Expecting to go to prison? How to get ready

If a sentencing hearing is coming and prison is a real possibility, the days before court matter. This page is the checklist: what to take, what to sort out, and what happens on the day. It is written for the person going in and for the family around them.

First: it might not be prison Sentences of 2 years or less can be suspended, and judges are now told to suspend short sentences in most cases. Get a realistic picture first with our sentence estimator, and ask the solicitor straight: "am I going in?"

What happens at a sentencing hearing

The hearing is usually short, often under an hour. The prosecution speaks first, then your solicitor or barrister gives the . Then the judge passes sentence. If it is immediate prison, you are "taken down" to the court cells there and then. There is no going home to pack, no goodbye hug in the courtroom. That is why you prepare before, not after.

From the cells you go by van to a local prison, often arriving in the evening. Our first 48 hours guide covers what happens next, and is worth the family reading too.

What to take to court

A list of phone numbers and addresses, on paper. The most important item. Phones are taken away, and prison calls only work once numbers are approved. Include everyone who matters, with addresses for letters.
Medication, in its original boxes with the pharmacy labels, plus a repeat prescription list if you have one.
Glasses, hearing aids, dentures. Replacing them from inside takes months.
A little cash to be paid into your prison account for phone credit and canteen.
One or two photos of the people you love. Nothing irreplaceable.
Plain, comfortable clothes. Some prisons let you wear your own clothes on remand or after Enhanced. No hoodies with cords, nothing expensive.
Leave at home: your phone (hand it to family), jewellery, bank cards you will not need, anything valuable. Property gets logged and stored, and things go missing.

Sort these before the hearing

The house or flat

Tell the landlord or mortgage lender. Arrears build silently while you are inside.
Council or housing association home: tell the housing office. For short sentences, help with the rent can continue (usually up to 6 months). For longer sentences the tenancy is at real risk, so ask about your options now, not from inside. Shelter's free helpline (0808 800 4444) is good on this.
Give a trusted person the keys and written permission to deal with post, bills and the landlord.
Cancel or move direct debits you will not need: subscriptions, car insurance, gym.
Empty the fridge, unplug things, arrange someone to check the property. Tell the home insurer if it will sit empty. Many policies stop covering an empty house after 30 or 60 days.

Money and benefits

Tell the DWP and the council. Most benefits stop at sentencing. Universal Credit housing help can continue up to 6 months on a short sentence. Not telling them means debt and a fraud problem waiting on release day. The official rules: GOV.UK, benefits and prison.
A partner staying home should ask what they can now claim themselves. Sometimes the household ends up no worse off, but only if they ask.
Council tax: a single adult left at home claims the 25% single person discount from the day you go in.
Debts: tell creditors, or give someone written authority to. StepChange (free debt charity, 0800 138 1111) can freeze or manage things while you are inside.

People who rely on you

Children: agree the care plan and tell the school. Schools are used to this and can quietly support a child. Read children and prison, and the charity Pact (0808 808 3444) helps families directly.
Anyone you care for (a parent, a disabled relative): contact adult social services before the hearing so care does not just stop.
Consider a lasting power of attorney or at least written authority so someone can run your affairs, sign for things and speak to banks.

Pets

Name a person willing to take them, and write it down with the vet's details.
No one available? Some charities help arrange fostering for owners in crisis. Ask the RSPCA or local rescues early. Do not leave it to the day.

Work

If there is any chance of keeping the job (short or suspended sentence), talk to the employer before court. Some keep jobs open.
If not, get paid what you are owed: wages, holiday pay, pension paperwork.

On the day

Say goodbyes at home. If it is immediate prison, you will not get another chance that day.
Bring the bag, but give your phone and valuables to whoever comes with you.
Family: note down the prison the van is going to. The court's custody office can usually tell you. If you miss it, the free Find a Prisoner service will locate them in a few days.
Expect a first call within 1 to 3 days, sometimes longer. Silence does not mean something is wrong.

Once they are inside

The chaplaincy sees new arrivals in the first days, whatever their faith or none, and can check on someone if family are worried. For anything urgent at home, like a death or serious illness, ring the prison and ask for the chaplain. For fears about self harm, ask for the Safer Custody team.

Then the practical rhythm starts: send money, get numbers approved, book visits. The first 48 hours guide walks through it, and the release date tool answers the question everyone is already asking.

Common questions

What should you take to court if you might go to prison?

A small bag with: glasses, hearing aids, any medication in its box with the label, a list of phone numbers and addresses written on paper, a little cash if you want money on your prison account, and one or two photos. Wear comfortable clothes and plain trainers without laces if possible. Leave jewellery, expensive items and anything sharp at home. Do not take your phone if someone can hold it for you. It will be locked away for the whole sentence.

Why write phone numbers on paper?

Because the phone gets taken away at reception, and nobody remembers numbers any more. Numbers for prison calls have to be submitted and approved, and that starts with the person being able to say what the numbers are. A paper list of names, numbers and addresses is the single most useful thing to take in.

Can you take money into prison?

Cash handed in at reception goes into the prison account, and family can send money later through the free GOV.UK service. Money buys phone credit and canteen items in the first week, before any prison wages start. Twenty or thirty pounds makes the first days much easier.

What happens to your house if you go to prison?

Nothing happens automatically, which is the danger: rent or mortgage arrears build up quietly. Tell the landlord or lender, set up payments or a payment holiday if you can, and give someone you trust the keys and written permission to deal with post and bills. If it is a council or housing association home, tell the housing office. Help with rent through benefits usually only continues for short sentences, so get advice before you stop paying anything.

What happens to benefits when you go to prison?

Tell the DWP (and the council for Housing Benefit and council tax) straight away. Most benefits stop when you are sentenced. Universal Credit housing payments can continue for up to 6 months if the sentence is short enough. Claiming while inside without telling them counts as fraud and creates debt for release day. A partner staying at home should also tell them, because their claims usually change, sometimes upwards.

Who tells the school, the carers, the vet?

You do, before the hearing, or you hand the job to someone you trust in writing. Children need a settled plan, and schools support kids better when they know. If someone relies on you as their carer, social services need to know before the hearing, not after. Pets need a named person willing to take them. Sorting this in advance is far better than from a prison phone queue.