The MoJ funds up to 60 minutes a month of free video calls at prisons using Purple Visits. What's free, where calls are paid for, how refunds work and how it compares with travelling.
At prisons in England and Wales using Purple Visits, the Ministry of Justice funds up to 60 minutes a month of free video calls (usually two 30-minute calls, or one 60-minute call at some sites), subject to availability – saving the person in prison their PIN phone credit, and saving you the journey to see their face. Families are never charged for calls at these prisons. Families with someone at La Moye (Jersey) or Isle of Man Prison pay per call instead, with no monthly limit, and the price is shown in the app before you book.
The app is free to download. Creating an account and verifying your ID costs nothing. You only ever pay for calls at La Moye or Isle of Man.
The free minutes come from a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) policy on secure video calling. Each prison Governor decides how the free allowance works at their establishment, and slots depend on what’s available. Your free allowance resets on the 1st of each month. Unused minutes don’t carry over.
For the full picture, read Free video calls explained.
Three exceptions. La Moye Prison in Jersey and Isle of Man Prison are outside the MoJ scheme: there is no free allowance, families pay per call, and there is no monthly limit. At Rampton Hospital calls are funded by the NHS, so there is no charge to families.
You can’t buy extra calls at prisons in England and Wales – families are never charged there. Some prisons offer extra calls at their own discretion, subject to availability; if yours does, they simply appear as bookable slots in the app. Otherwise you can book again when the allowance resets on the 1st.
At La Moye Prison (Jersey) and Isle of Man Prison there is no funded allowance. Families pay for each call, and there is no limit on how many you can book.
Note: The person in prison doesn’t pay for video calls. Everything is handled through your Purple Visits account.
Yes. Up to 4 people can be on a call, including you. You’ll need to add each person as an additional participant first. Read Adding additional participants for how this works and what ID they need.
Life happens. If you need to cancel, the timing matters.
The full rules are in Cancelling or rescheduling your video call.
Tip: If you can’t make a call, cancel it in the app as soon as you know. Even a few hours’ notice lets another family use the slot.
Video calls don’t replace visiting in person. Seeing someone face to face matters, and nothing on a screen changes that. But many families live a long way from the prison, and the cost of a single visit adds up fast: train or petrol, parking, food, childcare and often a day off work.
A video call costs nothing for your first calls each month, and you can do it from your sofa. Many families use video calls between in-person visits, so the time between seeing each other is shorter.
If travel costs are stopping you from visiting in person, you may be able to get help. The government’s Help with Prison Visits scheme pays travel costs for eligible visitors on certain benefits. We cover this and other options in Too far to visit? Your options.
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Downloading the app | Free |
| Creating an account and verifying ID | Free |
| Free minutes each month | Up to 60, funded by the MoJ, at prisons in England and Wales, subject to availability |
| Extra calls | Never charged at prisons in England and Wales; some prisons offer extra calls at their discretion |
| La Moye and Isle of Man | Paid per call, no monthly limit; price shown in the app |
| Rampton Hospital | Funded by the NHS, no limit |
| Cancelling with 48+ hours’ notice | Funded call restored; paid call refunded |
Is Purple Visits free? The app, your account and your MoJ-funded monthly minutes are free. You only pay for calls at La Moye or Isle of Man, where there is no funded allowance.
Why do I have fewer free calls than someone at a different prison? Each Governor decides how the free allowance works at their establishment, within MoJ policy. Some prisons offer two 30-minute calls, others one 60-minute call. Check your loved one’s page on the establishments list.
Does the person in prison pay anything? No. Video calls are booked and paid for (if there’s a charge) through your Purple Visits account.
If something about a charge doesn’t look right, email [email protected] or use the contact form. We usually reply within one working day. Live chat is usually answered within a few minutes during business hours.
Ready to get started? Download the Purple Visits app – it takes about 15 minutes to register.