What Families Need to Know Before Sentencing

How the day actually unfolds

Sentencing is a single hearing, and if custody is passed the person is taken almost immediately to the cells behind the court. There is no handover pause in which you can say goodbye at length — the practical goodbye, and the practical preparation, happen in the weeks before the hearing.

The hours after sentence

In the cells, property is checked, a Person Escort Record (PER) is completed, and transfer is arranged with the escort contractor. The PER carries any warning markers, including risk of self-harm, and it is the single most important document in the first 24 hours. Timing is driven by the court list, so a wait of several hours before transfer is normal.

Preparing in the final weeks

• —Gather a current repeat prescription list or printed summary care record, and the GP practice details.
• —Write down approved contact numbers for the PIN telephone list.
• —Delegate the outside world: bank mandates, employer letters, rent or mortgage arrangements, and who manages what while the person is inside.
• —Say what needs saying. The final weeks are the time for it, not the cells beneath the court.

What the family should do on the day

• —Wait for the reception call; it confirms the establishment before you start telephoning.
• —Use gov.uk 'Find a prisoner' if no call comes within 24 hours.
• —Do not travel to the prison — visits are booked online in advance and are not possible on arrival.
• —Write to the establishment as soon as the prison number is known; post is the fastest contact to open.

Where we come in

Our Pre-Sentence Custody Orientation exists exactly for this window: removing the terror of the unknown, preparing the first night, and putting the outside world in order before the hearing. The first conversation is confidential, free of charge and carries no obligation. We are not solicitors — legal representation remains with your solicitor.