' anxiety was increased by Home Office delays in processing cases.

He concluded: "Although this report contains some disappointing findings, with a new and effective governor in place I was left with the sense that Maidstone is a prison that will continue to improve. I hope this report will be used as a springboard to drive forward progress."

Inside HMP Maidstone. Picture: HM Inspectorate of Prisons

The inspection in October identified 15 key concerns, of which five were priorities. They were:

1. Staff did not have enough understanding of the needs of vulnerable, anxious and distressed prisoners;

2. Professional interpretation services were not used enough;

3. Systems dealing with prisoners’ applications and complaints were ineffective and led to frustration;

4. Hospital appointments and orders for medical equipment were not managed well.

Maidstone prison governor Dawn Mauldon, pictured at Standford Hill Prison on Sheppey. Picture: Andy Jones

5. There were not enough staff in education, skills and work.

Other concerns said oversight of the use of force were weak, too many staff were passive or distant with prisoners and some parts of the building were "barely fit for purpose" with some cells too small, damp and cold with damaged windows, no toilet screening and damaged furniture.

The food was unpopular with prisoners and had deteriorated since the previous inspection.

Some pharmacy services were not effective and post was frequently delayed because too few staff knew how to use the 'itemiser' which detects illegal substances in the mail. Delays could be more than a week and sometimes up to three weeks which the inspector said was "unacceptable".

hmp maidstone visit

Most popular

Pair wanted in connection with serious A2 crash

Pair wanted in connection with serious A2 crash

Grammar school so cramped pupils being taught in dining hall

Grammar school so cramped pupils being taught in dining hall

Child airlifted to hospital after ‘falling from height’ at coffee shop

Child airlifted to hospital after ‘falling from height’ at coffee shop

Opening date for new McDonald’s revealed

Opening date for new McDonald’s revealed

‘Empty car park on one side of the road – parking chaos on the other’

‘Empty car park on one side of the road – parking chaos on the other’

hmp maidstone visit

Competition: Win two tickets to this year's Black Deer Festival, worth £400

hmp maidstone visit

Search our new digital news archive

hmp maidstone visit

What's for dinner? Plan meals, try new foods and explore cuisines with tested recipes from the country's top chefs.

hmp maidstone visit

Education Directory

Trying to find the right nursery, school, college, university or training provider in Kent or Medway? Our Education Directory has everything you could possibly need!

Helpful links

  • Contact Us and KM offices
  • Send us your story
  • Terms and conditions
  • Buy a Photo
  • Privacy Policy
  • Kent Business
  • My Kent Family
  • Kent Wedding Day
  • Destination Kent
  • Local Businesses
  • My Kent Website
  • KM Media Group

hmp maidstone visit

This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)

© KM Group 2024

  • Contributors
  • Criminal Justice
  • Human rights
  • Immigration
  • Miscarriages of Justice
  • Civil liberties
  • HUMAN RIGHTS
  • IMMIGRATION
  • PROOF MAGAZINE
  • CONTRIBUTORS

‘Considerable challenges’ remain at HMP Maidstone, report finds.

  • By Rehoboth Ogunjimi
  • 17 January 2024 | 9:17 am
  • News , Prisons

hmp maidstone visit

The latest annual Independent Review of Progress (IRP) report conducted at HMP Maidstone found that, whilst improvements had been made within the prison, there remained ‘considerable challenges ahead’.

This latest report details findings from an inspection in November 2023 which was a follow up from an earlier inspection in September 2022. The prison was found to have made reasonable progress in some areas but there were no areas where good progress had been made.

Significantly, in September 2022, HMP Maidstone was found to have a high number of foreign national prisoners which was recorded as approximately 600. This presented unique challenges for the prison, with the 2022 report concluding there was a lack of focus on the vulnerabilities that affected foreign national prisoners with uncertain immigration status.

Crucially, the latest report found that, whilst some improvements had been made by rolling out a foreign national prisoner training package, this was still in its early stages and ongoing issues with safety remained. This was tragically highlighted by two self-inflicted deaths in the previous five months, and it was found that prisoners remained anxious about their immigration status. Despite this, some early success was found in systems created to identify and remedy problems faced by the prisoners. There were now more opportunities for prisoners to speak to the Home Office about their cases, which was an improvement from previous reports of frustration due to ineffective systems in place.

The latest report also found that living conditions in the prison had improved since 2022. Whilst prison conditions remained variable with some cells still in a poor state, the shower areas had been refurbished and no broken furniture was found. The units were also being painted and many were ‘generally tidy, clean and well maintained.’

There were some positive improvements found by OFSTED in relation to the prison education as there were now sufficient staff to deliver a suitable curriculum and qualification rates were good. However, it was found that overall improvement in the quality of education, learning, and skills had been ‘too slow’ and there was not enough full-time purposeful activity. The report also found that prisoners were being held back and unable to progress with their sentences because of a failure to offer offending behaviour programmes that were a requirement of many sentence plans.

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, recognised in the report that the governor had a ‘clear sighted’ view of the considerable challenges ahead at HMP Maidstone. He said that whilst there had been steady progress, it was now time ‘to speed up the pace of change.’

  • Author: Rehoboth Ogunjimi

Most Popular

hmp maidstone visit

Stay informed

Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

hmp maidstone visit

Related Posts

Koestler keyhole (1)

Home Crime, justice and law Prisons and probation Guidance Maidstone Prison Maidstone is a prison in Maidstone, Kent, for foreign national men. From: HM Prison and Probation Service and...

You can book your visit online. You can book your visit by telephone. Booking line: 0300 303 0630. The booking line is open Monday to Friday: 9:30am to 1:30pm. Find out about call charges. You can ...

Visiting hours are 14:00 - 15:45 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 14:00 - 16:00 Saturdays and Sundays. How to book a visit at Maidstone Prison? The prisoner will have been given a booking reference which they will pass on to you before you book the visit by telephoning the prison Visits Booking Office. Booking line: 01622 775 300

Visits & Getting there, HMP Maidstone - DoingTime, a guide to prison and probation First Thing's First Just been arrested? Getting the help you need Going to Court Legal Aid Before sentencing The Legal stuff The first weeks in custody Insiders at Court Transport to the Prison Arrival at the Prison The First Night Initial Phone Call

Visit someone in prison. Use this service to request a social visit to a prisoner in England or Wales. There's a different way to book a prison visit in Northern Ireland or a prison visit in ...

Kent ME14 1UZ Governor: Dawn Mauldon Pact Worker contact: 01622775459 Emergency contact: 07973924663 Visitors' Centre Telephone: 016225307 Visitors' Centre Email: [email protected] Visiting Times Booking your visit: Book your visit online: Visit someone in prison - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Booking Line Telephone: 01622 775 621

Now you can book a visit online. It takes about 5 minutes. Before, picking an available date was pot luck. Now there's a date-picker that lets you select 3 possible slots instead of 1. It's a straight-forward service with user-needs at its heart but, if you get stuck, you can call the prison's visits booking line and someone will help you ...

It takes 1 to 3 days. ID: Every visit Children's Visits: One per month, applied for by offenders. Family visits enquiries to Spurgeons children's charity. Acceptable forms of ID Search reports IMB Reports Prison Inspectorates Reports Probation Service Reports Prisons and Probations Ombudsman Search the InsideTime library

HMP Maidstone BOOKED VISITS PRO-FORMA Only when you have completed the mandatory fields below will this form be accepted. Completion of this form does not mean that the visit has been approved. PRISONER'S NUMBER PRISONER'S FULL NAME WING DD/MM/YY IST PREFERRED VISITING DATE DD/MM/YY 2ND PREFERRED VISITING DATE

HM Prison Maidstone is a Category C men's prison, located in Maidstone, Kent, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service . History Maidstone Prison is one of the oldest penal institutions in the United Kingdom, having been in operation for over 200 years.

Booking a visit to Maidstone Prison Visiting Times at Maidstone Prison You can book your visit online: www.gov.uk/prison-visits You can book your visit by telephone. Booking line: 01622 775 621 Monday to Friday: 9am to 12:30pm Find out about call charges Or email: [email protected] .

1.3 Our last inspection of HMP Maidstone took place before the COVID-19 pandemic and the recommendations in that report focused on areas of concern affecting outcomes for prisoners at the time. Although we recognise that the challenges of keeping prisoners safe during COVID-19 will have changed the focus for many prison leaders, we believe that

HMP Maidstone URN: 52312 Address: 36 County Road, MAIDSTONE, Kent, ME14 1UZ From February 2020 arrangements for Ofsted inspection of education, skills and work in prisons and young offender...

1.1 Maidstone is a category C training prison that held nearly 600 foreign national prisoners at the time of our visit. The prison is more than 200 years old and some of the accommodation has...

HMP Maidstone is a category C working prison in Maidstone, Kent. Opened in 1819, and re-roled to a foreign nationals' prison and Home Office Immigration Enforcement centre in 2013, the prison has capacity to hold 600 men. There are four residential units and one segregation unit.

HMP Maidstone has a capacity of 613 prisoners. Foreign nationals are being held at a Kent prison beyond their sentence due to Home Office delays, a report said.. Too many inmates were held for ...

