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    Pennsylvania Department of Corrections

    Inmate Mail Rules and Guidelines

    Learn how to send mail, books, and other publications to incarcerated individuals in Pennsylvania.

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    Mail provides an important link to family and friends for those who are incarcerated. 

    This page covers how to send:

    For more information, read the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) policy on publications and inmate mail.

    General incoming correspondence (including photos)

    General correspondence includes letters, greeting cards, pictures, children's drawings, photos, and more. They must be sent to the DOC's third-party mail vendor Smart Communications at:

    Smart Communications/PA DOC 
    Inmate Name/Inmate Number 
    State Correctional Institution 
    PO Box 33028 
    St. Petersburg, Florida 33733

    All general incoming correspondence must:

    • Contain a full return address with first and last name of the sender
    • Include the full and correct inmate name and inmate number
    • Be printed on 8 ½ by 11 paper
    • Not be bound or open like a book

    Smart Communications will open and scan mail and photos into an electronic document that will be printed by the facility mailroom. The mailroom will then deliver mail to the inmate.

    Photos are limited to 25 per mailing. Photos can’t be returned. They can’t contain obscenity, explicit sexual material, or nudity. After 45 days, original photos will be securely destroyed.

    Publications and photo books

    Publications should be sent directly to the DOC’s Security Processing Center (SPC):

    Inmate Name, Inmate Number 
    268 Bricker Road 
    Bellefonte, PA 16823-1667

    The following materials are accepted:

    • ​New and donated books
    • Calendars (including customized)
    • Photo books
    • Magazines
    • Book catalogues
    • Printed religious literature*
    • Donated library books (with approval from facility librarian)
    • Books for staff
    • Correspondence course materials

    *Items from the Religious Articles Catalog must be ordered by inmates and shipped to the respective facility directly. Family members may not order religious items for inmates. 

    You may only send publications from original source vendors like publishers, bookstores, and online distributors. Do not send any publications directly. 

    Note that books and publications will be searched for contraband.

    Photo books must:

    • Have a soft cover
    • Be limited to 25 pages (excluding cover)
    • Not exceed 8x11 inches
    • Comply with DOC’s content criteria
    • Originate from a third-party vendor

    You may receive a tracking number from the shipping company you choose, such as the USPS, FedEx, or UPS. That tracking number will work on the shipper’s site until the package reaches the SPC. Once the item is delivered to the SPC, you can use our online tool to track your package until it reaches its final destination. 

    Official documents

    These include personal IDs, papers, or credentials that are issued by a government entity or financial institution such as:

    • Checks
    • Passbooks
    • Birth certificates
    • Social Security cards
    • Driver's licenses
    • Personal identification cards
    • Alien registration card/green cards
    • Welfare cards
    • Medical cards
    • School diplomas

    Official documents should be mailed directly to the inmate’s institution address using the format below.

    Attn: Business Office – Inmate name/inmate number 
    Institution 
    Address Line #1 
    City, State Zip Code

    Please note: Some facilities use a separate address for mail. Check the facility page for the address. If it has a separate mailing address, use that for all official and original documents.

    Original transactional documentation

    These are documents that the inmate needs to sign and return the original to the sender, such as transferring a vehicle title. 

    They must be mailed to an institution’s business office and identify the inmate by name and number. Use the following address format:

    ATTN: Business Officer – Inmate Name/ Inmate Number 
    Address Line 1  
    Address Line 2

    Please note: Some facilities use a separate address for mail. Check the facility page for the address. If it has a separate mailing address, use that for all official and original documents.

    The business office will coordinate a time for the inmate to review, sign the documents, and pay the postage to have the document mailed out of the facility. 

    Inmates may not keep original documentation sent through this process.

    Questions can be directed to a facility’s mailroom.

    Legal mail

    Legal mail, or privileged correspondence, is any mailing containing a DOC-issued attorney or court control number.

    Any attorney, court, or non-attorney/court entity wishing to send privileged correspondence must fill out a control number request form. 

    Numbers will only be issued to attorneys who represent inmates or to verified court/court entities. Attorneys not representing inmates or other organizations that do not meet the criteria of a verified court/court entity can use Smart Communications for all correspondence.

    All envelopes containing privileged correspondence must contain:

    • Full return address 
    • Addressed as follows:

    Inmate Name/Number
    Institution
    Institution Legal Mail Address

    • Attorney or court control number associated with the law office
    • Secondary authentication number/time code issued for that week (for attorneys only)

    The attorney control number, court control number, other control number, and/or secondary authentication number should only appear on the outside front of the envelope.

    Privileged correspondence may only contain documents that originated from the sending attorney/court. Third party original documentation is strictly prohibited in legal mail.

    Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the rejection of the correspondence and revocation of the associated attorney control number.

    Frequently asked questions

    Separate, secure processing ensures that drugs and other illegal items aren’t introduced into facilities.

    The Security Processing Center (SPC) in Bellefonte, Pa., receives publications and photo books. It operates five days a week. DOC security staff conduct thorough security screenings of all incoming materials. They are then sent to the mailroom at the prison where the inmate is located. From there, books and magazines are delivered to inmates. 

    Official documents and legal mail do not need to go through a processing facility. They can be sent directly to the institution where the inmate is housed.

    It can take 6-8 days for inmates to receive general correspondence through Smart Communications. 

