On remand
Waiting for trial or sentence
- They can wear their own clothes.
- You can send in enough clean clothes to keep them going, more than once.
- Not so much that their other clothes have to go into storage.
prisoncheckMoney & parcels · 4 min read
What can I send in?
Two things decide it: whether they are on remand or sentenced, and which prison they are in.
Who can have clothes sent in?
More allowed
Sentenced
Convicted
- They wear prison clothes, unless their prison lets them wear their own.
- One parcel of clothes after they are convicted, if the governor allows it.
- After that, only books, unless there is a good reason, like a health need. Some prisons allow more.
Most other things they buy themselves, from the prison shop and catalogues, with the money you send.
How to send moneyWhat the clothes can’t be
OfficialNo black
Black leggings are fine.
No hoods
No hoodies, and nothing else with a hood.
No teams or slogans
No sports teams, countries, or offensive words or designs.
Nothing padded or quilted
Such as a puffer jacket.
No face-covering hats
No peaked caps, and nothing like an officer’s cap.
These are the national rules. Some prisons add their own, such as no navy.
Item limits apply too. Everything they own has to fit in two property boxes, each 70 × 55 × 25 cm, plus half a box for food and toiletries.
How it gets there
Ask how their prison takes it
Some prisons take clothes by post. Some only take them handed in on a visit. The prison or its visitors’ centre will tell you which.
Name and number on it
Put their full name and prisoner number on the parcel. Keep a list of what you sent.
Staff check it first
Everything is opened and searched before they get it. What isn’t allowed is stored for them or sent back to you.
Books can always go in
On remand or sentenced. Post them, hand them in on a visit, or order them from a shop the prison approves. Staff check them first, so they can take a while to reach them.
What does their prison allow?
Each prison sets its own rules on top: post or visits, how many parcels, extra colours. Find their prison to see its rules and what families there say.
Search your prison
Type part of the name, the town, or a postcode.
Questions families ask
- If they are on remand, yes: enough clean clothes, more than once, and writing materials. If they are sentenced, usually only books, plus one parcel of clothes after conviction if the governor allows it. Each prison sets the details.
- No. The national rules ban clothes with a hood, black clothes (black leggings aside), anything padded or quilted, and sports teams, countries or offensive designs. Some prisons ban more colours, such as navy.
- Yes, whether they are on remand or sentenced. Post them, hand them in on a visit, or order them from a retailer the prison approves. Staff check every book first.
HMPPS: Incentives Policy Framework, re-issued 1 April 2025 · Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework, re-issued 16 June 2026. England and Wales. Last checked October 2026.