Mar 14 Our staff and prisoners are fundraising for those in Turkey and Syria who've been affected by the earthquakes. We're holding a competition on our field to see which prison wing can run the total distance from HMP Maidstone to where the devastation hit. ️ justgiving.com HMP's From Maidstone to Earthquake epicentre page

The comments on the online map along with a ratings out of five have been posted by people claiming to have spent time at HMP Rochester, HMP Swaleside, HMP Standford Hill, HMP Elmley and HMP Maidstone. At Rochester Prison reviews were mixed, with the prison having an overall rating three out of five stars. HMP Rochester (Image: Google Maps)

HMP Maidstone is a category C prison that holds exclusively foreign national prisoners, and has done since 2013. At the time of this inspection it held just under 600 prisoners. ... About 20% of prisoners had never received a social visit. 51% of the population were black and minority ethnic men. The prison had a young population, with 40% of ...

In his visit to the 200-year-old category C men's training prison in County Road, Maidstone , chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor said some cells were "dark, cavernous and sometimes damp"...

FAO The Governor, HMP Maidstone. 36 County Road, Maidstone. Kent, ME14 1UZ. The prison has 28 days to respond to your letter. If you are unhappy with the outcome, or if you do not receive a response within 28 working days, please call the Prisoners' Families Helpline for further advice on 0808 808 2003.

HMP Maidstone is a category C prison, which means it focuses on training and resettling prisoners. However, the report found there was only capacity for two thirds of the prison population to take ...

The latest annual Independent Review of Progress (IRP) report conducted at HMP Maidstone found that, whilst improvements had been made within the prison, there remained 'considerable challenges ahead'.. This latest report details findings from an inspection in November 2023 which was a follow up from an earlier inspection in September 2022.

GO AD-FREE. Get 2 Months Digital Subscription for ONLY £1! Use code 2FOR1

  • Public Notices

More on KentOnline

  • Family Notices
  • Kent Travel news

News you can trust

15°C | 7°C

5 day forecast

Find local news

Your local news for kent.

  • Romney Marsh
  • Isle of Sheppey
  • Sittingbourne
  • Tunbridge Wells

Latest news

‘i’ve done some bad things – but spent 26 years in prison for a murder i didn't commit’, ‘who is responsible for pothole that caused £700 damage to my car’, man on trial for murder of child rapist says ‘blanket of rage’ descended.

  • Kent Travel News

Home   Maidstone   News   Article

Inspection at HMP Maidstone praises new governor but highlights 'barely fit for purpose' cells and lack of translators

visit to hmp maidstone

An unannounced inspection of a Kent jail has praised its new governor but highlighted a lack of translators for foreign prisoners and described some cells as "barely fit for purpose".

In his visit to the 200-year-old category C men's training prison in County Road, Maidstone , chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor said some cells were "dark, cavernous and sometimes damp" with poor ventilation and little natural light and "barely fit for purpose".

HMP Maidstone. Picture: Google Maps

But he added: "Our most concerning finding was that there was limited use of the translation service by staff.

"This meant that some potentially vulnerable prisoners, who may have been at risk of suicide or self-harm, were not adequately assessed or triaged, particularly when they first came into the prison."

He said key documents from the Home Office were only printed in English and some men claimed they had been asked to sign documents they did not understand.

But he praised new governor Dawn Mauldon who joined from Standford Hill Open Prison on Sheppey in April.

He said: "A clear and active lead was being given by the present governor who had been in post for six months. She was very visible and her positive tone and realistic approach were appreciated by staff and prisoners.

Maidstone prison governor Dawn Mauldon, pictured at Standford Hill Prison on Sheppey

"Her aims and priorities were clear, set out in a straightforward and positive self-assessment report and staff were aware of her values."

On the condition of the cells, he said: "These spartan conditions were, in part, mitigated by very high standards of cleanliness and the fact that most prisoners were in single cells."

He said there was a programme to improve the showers and added: "The governor, well-liked by both prisoners and staff, had begun to make improvements, setting clear, suitable and well-communicated priorities.

"This included an improvement in the regime, which meant that since September, prisoners in work or education were out of their cells for seven hours and 45 minutes a day while those who were unemployed had four hours. This was much better than we had seen in most of our recent category C inspections."

But he said Ofsted rated the provision of suitable work or education for 579 foreign offenders as "inadequate" and said the situation had not improved since a previous visit in 2018. There was no English teacher which, he said, was a "huge loss".

HMP Maidstone in County Road. File photo by Martin Apps

He added: "In our survey, the number of prisoners who told us that staff treated them with respect had reduced compared with our last inspection and this finding was backed up by our observations on the wings and in many discussions with prisoners.

"There were some excellent officers who engaged with the men very well and the atmosphere in the prison was mostly good but some staff did not appear to understand the needs of this group of prisoners, particularly the many who were contesting their immigration status.

"We were told of cases where prisoners had reported to officers that they were feeling depressed and were told to fill out an application form to mental health services."

He said prisoners' anxiety was increased by Home Office delays in processing cases.

He concluded: "Although this report contains some disappointing findings, with a new and effective governor in place I was left with the sense that Maidstone is a prison that will continue to improve. I hope this report will be used as a springboard to drive forward progress."

Inside HMP Maidstone. Picture: HM Inspectorate of Prisons

The inspection in October identified 15 key concerns, of which five were priorities. They were:

1. Staff did not have enough understanding of the needs of vulnerable, anxious and distressed prisoners;

2. Professional interpretation services were not used enough;

3. Systems dealing with prisoners’ applications and complaints were ineffective and led to frustration;

4. Hospital appointments and orders for medical equipment were not managed well.

Maidstone prison governor Dawn Mauldon, pictured at Standford Hill Prison on Sheppey. Picture: Andy Jones

5. There were not enough staff in education, skills and work.

Other concerns said oversight of the use of force were weak, too many staff were passive or distant with prisoners and some parts of the building were "barely fit for purpose" with some cells too small, damp and cold with damaged windows, no toilet screening and damaged furniture.

The food was unpopular with prisoners and had deteriorated since the previous inspection.

Some pharmacy services were not effective and post was frequently delayed because too few staff knew how to use the 'itemiser' which detects illegal substances in the mail. Delays could be more than a week and sometimes up to three weeks which the inspector said was "unacceptable".

visit to hmp maidstone

Most popular

'I passed the Kent test and was given worst school in England'

'I passed the Kent test and was given worst school in England'

Brothers invest millions into ‘forgotten’ holiday park

Brothers invest millions into ‘forgotten’ holiday park

‘Why should I pay council tax when I can’t turn right out of my road?’

‘Why should I pay council tax when I can’t turn right out of my road?’

Man arrested after ‘unknown substance’ thrown at four police officers

Man arrested after ‘unknown substance’ thrown at four police officers

Audi stuck up lamppost in car park

Audi stuck up lamppost in car park

visit to hmp maidstone

COMPETITION

Win an Animal Encounter Experience at Howletts + a year-long family pass

visit to hmp maidstone

Search our new digital news archive

visit to hmp maidstone

What's for dinner? Plan meals, try new foods and explore cuisines with tested recipes from the country's top chefs.

visit to hmp maidstone

Education Directory

Trying to find the right nursery, school, college, university or training provider in Kent or Medway? Our Education Directory has everything you could possibly need!

Helpful links

  • Contact Us and KM offices
  • Send us your story
  • Terms and conditions
  • Buy a Photo
  • Privacy Policy
  • Kent Business
  • My Kent Family
  • Kent Wedding Day
  • Destination Kent
  • Local Businesses
  • My Kent Website
  • KM Media Group

visit to hmp maidstone

This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)

© KM Group 2024

visit to hmp maidstone

  • Early Prisons
  • Prison Food
  • Transportation
  • Nationalisation
  • Young Offenders
  • Convict Prisons
  • County Gaols
  • Debtors' Prisons
  • Detention Centres
  • Local Prisons
  • Miscellaneous
  • Prison Ships
  • Bedfordshire
  • Buckinghamshire
  • Cambridgeshire
  • Gloucestershire
  • Herefordshire
  • Hertfordshire
  • Huntingdonshire
  • Isle of Wight
  • Leicestershire
  • Lincolnshire
  • Northamptonshire
  • Northumberland
  • Nottinghamshire
  • Oxfordshire
  • Staffordshire
  • Warwickshire
  • Westmorland
  • Worcestershire
  • Yorkshire, E.Riding
  • Yorkshire, N.Riding
  • Yorkshire, W.Riding
  • Breconshire
  • Cardiganshire
  • Carmarthenshire
  • Carnarvonshire
  • Denbighshire
  • Merionethshire
  • Monmouthshire
  • Montgomeryshire
  • Pembrokeshire
  • Radnorshire
  • Aberdeenshire
  • Angus (Forfarshire)
  • Argyllshire
  • Berwickshire
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Dumfriesshire
  • Dunbartonshire
  • East Lothian
  • Inverness-shire
  • Kincardineshire
  • Lanarkshire
  • Peeblesshire
  • Renfrewshire
  • Ross & Cromarty
  • Roxburghshire
  • Selkirkshire
  • Stirlingshire
  • West Lothian
  • Wigtownshire
  • Co. Donegal
  • Co. Fermanagh
  • Co. Kildare
  • Co. Kilkenny
  • Co. Laois (Queen's)
  • Co. Leitrim
  • Co. Limerick
  • Co. Londonderry
  • Co. Longford
  • Co. Monaghan
  • Co. Offaly (King's)
  • Co. Roscommon
  • Co. Tipperary
  • Co. Waterford
  • Co. Westmeath
  • Co. Wexford
  • Co. Wicklow
  • Isle of Man
  • Channel Isles
  • County Bridewells
  • Detention' Centres
  • Military Prisons
  • POW Prisons
  • Town Bridewells
  • Bodmin 1782
  • Clerkenwell 1862
  • Prison Museums
  • Citation of content
  • Cookie Preferences
  • Cookies Policy
  • Privacy Policy

