Buckley Hall Prison
Buckley Hall is a men’s prison in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
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Visiting Buckley Hall
To visit someone in Buckley Hall you must:
- be on that person’s visitor list
- book your visit up to 4 weeks in advance
- have the required ID with you when you go
Prisoners can have up to 5 visitors at a time, including a maximum of 3 adults (over 18). At least one of the visitors must be an adult.
There is a limit to the number of visits a prisoner can have. You can check this with Buckley Hall.
Contact Buckley Hall if you have any questions about visiting.
Help with the cost of your visit
If you get certain benefits or have an NHS health certificate, you might be able to get help with the costs of your visit, including:
- travel to Buckley Hall
- somewhere to stay overnight
- meals
How to book family and friends visits
You can book your visit online.
You can book your visit by telephone.
Booking line: 01706 514 350
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9:30am to 11:30am and 1pm to 3:45pm
Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30am to 11:30am
Find out about call charges
Or email: [email protected]
Visiting times:
- Monday to Thursday: 2pm to 4pm
- Friday: no visits
- Saturday and Sunday: 9:30am to 11:30am and 2pm to 4:30pm
How to book legal and professional visits
Book a legal visit by telephone or email.
Email: [email protected]
Booking line: 01706 514 350
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9:30am to 11:30am and 1pm to 4pm
Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30am to 11:30am
Find out about call charges
Visiting times are Monday to Thursday, 2pm to 4pm.
Getting to Buckley Hall
Buckley Hall is about 3 miles from Rochdale town centre and Rochdale train & Metrolink stations With accessible links to Manchester. It is also served by several local buses.
To plan your journey by public transport:
There is a free visitors car park, including spaces for Blue Badge holders.
Entering Buckley Hall
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
- All visitors including children will be subject to a rub-down search
- You may also be subject to a further search by Prison staff with trained security dogs
- Buckley Hall has a strict dress code policy which means visitors should dress sensibly. You may be turned away if you are wearing items like vests, low-cut tops, short skirts or clothes with offensive statements on them
- There are strict controls on what you can take into Buckley Hall. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in a locker in the visitors’ centre or in your car - this includes pushchairs and car seats
- Upon arrival, signs and notices are displayed to ensure you have a positive visit. Any failure to follow the published guidance could result in your visit being halted or cancelled with restrictions placed on you visiting the establishment in the future. Relevant requests and instructions are clearly displayed to inform you of all the necessary processes required
- Call the booking line if you have any questions about visiting
Visiting facilities
Buckley Hall has a visitors centre run by Partners of Prisoners (POPS). Family and friends of prisoners can relax, buy refreshments and get advice and support from the staff.
The centre opens an hour before the first visit of the day.
There is a canteen and a children’s play area in the visiting hall.
Family days
Buckley Hall run 10 family visits a year. Details on how these visits by contacting: [email protected].
Keep in touch with someone at Buckley Hall
There are several ways you can keep in touch with a prisoner during their time at Buckley Hall.
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.
Phone calls
Prisoners do not have phones in their cells so they will always have to call you. They have to buy phone credits to do this.
They can phone anyone named on their list of friends and family. This list is checked by security when they first arrive so it may take a few days before they are able to call.
Prisoners can make calls during set hours:
- Monday to Friday, 8am to 8:30am, 11:30am to 12:30pm, 5pm to 7pm
- Weekends, 8am to 5:15pm
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.
You can send emails to someone in Buckley Hall using the Email a Prisoner service.
You might also be able to attach photos and receive replies, depending on the rules at Buckley Hall.
Letters
You can write at any time.
Include the person’s name and prisoner number on the envelope.
If you do not know their prisoner number, contact Buckley Hall.
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
People in Buckley Hall are given a list of approved items that can be sent to them as gifts. Contact Buckley Hall for more information on what’s allowed.
Parcels should be addressed to reception. Make sure to include the person’s name and prisoner number on the parcel.
All parcels will be opened and checked by officers.
