How to send messages, photos, and packages
Allegheny County Jail uses GTL for video visitation, available daily from 9 am to 9 pm (operations permitting). To visit, create a GTL account so you can be added to the incarcerated person's video contact list. Sessions last 30 minutes and cost $0.25 per minute. The incarcerated person can initiate visits, or you can schedule in advance through the vendor portal. Don't take screenshots or record video visits—any recording is strictly prohibited, and violations mean permanent loss of video visitation access. Having technical problems? The facility recommends installing Firefox and Adobe Flash, then using Firefox to access the visitation site. Separately, incarcerated individuals get free daily access to an eBook library on facility tablets.
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
Returned mail is frustrating — and usually preventable. Follow this checklist to format your envelope and contents correctly, so your letter actually reaches your loved one at Allegheny County Jail.
Mail getting returned? It's usually something small — the address isn't positioned correctly, there's extra writing on the envelope, or you've exceeded the page or photo limits. Follow these rules to get your letter through processing at Allegheny County Jail.
Video visitation is available daily from 9 am to 9 pm, subject to operational status.
Video visits are limited to 30 minutes and cost $0.25 per minute.
No. Screenshots and any recording are strictly forbidden, and violators permanently lose access to video visitation.
Install Firefox and Adobe Flash, then use Firefox to access the visitation website.
Address the envelope with the incarcerated person’s full name and ID/booking number, clearly written on the outside. Include a complete, legible return address with your full first and last name, and use plain white paper and a plain white envelope without staples, glue, or bindings.
Many Pennsylvania facilities send non-legal incoming mail through a contracted central processor that scans it and delivers it electronically to the institution. Since procedures can vary, check the facility’s mail guidance before sending anything time-sensitive or original.
Bringing kids to visit takes extra planning. Here's what Allegheny County Jail requires for who can accompany a child, what documents you'll need at check-in, and how to avoid getting turned away.
Want to visit more than one person at Allegheny County Jail? You can — but you'll need to make a phone call first to get added to multiple visiting lists.
Trying to figure out how many people can visit at once at Allegheny County Jail? You'll run into a problem right away: two different pages on the jail's website give two different answers. One page says a maximum of two visitors at a time. Another uses wording that points to a maximum of three. Confirm the current limit before you travel.