Ancestry UK

  • Kent Prisons

County Gaol and Bridewell / HMP Maidstone, Maidstone, Kent

In 1806, planning began for a new County Gaol and Bridewell , or House of Correction to replace the existing gaol and its neighbouring bridewell on East Lane (now King Street). In 1811, a site for the new prison was purchased on County Road, Maidstone. The buildings, designed by Daniel Asher Alexander, were initially intended to house up to 450 inmates, each with their own sleeping cell. In 1811, the cost of the scheme was estimated to be in the region of the then massive figure of £160,000, making it second only to London's Millbank Prison in its expense. To make this viable, construction was spread over twelve years. However, when the work was completed in 1823, the final cost was over £215,000.

visit to hmp maidstone

County Gaol and House of Correction, Maidstone, 19C.

The prison received its first inmates on 8 March 1819, when 141 debtors and felons were transferred from the King Street prison, with the bridewell inmates following in November of that year.

At the centre of the new buildings was circular four-storey tower. Its lower two storeys contained offices and the keeper's quarters, while the chapel occupied the top two storeys. To the north, east and south were cruciform complexes of cell blocks with a turnkey's tower at the centre of each cross. Each block was physically separate from all others though they were linked at the first- and second-floor levels by iron walkways. Each wing was divided along its length by a wall, so allowing two classes of inmate to share a floor. The ground floors were mostly open arcades with some dayrooms and workrooms. The design of the prison allowed a particularly large scheme of inmate classification. In the 1820s, thirty categories of male prisoner were designated and eight of female.

An early account of the new prison in October 1819 reported:

This immense prison, covering a greater space than probably any other in the kingdom, stands in an any situation close to the town; it is calculated, including the House of Correction, for 450 prisoners, each having a separate night cell: at this time the number is 270. Since it has been in habited, there has not yet been more than 420 at any one time. There are in all 27 classes, each having a distinct yard and ward, and no communication whatever with one another; the yards are large, airy, and very dry, the ground being covered with broken shells instead of gravel.

Each yard has a covered colonnade adjoining the day-room, for the prisoners to walk in wet weather.

Irons are only used for felons previously to trial, and misdemeanants of the worst description; and the gaoler said he intended to get rid of them entirely soon: they are evidently unnecessary, the prison being perfectly secure.

There were at this time only three children under 17 years of age, of which one was a girl of 10 years, waiting to be tried, together with her brother of only 7 and a half, for stealing a pair of shoes. Mr. Powell, the gaoler, said that, contrary to experience in most other instances, here, the number of juvenile prisoners did not increase; he thought they rather decreased, The prison appeared throughout remarkably clean; it is white-washed twice a year, prisoners being employed for that purpose. The night cells are sufficiently large, all glazed; cast iron bedsteads,of a very good description, are universal; the allowance of bed-clothes is two blankets and a rug, the bed consists of a coarse bag half filled with straw, the bedding is hung up by each prisoner every morning, in the passage, on nails fixed in the walls, that it may get a thorough airing be fore it is again used; these passages are heated in winter by flues, the warmth passing into the cells by means of holes over the doors.

The appearance of the prisoners was in general healthy: there were 13 at this time in the infirmary, one only with fever.

The infirmary is a separate building,and well calculated for the purpose.

No instruction is at present given to the prisoners, but it is in contemplation to establish a school for the boys: books are distributed at the direction of the Chaplain, who has a house adjoining the prison; he visits the gaol about three times a week: service is performed on Sunday, and prayers are read on Wednesday and Friday.

The chapel is at the top of one of the circular buildings, occupied by turnkeys. The classes have each a separate pew, with a division sufficiently high to prevent one seeing another, but they are all looked into from the centre.

It is remarkable that the Chaplain's house has windows to wards the street only, there being none on the prison-side, though, if there were, he would be able to look into several of the yards.

There are three turnkeys' lodges, besides the gaoler's house, all having inspection into a certain number of the yards, which are thus all overlooked.

Employment . There were employed at this time at a windlass, to raise water for the supply of the gaol, 24, chiefly vagrants, (in two gangs of 12 each,) 12 in the garden, and about 50 in hand-spinning, making twine, and weaving sacking, be sides ten or twelve in white-washing. Two manufactories are building; when these are finished, Mr. Powell told me a much greater number could be occupied, and that a turnkey would attend constantly in each, to watch the prisoners and preserve order. The women are employed in needlework and washing, but I saw none of them appear really busy. Prisoners for trial and debtors have no occupation, which is confined to those sentenced to hard labour.

Clothing . The convicts have a prison-dress, consisting of a flannel waistcoat,with a coarse linen one over it, and coarse linen trowsers, many complained to me of wanting shoes.

Food . The following is the diet table for prisoners engaged in labour.

For those not engaged in labour.

Adjoining to each day-room is a sink, and water let in for the prisoners to wash: in cases of their neglecting to do so every morning, they are deprived of part of their daily allowance.

There is no inspection into the day-rooms, except through iron-bars at the entrance when the door is left open; what is passing in these, as well as in the manufactories, can only be seen by entering them.

The yards, besides being overlooked from the governor's and turnkeys lodges, have small holes cut in the surrounding walls, so that persons passing through the passages can see into them. No punishment is used except solitary confinement.

The gaoler said the prisoners were in general very orderly, and well behaved, and so they appeared to be; there was very little noise and no gaming observable.

The actual classification is as follows.

In 1837, the Inspectors of Prisons gave a lengthy report on the establishment:

1. Site, Construction, &c .

This prison stands on an elevated situation to the north of the town of Maidstone, and covers no Jess than fourteen acres of ground. It was built at a cost to the county of about 200,000 l ., and was first occupied in 1819, since which a separate prison for females has been erected within the south-east angle. The material of its construction is the Kentish rag-stone, dug near the spot. It is a massive and substantial building, and has hitherto required little external repair. The Courts in which the assizes and sessions are held stand in front of the prison, and there is a door opening from the back of the court-house into the prison-garden, through which prisoners are taken directly to trial without quitting the prison walls. Some few escapes have been attempted, which will be noticed under another head, as they do not appear to have been attributable to want of security in the prison. The sessions-house and the chaplain's residence are the only buildings adjoining the prison, and a carriage road surrounds and separates it from the neighbouring houses. These are mostly small, but the upper windows of several of them overlook the prison, and a lime-kiln overlooks three of the wards, (Nos. 8, 9, and 10,) the top of which has, in several instances, been used by confederates as a place of communication with prisoners, and for supplying them with tobacco. Nearly the whole of the buildings are fire-proof, with the exception of the chapel. They are not insured. The prison comprises no less than 27 wards for male, and 7 wards for female prisoners, with 39 day-rooms, airing-grounds, and covered colonnades for exercise in wet weather. The common gaol for males contains 17 wards; three of the largest wards have two day-rooms each, the others one day-room each, and to every ward there is a spacious yard. The house of correction for males consists of 12 wards, each having a day-room and airing-yard. There is a large workhouse used as a manufactory, and also a mill-house and tread-mill, divided into eight compartments. The common gaol for females consists of four, and the house of correction for females of three wards, with a day-room and airing-yard to each. The several wards are at present applied to the following purposes, viz.—

No. 1. Used either for prisoners committed for trial at the sessions, or for convicts under sentence of transportation; contains 29 arched sleeping-cells, 8 feet 8 inches long, by 7 feet 1 inch wide; height of cells to crown of the arch, in upper tier, 9 feet 1 inch; in lower tier, 9 feet 7 inches. One double cell.

No 2, Misdemeanants for trial. Twenty-nine cells, in two tiers, of same dimensions as those in No. 1. One double cell.

No. 3. Prisoners for trial at assizes. Thirty-nine cells, in two tiers, of same dimensions as those in No. 1. One double cell.

No. 4. Divided into two parts, A and B. Military prisoners, deserters, and casual misdemeanants committed to the gaol. Thirty-nine cells, in two tiers, of same dimensions as those in No. 1. One double cell.

No. 5. Six condemned cells, for prisoners under capital sentences. No. 6. Nineteen condemned cells, for the same. Neither of these wards occupied at the time of inspection.

No. 7. Juvenile offenders for trial. Twelve sleeping-cells, 8 feet 8 inches long, by 7 feet 1 inch wide. Height of cells, both tiers, 9 feet 6 inches.

No. 8. Vagrants. Twelve cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7.

