Parcels

What this actually means

A parcel is not a care package. Most prisons run on catalogues. Sending the wrong thing creates work for staff and a delay for them.

Books are the exception. Use an approved retailer or send a book directly, with their name and number on the parcel.

If they have just arrived, clothing rules are slightly more open — and still prison-specific. Ask before you post.

Gifts, clothes and books

• Most everyday items have to be bought by the prisoner from approved catalogues — not posted in.
• Books can be sent directly, or ordered from approved retailers.
• A clothing parcel is sometimes allowed for people on remand or newly convicted. Rules are local and tight.
• Everything is opened and checked. Unapproved items are returned or stored.