    It can take the United States Postal Service 3-5 days to deliver the mail to Smart Communications. Smart Communications will process it within 24 hours. We try to deliver incoming inmate mail to the inmate within 48 hours of delivery to the prison.  

    Turnaround time excludes weekends, holidays, and mail that requires review or investigation  

    Items relating to parole—such as green sheets, home plans, and other time sensitive matters—are processed as quickly as possible. 

    Publications that are addressed correctly will reach the inmate within 2-3 weeks of delivery to the SPC.

    For general correspondence, you can register with Smart Communications to receive alerts.  

    Smart Communications is unable to process mail that is: 

    • Missing an inmate number 
    • Addressed to DOC staff members or JPAY 
    • Cash, personal check, or money order
    • Bound in the center or is in a format which prevents scanning 
    • Damaged by the United States Postal Services 
    • Privileged legal mail
    • An inmate personal package
    • Sent in bulk  

    Abbreviate Smart Communications to "Smart Comm," or remove the institution name from the address. 

    Smart Comm – John Smith/ AB1234  
    PO Box 33028  
    St. Petersburg, FL 33733  

    Inmates must use the Smart Communications address with their name and inmate number. 

    Smart Communications  
    Joe Jones/AB1234  
    SCI Camp Hill  
    PO Box 33028  
    St Petersburg FL 33733  

    All original mail will be retained for 45 days unless otherwise instructed by DOC. It cannot be returned to the sender. After 45 days, original mail will be destroyed.    

    All scanned mail is uploaded to a database. It is sent to inmate locations six days per week. When it reaches the facility, staff can approve, deny, or forward mail. Approved mail is printed and delivered to inmates. Smart Communications maintains electronic copies for 45 days.

    Smart Communications will forward all official documents to the facility.   

    Any general incoming correspondence included with an official document will be forwarded as well. The official document will be transferred to the business office by institution mailroom staff, and all other correspondence included will be destroyed. 

    An unacceptable correspondence form will be issued to the inmate. The inmate may mail the unacceptable correspondence out of the facility at their own expense. Otherwise, it will be destroyed.    

    Photocopies of official documents will be scanned, printed at the institution, and transferred to its business office.

    It will be processed through to the facility. Upon arriving at the facility mailroom, the mail will be denied and confiscated. 

    Inmates have 15 working days to appeal to the facility manager in writing, according to the DC-ADM 804 Inmate Grievance System policy. 

    If they do not wish to appeal, they can forward a cash slip with an addressed envelope to the mailroom within 15 working days to have the publication mailed to a friend or family member. Otherwise, the mail will be destroyed.  

    Reach out to the prison mailroom. Provide the following information in your email: 

    • Exact address the mail was sent to 
    • Return address listed on the envelope 
    • Inmate’s full name and inmate number 
    • Mail carrier who delivered the mail 
    • Whether the mail contained photos 
    • Whether the mail contained publications or materials which open like a book  

    Reach out to the prison mailroom. Provide the following information in your email: 

    • Name of the company/organization where the publication was ordered from 
    • Full address the books were sent to 
    • Name and inmate number of the inmate the books were sent to 
    • Total number of missing publications 
    • Name of the mail carrier who delivered your order 
    • Tracking numbers assigned to your order by the mail carrier  

    *DOC can't verify a missing publication claim without a mail carrier tracking number.

    Reach out to the facility's mailroom. Provide the following information in your email:

    • Exact address the mail was sent to 
    • Return address listed on the envelope 
    • Inmate's full name and inmate number 
    • Mail carrier who delivered the mail  

    Yes, but they are limited to 25 photos per mailing. Due to the way outside vendors print addresses, DOC recommends the following address format:     

    Inmate Name, Inmate Number  
    PO Box 33028  
    St Petersburg, Florida 33733 

    The inmate has 15 working days to appeal to the facility manager in writing, according to the DC-ADM 804 Inmate Grievance System policy. 

    If they do not wish to appeal, they can forward a cash slip with an addressed envelope to the mailroom within 15 working days to have the publication mailed to a friend or family member. Otherwise, it will be destroyed. 

    Inmates may order through catalogs and brochures sent to the prison by publication companies. They must use the SPC as the shipping address. Inmates with tablets may order eBooks.

    Inmates are not limited to the number of books they may purchase and/or receive, but there are limits to the amount of property they may own at one time. 

    An inmate can order any book, but it is subject to content review by the Incoming Publication Review Committee. Content may not violate DC-ADM 803 Inmate Mail and Incoming Publications.   

    It will be returned to the sender.  

    Yes. Photo collages within photo books will be counted as 1 photo toward the 25-page maximum.

    They will be transferred to the business office and held on file for the inmate. Department staff will notify the inmate and his/her counselor.

    Any general incoming correspondence included with an official document will be destroyed.  

    Yes. Photocopies of official documents may be sent to the institution business office or Smart Communications.

    The DOC issues control numbers to attorneys who represent an inmate, as well as court and select non-attorney/court entities. Complete the Control Number Request Form to receive one. Each request must be associated with a single physical address and email address.  

    Attorney control number holders will receive a secondary authentication number by email each Saturday at 10 p.m. It is valid for the following week.  

    Direct questions to the Office of Chief Counsel at 717-728-2573 or by email: 

    Inmates write to the Board of Pardons and pay the fee for an application for commutation.  The application will be mailed to Smart Communications for normal processing.