No. 9. Vagrants. Twelve cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7.

No. 10. Poachers. Twelve cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7.

No. 11. Poachers. Twelve cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7.

No. 12. Re-committed prisoners for trial for felony. Twelve cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7.

No. 13. King's evidences. Ten cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7.

No. 14. Prisoners sentenced to solitary confinement. Ten cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7.

No. 15. Smugglers maintaining themselves. Twelve cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7.

No. 16 to 19. Debtors. Two classes of cells, viz., single cells, 9 feet 3 inches long, by 8 feet 6 inches wide, and 8 feet 6 inches high and double cells for three each, 18 feet 5 inches long, by 8 feet 5 inches wide, and 9 feet 4 inches high.

No. 20. Summary convictions. Twenty-seven cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7. One double cell. A well and engine-house for raising water.

No. 21. Misdemeanants convicted at assizes and sessions. Twenty-seven cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7. One double cell.

No. 22. Juvenile convicted felons. Twelve cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7.

No. 23. Convicted felons. Twelve cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7.

No. 24. Convicted felons. Twelve cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7. Tread-wheel.

No. 25. Convicted felons. Twelve cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7. Tread-wheel.

No. 26. Convicted misdemeanants. Twelve cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7. Communicates with the manufactory.

No. 27. Convicted felons. Twelve cells, of same dimensions as those in No. 7. Communicates with the manufactory.

The seven wards in the female prison contain 38 sleeping-cells, of which 18 are single cells, one is for two, 11 for three, and eight for four prisoners, thus furnishing room for 85, besides the laundry, wash-house, and matron and officers' departments.

The prison has the means of accommodating 453 prisoners with separate sleeping-cells, the dimensions of which are, for the most part, 8 feet 8 inches long, by 7 feet 1 inch wide, and 9 feet 6 inches high, being more than are likely to be required under ordinary circumstances; the greatest number in confinement, at one time, during the last two years, having been 415; although at one period, in the year 1834, the total number in custody reached 533. The male prisoners, therefore, except some of the debtors, usually sleep in separate cells.

The means of inspection are deficient. The windows of the keeper's and turnkeys' houses have a view over some of the airing-yards, and the bridges or passages leading to the chapel have also a view over the yards, which can likewise be looked into from the passages without, through certain small apertures made in the walls for that purpose; but the colonnades can only be partially observed; and the day-rooms can only be inspected by leaving the outer doors of the wards open, in order that the officers may catch a glimpse of the day-rooms through the bars of the inner iron gate; but as the prisoners have generally the wit to retire into that part of the day-room which cannot be seen through the door-way, it is obvious that such a power of inspection as this must be quite worthless. The sleeping-cells can only be inspected by going to them.

The ventilation of the cells is badly contrived; as although there are pipes for the admission of air from the passages, yet the windows in general do not open, but are composed of small panes of glass, two or more of which are left vacant to receive air, and which, notwithstanding the shutter, will admit a considerable draft of cold wind. A ventilator placed in the window, or even a window which would open and shut, would be a desirable substitute for this clumsy expedient. In the debtors' wards the windows are in a very bad state. The prisoners break them to admit air in warm weather, and they are not repaired lest they should be broken again; which is an additional reason for adopting a different kind of window. The cells used for punishment in the female prison are not sufficiently ventilated. One of them, in which a woman was confined at the time of our visit, smelled closer and stronger than it could possibly have done with a proper supply of air. The temperature of the cells gives us no reason to suspect their being too cold for health, although some of the prisoners complained of cold during the late severe weather. On 11th January, at about six P.M., during a hard frost, the thermometer in several of the cells ranged from 42 degrees to 46 degrees, the upper tiers of cells being colder than the lower. Complaints were made to us by prisoners of their cells and bedding being damp, which seems to have arisen not from any defect in the buildings, but from the admission of damp air during the day, and from the exposure of the bedding also during the day to a current of damp air in the passage, where it is aired.

The prison stands on a dry soil, and no part of the buildings appears affected by damp. The drainage is good, by a common sewer to the river Medway. There are wells of 30 feet deep within the walls, which afford a supply of pure water. The whole of the prison is lime-washed every spring, and is' now neat and clean.

There is ample space for alterations or new erections within the present boundary-wall. This prison would afford an opportunity for introducing a system of separate confinement, at a moderate expense, for the untried, by throwing down the partitions between the sleeping cells in some of the wards, and making two cells into one, so as to form rooms 14 feet 2 inches long, by 8 feet 8 inches wide. The thickness of the partition walls between the cells, (about 14 inches,) is not indeed such, at present, as to prevent communication; but as there is only a single row of cells in each passage, it would be easy to alter the cells experimentally in any given ward, with a view to the individual separation of any class of prisoners whom it might be determined so to confine. An excess of from 40 to 50 sleeping cells beyond the greatest number requisite for two years past, besides 39 day-rooms convertible into two cells each, and ample building-ground, offer the means of commencing a system of individual separation in this prison, such as few others are likely to afford at so little cost. We submit whether the magistrates might not be required to provide a sufficient number of cells of proper dimensions for the individual separation of the untried?

2. Discipline .

The system of discipline is that of association in classes by day, and separation by night, with the exception of some of the debtors and female prisoners, who sleep respectively in separate beds in the same room. The spaciousness of the prison enables the classification of the Gaol Act to be carried into effect, and there are several subdivisions beyond what the law requires. For instance, in the gaol, prisoners for trial for capital felonies, for felonies not capital, re-committals for felony, and juvenile offenders, are placed in separate wards; in the house of correction, prisoners convicted of felony are divided into several classes, according to the length of their respective periods of confinement, and juvenile convicts are also kept in a distinct ward. If classification according to the technical description of the offence were of any value, such subdivisions would be improvements: but regarding the classification of the Act as wholly worthless, we can only consider the further subdivisions as equally delusive. It is quite a mistake to suppose a man committing a capital felony more immoral, on that account, than he who commits a felony not capital. If it were so, the offence of stealing in a dwelling-house implied, more depravity in 1833 than in 1834, when it ceased to be capital. It is idle to suppose that the removal of a few re-committed prisoners from the rest can prevent the bad effects arising from a system of association. Nor can the corruption of boys be prevented by classifying them in A juvenile ward together, for this plain reason, that they corrupt each other. We could not find that any practical good had resulted from this extended classification.

The untried associate at all times of the day, in their respective yards and day-rooms. The convicted also pass the day in association, at washing in the yard, at meals in the day room, during labour on the tread-wheel, or in the manufactory, during chapel, whilst under instruction, and in fact at all times, except when locked up for the night, or when in solitary cells for punishment. We did not understand it to be in the contemplation of the visiting justices to propose the abolition of the day-rooms. The prisoners have the means of speaking to each other, whilst in their sleeping-cells, from window to window; and a loud voice can be heard through the partition walls. The precautions against talking at night consist in a watchman who goes round outside, and in the wardsman within, whose duty it is to report any noise he may hear. Talking by night is, however, seldom detected, and is probably not much the practice, as the prisoners have opportunities enough of talking by day.

We were informed that silence was the rule of the prison; but there is no written or printed rule or order on the subject. It is, in fact, so little enforced, that no one would suppose there was any existing rule of the kind. Its enforcement in the day-rooms, at meals, washing, &c., depends entirely upon the wardsman, himself a prisoner, having other duties, such as sweeping and washing the day-rooms and cells, and bringing the food from the cooking-house, which puts it out of his power to be constantly with the others. But when the wardsman is present, the observance of silence is a mere farce. The wardsmen do not report for ordinary conversation short of a great noise or disturbance. From the statements of the prisoners, they do not seem to have the least difficulty in talking as much as they please with those in the same ward, provided they are not riotous. In chapel, where they are placed according to classes, they have the same facility, particularly as the chapel is so badly constructed that the prisoners in the gallery cannot all be seen either by the chaplain or officers. Even in the condemned cells they would seem to have the opportunity of intercourse; for the chaplain, in the month of March 1836, overheard two prisoners in these cells shouting to each other, and using low and profane language in reference to their trials. Prisoners on the tread-wheel, although under the frequent eye of the turnkey, besides a monitor, who is a prisoner, manage to talk in whispers, but have more chance of being reported and punished. The number of punishments inflicted by the keeper for talking whilst on the tread-wheel, in the year ending Michaelmas 1836, was 89; of whom 21 were confined in a dark cell for three days, 44 for two days, and 24 for one day; but it does not appear that any prisoners have been punished for the mere act of talking at other times; the inference from which agrees with the statements of the prisoners, viz., that they are allowed to talk in a quiet way when not upon the wheel. Whatever benefits, therefore, may be supposed to result from silence rigidly enforced, they have not yet been attained in this prison.

