SCI Albion

All contact and video visits at SCI Albion must be scheduled through the PA DOC Inmate Visitation System (IVS). You'll create a Keystone account to verify your identity—stick with one IVS/Keystone account to avoid approval or scheduling headaches. You can only add an inmate in IVS if you're already on their authorized visitors list, and children need a DC‑313 form on file before visiting. IVS says visits must be scheduled at least 3 days in advance and no more than 60 days out, though PA.gov mentions 2 days—check IVS and facility notices if you see conflicting info. Video visits run 45 minutes; contact visits are at least one hour, with monthly limits and attendance caps. Non‑attorney video visits are recorded and monitored, and sharing recordings is prohibited. Expect metal-detector screening, possible vehicle searches, and no on‑grounds waiting area. Lock your car.

SCI Albion uses the PA DOC Zoom system for video visits. After scheduling, you'll get a Video Call URL in IVS plus an automated confirmation email with the meeting ID and password. Click the URL or open Zoom and enter the credentials manually—either works. Log in just a few minutes before your scheduled time. The facility also uses PA DOC‑approved tablets, but only inmates can order them through commissary. Family and friends fund purchases through JPay. These tablets don't include Wi‑Fi or a camera by default, and here's the catch: they have a 30‑day mortality timer. If the tablet isn't synced to a prison kiosk at least every 30 days, it locks. For tablet support, call ViaPath Technologies at 877-650-4249.

SCI Albion routes all non-privileged incoming mail through Smart Communications. Send letters and photos to their P.O. Box in St. Petersburg, Florida. Include the inmate's full name and number, plus a complete return address (per DC-ADM 803). Photos are allowed—up to 25 per mailing—but nothing obscene, sexually explicit, or containing nudity. Photos can't be returned, and originals are destroyed after 45 days. Books and magazines work differently: friends and family can't mail them directly. Publications must be ordered from original-source vendors (publishers, bookstores, online distributors) and routed to the Security Processing Center (SPC) in Bellefonte. Privileged/legal mail follows a separate process with specific envelope requirements. Documents needing a signature should go to the institution's business office.

Incarcerated people at SCI Albion can use PA DOC‑approved tablets, but they must order the device through commissary—family members can't buy or bring one in. Want to help with costs? Fund tablet balances through JPay. These tablets don't include Wi‑Fi or cameras by default, so services are limited. There's also a 30‑day mortality timer: the tablet must sync at a facility kiosk to stay active. Miss that window and access lapses, even with money in the account. For tablets or other inmate accounts, use approved deposit options like online/phone payment services, lobby kiosks where available, or mailed money orders. Always include the inmate's name and facility ID. Funds go to specific accounts—commissary/trust, phone/prepaid, or tablet balances.