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 Buckley Hall
Buckley Hall is committed to providing a safe and educational environment where men can learn new skills to help them on release.
Security and safeguarding
Every prisoner at Buckley Hall has a right to feel safe. The staff 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
When a prisoner first arrives at Buckley Hall, they will be able to contact a family member by phone. This could be quite late in the evening, depending on the time they arrive.
They will get to speak to someone who will check how they’re feeling and ask about any immediate health and wellbeing needs.
Induction
Each prisoner who arrives at Buckley Hall 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
Around 450 prisoners are at Buckley Hall across 4 units. There is a mixture of single and shared cells. Each unit has its own communal area and public telephones. Prisoners can rent TVs in their cells for £1 a week.
Prisoners have access to a gym, sports hall, fitness classes and sports-related courses and education.
Buckley Hall has a diverse, multi-faith chaplaincy team providing services and support to prisoners.
Education and work
Education at Buckley Hall is provided by Novus. Prisoners can learn important skills, such as English and maths, ICT, art, creative textiles and train in a variety of professions including shop fitting, property maintenance, industrial cleaning, plastering, bricklaying, carpentry and catering.
Work is also available in 3 prison-run workshops that:
- recycle electrical equipment
- repackage fashion goods for a high street retailer
- manufacture prison work wear.
Temporary release
Some Buckley Hall prisoners may qualify for release on temporary licence. This can be used to gain work experience in the local community and prepare for release. Prisoners can apply for this within the prison.
Support for family and friends
Find out about advice and helplines for family and friends.
To contact our head of family provision at Buckley Hall please speak to the Head of Reducing Reoffending on 01706 514300
Concerns, problems and complaints
In an emergency
Call 01706 514 300 if you think a prisoner is at immediate risk of harm. Ask for the Orderly Officer and explain that your concern is an emergency.
| Contact category | Phone number | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| Non-emergency | 01706 514 304 | Call this number if you have concerns about a prisoner’s safety or wellbeing which are serious but not life-threatening or complete a safer custody contact form on the Prisoners’ Families Helpline website. |
| Staff Integrity Hotline | 0800 917 6877 (24 hours answering machine) |
This number can be called anonymously. If you are concerned about a prisoner being bullied by a member of staff, you can use this number. As this line is managed separately from the prison, you can call this number anonymously. |
| Prisoners’ Families Helpline | 0808 808 2003 | The Prisoners’ Families Helpline can provide confidential support, advice and guidance. |
| Unwanted Prisoner Contact | 0300 060 6699 | If a prisoner is contacting you and you want them to stop, you can use the Unwanted Prisoner Contact Service. You can complete the Stop prisoner contact online form, email [email protected] or contact by phone. |
Problems and complaints
If you have any other problem contact Buckley Hall.
Inspection reports
HM Prison and Probation Service publishes action plans for Buckley Hall in response to independent inspections.
Contact Buckley Hall
Governor: David McGurrell
Telephone (24 hours): 01706 514 300
Fax: 01706 514 399
Find out about call charges
Address
HMP Buckley Hall
Buckley Hall Road
Rochdale
Lancashire
OL12 9DP
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Updates to this page
Published 21 April 2020Last updated 1 April 2022 + show all updates
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Updated visiting guidance based on 1 April COVID rule changes
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Added link to new safer custody information under Security and safeguarding.
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Updated visiting information: Testing for visitors aged 12 and over.
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Updated rules for sending in money and gifts.
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Added link to information about testing for physical contact.
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New visiting times and booking information added.
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Additional guidance about new COVID-19 variant in the Bolton and Blackburn areas.
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Prison moved into National Stage 3 framework and is now preparing to open visits for family, friends and significant others. We will update this page with specific visiting information as soon as possible.
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Updated visit info
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Updated visiting information in line with new local restriction tiers.
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Updated visiting information in line with new local restriction tiers.
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Updated: Buckely Hall prison visiting information in line with coronavirus restrictions.
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Updated information about secure video calling at this prison.
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First published.