The position of the female prison separates it effectually from the male yards. Attempts at communication between male and female prisoners are, we believe, rare; but an instance lately occurred of a letter being thrown from the male into the female tread-wheel yard, which was suspected to have been done by a wardsman who had seen the female from the window of one of the cells in the upper tier of his ward. The fact could not, however, be fixed on him with certainty. As affording the means of communication, it should be noticed that the window of the kitchen of the male infirmary looks into the yard of the female infirmary, which, though a blind is used, ought to be stopped up, as instances of intercourse through it have occurred. The wooden partitions, also, between the male and female seats in the chapel, are so thin that holes have been cut and notes passed through them. It should also be remarked, that the head-turnkey, who is the husband of the matron, sleeps in the matron's apartments in the female prison, which are contiguous to the sleeping-cells of the women. The turnkey referred to bears an excellent character; but it is easy to imagine the abuses to which such a practice might lead; and we submit that it is contrary to the spirit if not to the letter, of the present Gaol Act.

The only kind of hard labour is the tread-wheel, which is divided into eight separate compartments, and will hold 92 persons at once. During the month of inspection (January) the number of working-hours at the wheel is 6¼, and the number of feet of daily ascent By each labourer, 12,000; being about one-third less than in the summer months, when the working-hours are 9½, and the feet of ascent 18,240; so that a man sentenced to two or three months' hard labour in the summer season undergoes one-third more of the tread-wheel than he who is sentenced to the same period in the winter, and that without any difference of diet. This inconsistency is accompanied by another evil, viz., the length of time which the prisoners pass in bed in the winter months, being upwards of 15 hours, when the days are at the shortest—a space of time far too long for the prisoner's welfare either mental or bodily. These inconveniences, however, appear to be inseparable from any system of association, except in so far as that the diet might be better proportioned to the labour than it is at present. The work of the tread-wheel is disliked in itself, but on account of the superiority of the diet of prisoners at hard labour over that of others who do not work, the former generally consider their situation preferable. On a late occasion, when, to make room for an unusual number of male convicts, the females were taken off the wheel, the latter complained that they were not fairly used, as by not working on the wheel they lost the better diet which they had whilst they were on it. Those prisoners who are unfit for the wheel are employed in the manufactory in making sacking, matting, and shoes. The manufactory, although an orderly establishment, does not preclude conversation; and the liveliness attendant upon a work-room renders it anything but a place calculated for punishment. Able-bodied female prisoners are put to the wheel; but the majority of them are employed in washing, ironing, mending, &c. The tread-mill is let for grinding flour; but the gross profits of every kind of productive labour done in the prison, including the rent of the mill, do not exceed 320 l . per annum, and after deducting the miller's and superintendent's wages, and expenses of repairs, &c., the balance in favour of the county is a mere trifle. The manufactory undoubtedly furnishes the means of labour for prisoners unfit for the wheel, but it has nothing in it of a penal character. Such labour, in society, with facility of conversation, is of course quite a different thing from what it would be in the solitude of the separate cell. The association prevents the labour being penal, or, in other words, renders it wholly useless as an instrument in deterring from crime.

The prison has visiting-rooms for the reception of the prisoners' friends. The visiting-room is divided into three compartments with gratings between them. In one of these the visitor stands, and in the other the prisoner—the intermediate compartment being left vacant. The turnkey might occupy it, if necessary; but it is considered sufficient for him to stand just outside the door, so that he can hear the conversation. Prisoners before trial are allowed to receive visits daily, between the hours of 12 and 2, and at other times, under special circumstances. Debtors' visitors are allowed daily, from 10 till 4 o'clock, the same visitor not being permitted to come twice the same day. Convicted prisoners are only allowed to see visitors by a written order of a visiting justice, which it is not the practice to grant until four months after conviction, and a similar period intervenes before another visit. Prisoners under summary conviction only receive visits by justices' orders. The reparation and gratings of the visiting-rooms prevent the possibility of a visitor giving any thing to a prisoner whilst in that situation. No particular proof of relationship is required; it is left to the officer's discretion to refuse admittance to improper persons. Letters are permitted to be received and sent by convicted prisoners as well as others, subject to the inspection of the keeper in cases where he suspects they relate to any crime against the law, or offence against the discipline of the prison. We submit, that convicted prisoners ought not to be allowed this privilege at least until they have been a definite time in prison, except under very special circumstances.

Money is taken away from all prisoners on the criminal side on their entrance into the prison, and the amount is entered in a book, that it may be returned on their discharge. Prisoners maintaining themselves have their money given them by small instalments for that purpose.

The use of tobacco is prohibited; but there can be little doubt that it is habitually introduced. Some prisoners contrive to conceal it about their persons, notwithstanding their being searched on admittance; others have it secreted in the provisions which they are allowed to receive. J. J., a convicted felon in ward No. 24, informed us, that once another prisoner assaulted and pulled him down from off the wheel, because he (J. J.) had drawn some tobacco out of the other prisoner's trousers.

The prisoners on the criminal side have access to the publications and religious books authorized by the chaplain. The debtors take in newspapers, without restriction, and are little, if at all, restrained as to books, magazines, or other publications.

We discovered in the day-room of the debtors receiving the gaol allowance a number of small square stones in the form of dice, but not marked. They were evidently intended to be used as dice. The debtors can have little difficulty in obtaining either cards or dice, when they wish it, and dice have been observed in their rooms by the chaplain. The prisoners in the criminal wards occasionally cut holes in the wooden benches of the day-rooms, in order to play some games with pegs. This is one of the results of day room association.

The employment of prisoners as wardsmen, and in menial offices in the prison, prevails here, and is regarded as an inconvenience. The wardsmen are mostly selected from those convicted prisoners who are disabled by infirmity from working at the tread-wheel, and also as a reward for good behaviour. The keeper and turnkeys agreed, however, that the duties of wardsmen would be much more efficiently performed by officers who were not prisoners. All the opinions which we could collect, concur, indeed, that the wardsmen are not to be depended upon; sometimes they secrete improper articles themselves; and it is seldom that they exercise a proper control over the other prisoners. The situation of a wardsman is generally desired, as it confers the advantage of some addition to the diet, besides exemption from tread-wheel labour. The impropriety of allowing such indulgences to any prisoner whatever, however good his conduct during confinement, can admit of no question: it is quite inconsistent with the object for which punishment is indicted. Undoubtedly, the discontinuance of prisoners as wardsmen would occasion the necessity of having additional officers to perform their duties; but it should be remembered, that in such duties as cleaning the wards, bringing the meals, &c., no economy is justifiable which interferes with the paramount object of rendering a prison a place of punishment. A practice prevailed of the wardsmen selling writing-paper to prisoners, which was stopped by the magistrates; and we have not been able to ascertain that any of the wardsmen now derive profit from any articles sold or let to prisoners. Some of the wardsmen shave the other prisoners, and are paid for it by the county, not by the prisoners. The matron and female turnkey declared they had no confidence in the character of the wardswomen, who did not keep any thing like silence; nor could they do so, if disposed, as they had often occasion to leave the prisoners.

A number of prisoners are employed in casual services about the prison, such as whitewashing, gardening, &c., which are considered labour for punishment. Exclusive of these, the number of prisoners in regular employment as wardsmen, or in menial services, on the 10th February last, was, males 28, females 13, total 41. On that day. the total number in custody was, males 267, females 38, total 305; being a proportion of about 13 per cent. The whole of these employments were under the sanction of the visiting justices.

A practice prevails of removing female prisoners from this prison to St. Augustine's, Canterbury, after their conviction; it being customary for the Courts at Maidstone, upon application previously made by the visiting justices of St. Augustine's, to sentence to that prison such female convicts as may be wanted for workwoman, as it frequently happens that there are not female prisoners enough in St. Augustine's to do the prison work. Six women were so removed in the course of the year 1836. The employment of convicted prisoners in any services which do not fall within the description of penal labour, is open to strong objection: magistrates are too prone to view the matter as merely one of economy. Occupations of this kind are sometimes not only improper, but inconsistent with the safe custody of the prisoner. As an instance of this, E. B., a female convict, under sentence of transportation in this gaol, not long since was employed, as nurse, to sit up with a sick prisoner in the female-infirmary. In the morning she found means of going to the wardrobe where the clothes used by prisoners before their admission were kept, and changed her prison-dress for ordinary clothing; she then walked coolly to the prison-gate, and deceived the turnkey by telling him that she was no prisoner, but came from the town to sit up with the sick woman. Upon this the turnkey let her out, and she was not retaken till she had proceeded 2½, miles from the prison, on the Chatham road.

