Can they come home from an open prison?

Sometimes overnight, on resettlement overnight release, after a risk check and usually some successful days out first. It is not automatic. Child safety comes first. The prison sets nights, times, and the address.

Is overnight release the same as a visit?

No. A visit is in the prison. Overnight release is at the approved home address: dinner, bedtime, morning, then they return. That is why it feels so different.

Often calmer, and sometimes longer. You still need to be on the list, book, and bring ID. Dress rules are a different Official list in open, but staff can still say no. Check that prison.

Do phones and money change?

No. They still call you on an approved PIN. You still send money on GOV.UK. Moving to open does not mean a personal phone.

Can they be sent back to closed?

Yes. Fail a test, come back late, abscond, or break a licence condition and they can lose open conditions.

prisoncheckOpen prisons · 5 min read

What is an open prison?

You may get more than a visit. In open, they can be allowed out for work or family time — even a night at home. It is still a prison. They can be sent back.

The bit families often miss

They may be able to stay the night

Not a longer visit. Resettlement overnight release can mean dinner, bedtime, waking up at home — then back to the prison.

Having dinner with the children
Putting them to bed
Waking up in the family home
An ordinary morning. Then they go back.

Not a right. The address has to be approved. Child safety comes first. They usually need successful day release first. The prison sets how often, and how many nights.

OfficialHMPPS · ROTL policy. Last checked September 2026.

The difference you feel

Closed · often Cat C

You go to them.

A visit room. Calls. Messages. That is most of family life.

Open · Cat D for men

They may come to you.

Work outside. Ordinary hours at home. Sometimes a night. Then back.

Family life, closed vs open

For men this is often Category C, then Category D. Women and young adults are open or closed — same idea, different labels.

Seeing them

Closed · often Cat C: Mostly a prison visit.
Open · Cat D for men: Visits, plus time together outside if ROTL is approved.

Family days

Closed · often Cat C: Some prisons run them.
Open · Cat D for men: Often more of the point. Still local.

Going home

Closed · often Cat C: Rare. Only specific temporary release.
Open · Cat D for men: Overnight release can be possible, at an approved address.

Family life

Closed · often Cat C: Calls, visits, messages.
Open · Cat D for men: Meals, bedtime, the school run. Ordinary days, then back.

Work

Closed · often Cat C: Mostly inside the prison.
Open · Cat D for men: They may work in the community, on licence.

Phone

Closed · often Cat C: Prison phones. Approved numbers only.
Open · Cat D for men: Same system. Open does not mean a personal mobile.

Visits

Closed · often Cat C: Booked slots. Search and dress rules.
Open · Cat D for men: Still booked. They do not disappear. Often calmer.

Your travel

Closed · often Cat C: You go to the prison every time.
Open · Cat D for men: If they get ROTL near home, you may travel less.

What it is for

Closed · often Cat C: Getting through the sentence.
Open · Cat D for men: Practising life outside. That is the job of open.

If it goes wrong

Closed · often Cat C: They stay in closed conditions.
Open · Cat D for men: Late, a failed test, or walking off: they can be sent back.

How family contact changes between closed and open prisons in England and Wales
	ClosedOften Cat C	OpenCat D for men
Seeing them	Mostly a prison visit.	Visits, plus time together outside if ROTL is approved.
Family days	Some prisons run them.	Often more of the point. Still local.
Going home	Rare. Only specific temporary release.	Overnight release can be possible, at an approved address.
Family life	Calls, visits, messages.	Meals, bedtime, the school run. Ordinary days, then back.
Work	Mostly inside the prison.	They may work in the community, on licence.
Phone	Prison phones. Approved numbers only.	Same system. Open does not mean a personal mobile.
Visits	Booked slots. Search and dress rules.	Still booked. They do not disappear. Often calmer.
Your travel	You go to the prison every time.	If they get ROTL near home, you may travel less.
What it is for	Getting through the sentence.	Practising life outside. That is the job of open.
If it goes wrong	They stay in closed conditions.	Late, a failed test, or walking off: they can be sent back.

Local rules win. Staff can still refuse a visit or a night at home on the day.

Who you may meet

Not every open prison has the same charities on site. These are the usual faces.

Prison staff
Run the day. Searches, rooms, and whether someone stays in open.
Probation
Risk, the home address, and whether overnight release is safe.
Healthcare
NHS in the prison. Same idea as closed: ask, wait, get seen.
Education and work
College or a job provider on site, or an employer outside on ROTL.
Family services
PACT or a similar charity at some prisons. Visits and the first weeks out.
Independent Monitoring Board
Volunteers who watch how the prison is run. You can write to them.

If you need a person

Prisoners’ Families Helpline: 0808 808 2003. Free. For families. prisoncheck is for orientation, not emergencies.

Prisoners’ Families Helpline

Questions families ask

Sometimes overnight, on resettlement overnight release, after a risk check and usually some successful days out first. It is not automatic. Child safety comes first. The prison sets nights, times, and the address.
No. A visit is in the prison. Overnight release is at the approved home address: dinner, bedtime, morning, then they return. That is why it feels so different.
Often calmer, and sometimes longer. You still need to be on the list, book, and bring ID. Dress rules are a different Official list in open, but staff can still say no. Check that prison.
No. They still call you on an approved PIN. You still send money on GOV.UK. Moving to open does not mean a personal phone.
Yes. Fail a test, come back late, abscond, or break a licence condition and they can lose open conditions.

We list 14 open prisons in England and Wales. Phone, visits and overnight release are local.

See open prisons

What next

Guide · 6 minHow do visits actually work?Visitor lists, booking windows, ID, dress codes, video calls, and what to expect when you arrive.Guide · 2 minWhen do they get out?England and Wales. Ordinary SDS is still 40% until that sentence length moves. Then 33%, unless excluded. Open the calculator for both dates.ToolFind their prisonPhone, visits and money are local.