Why Your Mail to Dauphin County Prison Must Go to a Processing Center (And What Happens If It Doesn't)

Dauphin County Prison changed how personal mail works in May 2021. You no longer send letters directly to the jail. Instead, everything goes to an outside mail processing center, where it's scanned and delivered to your loved one on their tablet.

Personal letters must go through the processing center - not directly to the facility. Once your letter arrives at that outside address, staff scan it and deliver the content to your loved one's tablet. No physical paper gets handed over.

You can't hand mail directly to an inmate, even during a visit. All mail must go through the United States Postal Service to the inmate mail processing center. Plan on mailing everything the standard way.

Mail remains a protected way to stay connected. Dauphin County Prison confirms that inmates can send and receive mail, but the facility reserves the right to inspect all incoming mail for contraband. That screening is why following the proper process matters - mail has to meet facility rules before it's delivered.

Send personal mail directly to Dauphin County Prison instead of the processing center? It won't be forwarded. Personal mail sent straight to the facility gets returned to sender - which can mean days or weeks lost if you're trying to reach someone quickly.

Tips Families

• ✓ Send personal letters through the United States Postal Service to the inmate mail processing center (not directly to the facility)
• ✓ Don’t try to hand mail to an inmate during a visit - mail isn’t accepted that way
• ✓ Double-check that you’re using the correct processing-center address before you mail anything, so it doesn’t get returned

The public policy doesn't specify exactly how long scan-to-tablet delivery takes once your letter reaches the processing center. If timing matters, build in extra cushion and avoid last-minute mailings.