3. Religious and other Instruction .

The Rev. John Winter has been 15 years chaplain of this prison. He is 48 years of age. Divine service is performed by this officer twice on Sundays; and prayers are read by him, every morning at h past 8; the whole Morning Prayer, according to the Rubric, being read on Wednesday and Friday, and prayers selected from the Liturgy on other days. He administers the Holy Communion, from time to time, to such prisoners as he thinks in a proper frame of mind to receive it; and attends especially upon prisoners under sentence of death. His salary is 250 l . per annum; he has no other preferment, and resides in a house belonging to and adjoining the boundary-wall of the prison; but which has no communication with it, otherwise than by the common prison-gate. A door between the back of the chaplain's house and the prison would be a convenience; but the magistrates consider that such an alteration would be insecure. The chaplain is always accessible, and attends at night, or any other time, if sent for. He visits the prisoners in solitary confinement three times a week, and those in the dark cells daily. He sometimes talks to prisoners in the day-rooms; but from the numbers congregated there, he finds that he can do little good in that way. He superintends the schoolmaster, and himself instructs the female prisoners. The conduct of the prisoners during chapel is in general orderly; but the building is so badly constructed, that neither the chaplain nor officers can see all the prisoners in the gallery. There is no calling over the names of the prisoners before chapel; the wardsman is responsible for the attendance of the prisoners of his ward. It rarely happens that any one absents himself: but not long since, a prisoner contrived, whilst on his way to chapel, to return to his cell, and, during the service, to get over the wall of his yard, into the part near the boundary-wall; over which he would probably have escaped, if a turnkey had not seen him from one of the chapel-bridges. The keeper regularly attends chapel; but there are four of the turnkeys, including the two at the gate, who do not constantly attend; their services being required in other parts of the prison. The superintendent of the manufactory and the miller, both of whom are officers of the establishment, are not in the habit of attending, even on Sundays. These two officers, we were informed, stipulated, on their appointments, that they should not be required to attend chapel. The debtors are not obliged to come to chapel, but some of them make their appearance on Sundays. Prisoners confined in the dark cells are not allowed to attend, but those in the solitary cells attend daily. The thinness of the wooden partitions in the chapel is stated, both by the chaplain and officers, to afford easy means of communication, and the prisoners are so situated that they can make holes through them without being seen; so as to frustrate the object of classification, worthless as it is. The different classes have separate passages from their wards into their seats in the chapel; but those of the same class have ready means of intercourse whilst going to, attending at, or returning from, chapel. The chaplain lectures in the infirmary every Sunday and on alternate week-days.

A schoolmaster (not a prisoner) is regularly employed, at the very moderate salary of 12s. per week, who instructs daily in reading, m distinct classes, the prisoners committed for trial, and the juvenile offenders. The number receiving instruction was, on 4th January, 60, and on the 11th January, 25, the variation being caused by the intervention of the sessions. On Sundays he instructs such of the convicted prisoners as, being sentenced to labour, cannot attend him during the week. His present number of Sunday pupils is 46. There is no school-room; consequently, the master is obliged to teach in the day-rooms, which is attended with several inconveniences. The chaplain instructs the female prisoners in their laundry every Wednesday and Friday, and says he finds them improve more than the men. Writing is not taught in the prison.

All books in use among the prisoners are selected by the chaplain, and are purchased from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

Although the acquirement of instruction is left optional with the prisoners, yet there rarely appears any reluctance to attend it; and some of them, particularly the young, make fair progress in learning to read in the course of two or three months. To juvenile offenders instruction has the additional attraction of relieving them, for a short time, from the wheel—an indulgence of which few, perhaps, under the circumstances, will be disposed to disapprove. But, after all, the stock of knowledge that can be obtained in such short periods of confinement as three months and under, must be very small; and when the bad effects of association are taken into account, it is to be feared that the instances of moral and religious improvement are extremely rare. It is the chaplain's opinion that prisoners confined for short periods derive scarcely any benefit from instruction of any kind. Indeed,, the best way to impart religious instruction with effect is by private converse with the prisoner; which is impossible, under a system of association; and the labours of the chaplain must therefore be chiefly confined to divine service and to the furnishing of religious books, which the prisoner, if he has time, has seldom the ability or inclination to peruse with advantage. The chaplain, who appears to perform his duties with zeal and fidelity, is decidedly of opinion that no system but that of the cellular separation of prisoner from prisoner, can afford any well-grounded hope of effecting their moral and religious improvement.

4. Health .

The surgeon, who has a large private practice in the neighbourhood, has a salary of 200 l . for his services in the prison, including medicines. He does not appear to attend constantly himself, and had not signed the attendance-book from the 13th November to the 11th January; but his assistant, who is also a regular surgeon, attends daily. The circumstance of the surgeon not performing the whole of his duties in person is irregular and improper. All the wards in which any sickness is reported are visited daily, as well as the infirmary, and patients are attended by night as well as by day. Prisoners under punishment in solitary cells are not visited, unless reported sick; the reason assigned for this is, that prisoners are always ready to complain if anything is the matter with them, and the turnkeys to report it, that there is little fear of their falling ill without its being known. One important duty of the surgeon is not performed, viz., that of examining every prisoner on admission, before he is passed into his ward. The prisoner is washed in a bath on his admission; but is allowed to enter the ward and mix with other prisoners before the surgeon has examined him—a practice too common in prisons, but contrary to the Gaol Act, and which might be the means of introducing an infectious disease. The surgeon, however, examines every prisoner before he is placed upon the tread-wheel.

The sick in the male and female infirmaries are attended by a prisoner of each sex respectively. An instance has been mentioned of a prisoner escaping from the male infirmary during divine service—a circumstance which indicates no great vigilance on the part of the infirmary wardsmen, who are, of course, no better than others of their class. Silence is not required to be observed in the infirmaries, and the surgeon considers that it might have a prejudicial effect upon the recovery of invalids. It is impossible to enforce such rules in an infirmary. The treatment of sick prisoners in separate cells is the only method of avoiding the abuses which at present attend prison infirmaries.

The diseases appear to have been in general of an ordinary kind, such as diarrhoea, bilious affections, disordered lungs, &c. No connection can be traced between these complaints and the locality of the prison, which is believed to be very healthy. At the period of our visit (January, 1837,) only seven male and eight female patients were in the infirmary, whilst great sickness prevailed in the workhouse, the barracks, and generally in the town of Maidstone. The proportion of cases of slight indisposition in the year ending Michaelmas, 1836, was about 25 per cent, upon the whole number confined in the year; that of infirmary cases only 8.52 per cent.; and that of deaths only 0.32 per cent., or seven in the whole year. The diet is supposed by the surgeon to produce a tendency to diarrhoea. The tread-wheel has the effect of reducing the prisoners in bulk, and few can endure it for long periods, such as twelve months, with the ordinary prison diet, without injury to their constitutions.

By the dietary table it appears that a man employed at hard labour receives weekly 174½ ounces of solid food, 13 pints of gruel, and 4 pints of soup made of ox-heads, peas, &c., of good quality. Prisoners for trial receive 168 ounces of oread and 7 pints of vegetable soup in the course of the week. Misdemeanants not sentenced to hard labour the same, and two pints of gruel a day when employed. Poor debtors the same, with the addition of one pound of potatoes daily. The dietary table is affixed in the cooking-house and turnkeys' house, but not in any place accessible to the prisoners. Scales and weights are provided, but are rarely asked for by the prisoners.

The prisoners allowed to find themselves in food, bedding, and clothing, are debtors, prisoners for trial, and convicted prisoners not sentenced to hard labour. Debtors not receiving gaol allowance are permitted to purchase eatables, with no particular restriction in quality or quality, except that they are not to lay in more than two days' supply at a time. In liquors they are limited to a pint of wine each day, or a quart of ale or strong beer. Other prisoners not receiving gaol allowance are on the same footing, except that prisoners before trial are not allowed wine, and convicts neither wine nor beer. The prisoners write their orders on a slate; a shopman comes and brings the provisions, and the turnkey takes them into the wards. The practice of allowing a convicted prisoner, under any circumstances, to find himself with provisions, notwithstanding the discretionary power vested in the justices by the 15th regulation of the Gaol Act, is extremely objectionable, particularly when the prisoners associate, and where it is not uncommon for those maintaining themselves to give a part of their provisions to others maintained by the county. The poorer prisoners do not appear to think it unfair for their richer associates to have their own eatables, but they complain of not being permitted to receive such occasional presents as their friends may be able to bring them; the rule being that prisoners must maintain themselves either entirely, or not at all.

The cost of clothing each prisoner is estimated at 15s. 6d. per head per annum. Some prisoners, however, clothe themselves. There is only one sort of prison dress, and it is not varied by seasons. It is a coarse woollen dress, which costs about 11s., and lasts upwards of a year. The shoes and shirts are the only articles of clothing made in the prison. The keeper goes into the wards every Sunday morning before chapel, and inspects the prisoners' clothing: it is not frequently destroyed, but, when it is, the offenders are punished by solitary confinement.

The cost of bedding is estimated at 18s. 3d. per head per annum; but some prisoners find their own. It is bought in the town, and is every morning taken out of the sleeping-cells, and aired in the passages, or in summer in the yards. We have already observed that at this season of the year, (the winter,) the bedding frequently becomes damp by the air in the passages, and that some different mode of ventilating the cells and passages would be an improvement. Private bedding is not taken out of the cells to be aired in the same way as that of the prison.

The prisoners' washing is not conducted with regularity, as we were informed by more than one prisoner that they now and then fall out about the use of the pail, and it is a time when the prisoners converse pretty freely together. The combs are in a bad state throughout the prison. The allowance of two combs to each ward is not sufficient, and it would be but an inconsiderable expense if every prisoner were allowed a comb to himself. The whole of the linen is washed in the prison by the female prisoners.

The personal cleanliness of the prisoners is as great as can be reasonably expected. The prison was generally clean at the time of this inspection, and the whole is lime-washed annually, as required by law. Chloride of lime is used for purifying the infirmary.

