Why has my number not been approved yet?

They are inside, you are waiting, and the phone stays silent. Nine times out of ten the hold-up is the number approval process. Here is how it works and how to unstick it.

How approval works

The person inside fills in a form (an app) with your name, number and relationship to them.
Security checks it. They look at whether the number is real, whose it is, and whether there is any reason to refuse, like a victim or witness connection to the case.
The number appears on their PIN account and they can ring it, if they have credit.

Each step is a queue. A few working days is the official line. One to two weeks is normal at a busy prison.

The common ways it goes wrong

A wrong digit. The single most common failure. They wrote it from memory, or the handwriting got misread. Fix: put your number in a letter, written large and clear, and have them resubmit.
The form never got processed. Paper goes missing. If nothing has happened in two weeks, assume this and resubmit rather than waiting longer.
The number is linked to someone else. A number already on another prisoner's list attracts checks.
You are connected to the case. Victims and witnesses are usually blocked from the list. This is policy, not a mistake, and arguing with the prison will not change it.
Credit confusion. Sometimes the number is approved but they have no credit, so the phone still stays silent. Money in their account fixes that one. See the contact guide.

How to chase it, from outside

Ring the prison switchboard and ask for the PIN phone clerk (some prisons call it the business hub). Have the prisoner number ready. Ask two questions: has the application for this number been processed, and is anything missing. That usually gets a straight answer. Meanwhile, keep letters and Email a Prisoner going: they need no approval and they carry your phone number in, clearly written.

Common questions

How long does prison phone number approval take?

Officially a few working days. In reality, allow one to two weeks at a busy prison, and longer if anything on the form is unclear. If it has been more than two weeks, something has probably gone wrong rather than slow, and it is worth chasing.

Why was my number refused or ignored?

The usual reasons: a digit wrong on the form, the name and number not matching what security expects, the same number already linked to another prisoner, you are connected to the case as a victim or witness, or the form simply never got processed. Most failures are paperwork, not policy.

Can they ring me while my number is waiting for approval?

No. Until the number is approved they cannot dial it at all. That is why the first days are so quiet. Letters and Email a Prisoner still get through both ways in the meantime.

How do we get it unstuck?

From inside: they put in an app asking for the status of the number, and resubmit with the number written clearly if there is any doubt. From outside: ring the prison and ask for the PIN phone clerk or the business hub, give the prisoner number, and ask if the application has been processed and whether anything is missing. Polite and specific works.