5. Prison Punishments .

The total number of punishments inflicted in the year ending Michaelmas, 1836, for offences within the prison, was 510, or about 23 per cent, on the whole number of prisoners. They appear to have consisted almost entirely of confinement in dark cells. Only one man was whipped in the year. The instrument of whipping is a cat-of-nine-tails made of cord. It is performed by a turnkey, in the presence of the keeper and surgeon, and two dozen is the number of strikes ordinarily inflicted. The number of punishments for breach of silence on the tread-wheel was 89, or 17 per cent. upon the whole number of Punishments; but we could not ascertain that any punishments had been inflicted for mere breach of silence at other times. The inference is, as we have before remarked, that the wardsmen scarcely ever report for mere conversation, and that prisoners are not habitually punished for talking, unless it is during labour at the wheel, or accompanied by noise or outrageous conduct. This is further confirmed by observing the very small number of punishments inflicted on the untried, being only 29 in the year, or about 6 per cent, on 434, being the number committed for trial in the year, exclusive of debtors. A discipline of silence, to make it of any value, should be enforced with the utmost rigour, and punishment should be inflicted with certainty for breach of it: the discipline of this prison is not, in this respect, what it professes to be.

The keeper remembers only one instance of an unnatural offence attempted within this prison, which was 14 years since. The parties were tried for it by the ordinary course of law, and acquitted.

The punishment of locking-up in a dark cell, with reduced diet, is undoubtedly dreaded; and the imprisonment in solitary cells, pursuant to sentences of courts, is regarded as a severe punishment. R. B., a military prisoner, who had been nearly two months in solitary confinement, under sentence of a court-martial, told us that he thought his punishment much worse than the tread-wheel. The solitude of such prisoners is, however, broken by removal to a different sleeping-cell at night; where they, no doubt, find opportunities of communicating with prisoners in the adjoining cells.

6. Officers .

The keeper, Mr. Thomas Agar, has filled that office above 15 years. He is 63 years of age, and is a lieutenant in the army. He gives security to the sheriff in the penalty of 5,000 l . He visits the prisoners in their wards daily, or as often as practicable in so large a prison. He is not in the habit of visiting at night after locking-up. He does not make it a constant rule to examine the bedding, locks, &c., himself, but receives reports of their state from the turnkeys. He receives the complaints of all prisoners, whether made through the turnkeys or to himself directly. He never absents himself from the prison, unless upon duty or by leave of the visiting justices. He superintends the several journals, character, and account-books, kept in the prisons.

All the turnkeys but one reside within the prison. Having perceived by the chaplain's journal that information had lately been given, by a discharged prisoner, in regard to beer and tobacco alleged to have been introduced a twelvemonth before, with the knowledge of one of the turnkeys and his wife, we thought it right to make some inquiries into the matter, and found that the visiting justices had dismissed the charge against the turnkey and his wife, it being unsupported by any evidence beyond that of the discharged prisoner, whom the justices deemed unworthy of credit. There is reason to believe that one of the prisoners, employed as a cook, found the means of obtaining beer twice in a soup-pail, whilst the turnkey in question was engaged at the sessions-house; but the justices did not think there was any ground for questioning the fidelity of the turnkey, and made no entry in their minute-book upon the subject.

We have already noticed the impropriety of the head turnkey sleeping in the female prison.

7. Miscellaneous .

The proportion of prisoners previously committed to this or other prisons was, upon the total number of prisoners committed, in the course of the year ending—

It appears, that, out of 1,706 committals to the criminal side of this prison in the course of the year ending Michaelmas 1836, 192 were under the age of 17, and 452 between the ages of 17 and 21. Juvenile felons are kept in separate wards both before and after trial, and they are also separated from others on the tread-wheel and during instruction. The juvenile misdemeanants and minor offenders are not, however, in general separated. In, inquiring into the histories of many of these boys, we found them almost always the same. Brought up with scarcely any instruction, and imbued with no religious principles, their homes usually uncomfortable from disunion in the family, or from ill treatment; friendless outcasts upon the world, they have begun their career of crime on the first impulse of want, and continued it from inability to obtain employment. Their situation on being discharged from prison is truly pitiable, as they rarely know which way to turn, to obtain a livelihood. An instance occurred during our visit, of three boys who had been sentenced to three months' imprisonment for stealing two silk handkerchiefs, and were on the point of their discharge. Their conduct had been good whilst in prison, and one of them particularly had made great progress in instruction, and was, in the chaplain's opinion, a very promising lad. These boys were most anxious to go to sea, or anywhere to be actively employed, but did not know how to set about it, or to whom to apply. They would gladly have accepted an offer of emigration immediately upon their discharge, and might probably have turned out well. Such cases are so common, that it is impossible for private charity to render any effectual assistance, and any public provision that could be made for them on their discharge would be highly desirable.

The number of military prisoners committed to this prison in the year ending Michaelmas last has been very considerable, being 245. The county receives 6d. per head per diem for their subsistence, and they are maintained as other prisoners. The visiting justices consider them a great incumbrance, as they are usually a very troublesome class of offenders. They are kept in a separate ward.

The Commissioners of the Customs allow 4½. per diem for the maintenance of every smuggler committed to the gaol. It is paid at the gate by an officer of the Customs, and with it the prisoner maintains himself. For those offenders against the revenue laws who are sentenced to the house of correction and hard labour, the Board of Customs pays 1s. per head per diem, to the credit of the county, and they are then maintained by the county in the same way as other prisoners.

The number of prisoners in custody was—

A gradual diminution is here exhibited, which appears to be confirmed by a comparison of the numbers committed to the prison in the course of the three years ending Michaelmas 1836. The number committed was—

In 1878, following the nationalisation of the prison system, the establishment became Her Majesty's Prison Maidstone.

visit to hmp maidstone

HMP Maidstone, aerial view from the west. © Peter Higginbotham

visit to hmp maidstone

HMP Maidstone, c.1905.

The prison is still in operation. It is now classed as a training prison, largely being used to hold foreign nationals convicted of a variety of offences, with many being deported at the end of their sentence. The only parts of Alexander's original buildings to survive are the large roundhouse that lay at the centre of the complex, and the blocks that formed the southern cross.

Note: many repositories impose a closure period of up to 100 years for records identifying individuals. Before travelling a long distance, always check that the records you want to consult will be available.

  • Kent History and Library Centre , James Whatman Way, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LQ Holdings include: Convict book — a register of all convicts, arranged annually by Sheriffs (1805-33); Prison registers (from Canterbury and Maidstone prisons, though not always clear which prison for each book, 1880-1900).
  • The National Archives , Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU. Has a wide variety of crime and prison records going back to the 1770s, including calendars of prisoners, prison registers and criminal registers.
  • Find My Past has digitized many of the National Archives' prison records, including prisoner-of-war records, plus a variety of local records including Manchester, York and Plymouth . More information.

visit to hmp maidstone

  • The Genealogist also has a number of National Archives' prison records. More information.
  • 1881 Census

Bibliography

  • Higginbotham, Peter The Prison Cookbook: A History of the English Prison and its Food (2010, The History Press)
  • Brodie, A. Behind Bars - The Hidden Architecture of England's Prisons (2000, English Heritage)
  • Brodie, A., Croom, J. & Davies, J.O. English Prisons: An Architectural History (2002, English Heritage)
  • Harding, C., Hines, B., Ireland, R., Rawlings, P. Imprisonment in England and Wales (1985, Croom Helm)
  • McConville, Sean A History of English Prison Administration: Volume I 1750-1877 (1981, Routledge & Kegan Paul)
  • Morris, N. and Rothman, D.G. (eds.) The Oxfod History of the Prison (1997, OUP)
  • Pugh R.B. Imprisonment in Medieval England (1968, CUP)
  • Prison Oracle - resources those involved in present-day UK prisons.
  • GOV.UK - UK Government's information on sentencing, probation and support for families.

visit to hmp maidstone

Are you OK with cookies?

We use small files called ‘cookies’ on imb.org.uk. Some are essential to make the site work, some help us to understand how we can improve your experience, and some are set by third parties. You can choose to turn off the non-essential cookies. Which cookies are you happy for us to use?

Choose which cookies we use

Marketing cookies, google analytics.

We use Google Analytics to measure how you use the website so we can improve it based on user needs. We do not allow Google Analytics to use or share the data about how you use this site.

Google Analytics 4

Google analytics 4 - event tracking.

An event allows us to measure a specific interaction or occurrence on your website or app

Google Conversion Linker

These cookies allow us to track your browsing activity and serve you with relevant adverts based on your interests. These cookies are disabled by default, so if you want to experience targeted content that’s tailored to you, you’ll need to click ‘Accept Cookies’ in the website pop up. If you choose to leave these cookies disabled, you won’t receive personalised advertising, including on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

Meta and LinkedIn marketing tags

LinkedIn Insights

Google Conversion Event Tracking

The conversion tag shows us what happens after a website user interacts with our ads

Third-party cookies

Video streaming.

We have no control over cookies set by third parties. You can turn them off, but not through us.

Social Media

If you share a link to a page, the service you share it on (for example, Facebook) may set a cookie.

Essential cookies

These cookies will always need to be on because they make our site work.

Logged in users

visit to hmp maidstone

Prisoners detained past their sentence at HMP Maidstone

  • #HMP Maidstone

Delays in the immigration system have resulted in foreign national prisoners being held past their sentence. While some progress has been made in the last few weeks, the Independent Monitoring Board raises concerns about the psychological impact this may be having on those affected. The IMB at HMP Maidstone also notes in their 2022-23 annual report that:

  • Communication between the Home Office and prisoners is poor, with some key documents only being provided in English.
  • Long standing and continuing delays, and uncertainty around end of sentence arrangements is leading to increased anxiety and negative behaviour among prisoners.
  • There are only 400 activity places available across the prison, leaving roughly a third of the population without any form of meaningful activity, education, or training. This has a direct impact on prisoners’ chance of successful resettlement.

However, the Board are pleased to report that:

  • Overall HMP Maidstone is a safe prison. The prison is well run and prisoners, for the most part, are observed to have good relationships with staff and each other, and levels of violence continue to remain low.
  • Prison staff work hard with limited resources to support those for whom they have responsibility.

IMB Maidstone Chair, David Skinner, said: “Every day in the prison, members of the IMB see the real and immediate consequences of the Home Office’s failure to clear their backlogs. Significant improvements could be made to the fair and humane treatment of people in HMP Maidstone if these backlogs could be cleared. While there has been some progress, more needs to be done.”

hmcpsi

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

21 April 1926 to 8 September 2022

  • Our reports
  • / Our reports
  • / HMP Maidstone

HMP Maidstone

Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Maidstone (8, 9, 15–19 October 2018)

HMP Maidstone ( 1 MB )

HMP Maidstone Action Plan (April 2019)

HMP Maidstone Action Plan ( 285 kB )

  • Accessibility statement
  • Privacy notice
  • Archived website

IMAGES

  1. 10 Historic Urban Prisons

    visit to hmp maidstone

  2. Her Majesty's Prison, Maidstone © Penny Mayes :: Geograph Britain and

    visit to hmp maidstone

  3. Lockdown report reveals HMP Maidstone inmates confined to cell for 23

    visit to hmp maidstone

  4. County Gaol and Bridewell / HMP Maidstone, Maidstone, Kent

    visit to hmp maidstone

  5. Inspection at HMP Maidstone praises new governor but highlights 'barely

    visit to hmp maidstone

  6. Hmp Maidstone

    visit to hmp maidstone

VIDEO

  1. A day in Boi Mela🎇📖📓

  2. Skinny Love

  3. ea decompiler_ea decompiler 2024_ea decompiler online_Descompilar EA

  4. S2 E11

  5. உனக்காக ஓர் வசனம்

  6. Luke Molyneux looks ahead to Tranmere Rovers clash

COMMENTS

  1. Maidstone Prison

    You can book your visit online, by telephone or by email to [email protected]. Telephone booking line: 01622 775 621. Booking line available Monday to Friday: 9am to 12:30pm ...

  2. Visits & Getting there, HMP Maidstone

    Prison booking staff will check what's available and confirm your visit by email. If you've made an online visit booking request and haven't received a confirmation email within 1-3 working days, email [email protected] or call 01622 775619, lines open 10.00am - 2.00pm, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.

  3. Maidstone Prison

    HMP Maidstone is a category C working prison in Maidstone, Kent. Opened in 1819, and re-roled to a foreign nationals' prison and Home Office Immigration Enforcement centre in 2013, the prison has capacity to hold 600 men. To Book A Maidstone Prison Visit You Must: All visitors are required to arrive 15 minutes prior to the visit starting.

  4. Visit someone in prison

    Visit someone in prison. Use this service to request a social visit to a prisoner in England or Wales. There's a different way to book a prison visit in Northern Ireland or a prison visit in ...

  5. East Sutton Park Prison and Young Offender Institution

    You can book your visit online, by email to [email protected] or by telephone. Telephone booking line: 0300 303 0630. Find out about call charges. The booking lines are open ...

  6. You can now book a prison visit online

    Now you can book a visit online. It takes about 5 minutes. Before, picking an available date was pot luck. Now there's a date-picker that lets you select 3 possible slots instead of 1. It's a straight-forward service with user-needs at its heart but, if you get stuck, you can call the prison's visits booking line and someone will help you ...

  7. HMP Maidstone

    You can email the Pact team at HMP Maidstone directly at [email protected]. For more information, support, and advice on all aspects of the justice system, you can contact the Prisoners' Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003 (9am - 8pm Monday to Friday, and 10am - 3pm at the weekend). Address: HMP Maidstone. 36 County Road.

  8. HMP MAIDSTONE

    Visit Booking: On-line. Use this online service to book a social visit to a prisoner in England or Wales you need the: prisoner number; prisoner's date of birth; dates of birth for all visitors coming with you; The prisoner must add you to their visitor list before you can book a visit. You'll get an email confirming your visit. It takes 1 ...

  9. HM Prison Maidstone

    History. Maidstone Prison is one of the oldest penal institutions in the United Kingdom, having been in operation for over 200 years. Originally serving as a county jail, Maidstone was converted to a prison during the 1740s. During his visits, reformer John Howard reported poor living conditions including overcrowding and poor ventilation.

  10. Maidstone Prison Information

    There is some free on street parking for up to 2 hours or paid carparks nearby. (please check parking regulations in force at time of visit) Disabled visitors can park outside of the prison. Visiting Maidstone All visitors, aged 16 or older must prove their identity before entering HMP Maidstone.

  11. HMP Maidstone

    HMP Maidstone: Address: 36 County Road Maidstone Kent ME14 1UZ: Other contact details: Web Site: Email: Main switchboard: 01622 775 300: At Risk hotline: Fax: 01622 775 301: Visits booking number: 01622 775619: Visits booking email: [email protected] Visits booking web site:

  12. Maidstone Prison

    HMP Maidstone is a category C working prison in Maidstone, Kent. Opened in 1819, and re-roled to a foreign nationals' prison and Home Office Immigration Enforcement centre in 2013, the prison has capacity to hold 600 men. There are four residential units and one segregation unit. The Kent unit was built in 1850, and holds up to 178 prisoners ...

  13. HMPMaidstone (@HmpMaidstone) / Twitter

    HMPMaidstone. @HmpMaidstone. HMP Maidstone is a category C prison that holds exclusively foreign national prisoners. The prison dates back to 1819 and is situated in the town centre. Maidstone, Kent, UK gov.uk/guidance/maids…. Joined September 2020. Following. 472 Followers. Replies.

  14. HMP Maidstone

    HMP Maidstone. URN: 52312. Address: 36 County Road, MAIDSTONE, Kent, ME14 1UZ. ... Monitoring visit Monitoring visit, pdf - 16 December 2021. pdf - Published 16 December 2021. 19 September 2011. Inspection Inspection, PDF - 02 November 2011. PDF - Published ...

  15. HMP Maidstone: Foreign prisoners held beyond sentence release dates

    HMP Maidstone is a category C prison, which means it focuses on training and resettling prisoners. However, the report found there was only capacity for two thirds of the prison population to take ...

  16. hmp maidstone visit

    At least one visitor must be 18 or older at every visit.... HM Prison Maidstone is a Category C men's prison, located in Maidstone, Kent, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison... Visiting hours are 14:00 - 15:45 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 14:00 - 16:00 Saturdays and Sundays. ... HMP Maidstone is a category C ...

  17. HMP Maidstone

    FAO The Governor, HMP Maidstone. 36 County Road, Maidstone. Kent, ME14 1UZ. The prison has 28 days to respond to your letter. If you are unhappy with the outcome, or if you do not receive a response within 28 working days, please call the Prisoners' Families Helpline for further advice on 0808 808 2003.

  18. PDF Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Maidstone by HM Chief

    1.3 Our last inspection of HMP Maidstone took place before the COVID-19 pandemic and the recommendations in that report focused on areas of concern affecting outcomes for prisoners at the time. Although we recognise that the challenges of keeping prisoners safe during COVID-19 will have changed the focus for many prison leaders, we believe that

  19. Inspection at HMP Maidstone praises new governor but highlights 'barely

    In his visit to the 200-year-old category C men's training prison in County Road, Maidstone, chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor said some cells were "dark, ... Inside HMP Maidstone. Picture ...

  20. County Gaol and Bridewell / HMP Maidstone, Maidstone, Kent

    County Gaol and Bridewell / HMP Maidstone, Maidstone, Kent. In 1806, ... At the period of our visit (January, 1837,) only seven male and eight female patients were in the infirmary, whilst great sickness prevailed in the workhouse, the barracks, and generally in the town of Maidstone. The proportion of cases of slight indisposition in the year ...

  21. Prisoners detained past their sentence at HMP Maidstone

    The IMB at HMP Maidstone also notes in their 2022-23 annual report that: Communication between the Home Office and prisoners is poor, with some key documents only being provided in English. Long standing and continuing delays, and uncertainty around end of sentence arrangements is leading to increased anxiety and negative behaviour among prisoners.

  22. HMP Maidstone

    19 February 2019. Report type. Prison and YOI inspections. Location. Maidstone. Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Maidstone (8, 9, 15-19 October 2018) HMP Maidstone (1 MB) HMP Maidstone Action Plan (April 2019) HMP Maidstone Action Plan ()