Mailing to Someone at SCI Laurel Highlands: Why Mail Goes to St. Petersburg, Photo Rules, and Where to Send Books

Personal mail for people incarcerated at SCI Laurel Highlands doesn't go straight to the prison. Letters, cards, photos, and similar items must be mailed to the Pennsylvania DOC's mail vendor, Smart Communications, at this address: Smart Communications/PA DOC Inmate Name/Inmate Number SCI Laurel Highlands P.O. Box 33028 St. Petersburg, FL 33733 Include the person's full name and inmate number exactly as DOC has it on file. If these don't match, the mail can't be delivered.

Smart Communications has formatting rules that can get your mail rejected or delayed. Your envelope needs a full return address with your first and last name. Correspondence must be printed on 8.5 x 11 paper and cannot be bound or assembled like a book.

Photo Rules

• ✓ Keep it to 25 photos or fewer per mailing.
• ✓ Do not send photos that contain obscenity, explicit sexual material, or nudity.

Books, magazines, and photo books follow a different path than letters and photos. Send publications to the DOC Security Processing Center (SPC), and include the inmate's name and number: Inmate Name, Inmate Number 268 Bricker Road Bellefonte, PA 16823-1667

• ✓ Photo books must be soft cover, limited to 25 pages (excluding the cover), and no larger than 8 x 11 inches.
• ✓ Publications must come from original source vendors (publishers, bookstores, online distributors). Do not send publications directly from an individual.

Need to send original, official paperwork like IDs, checks, birth certificates, Social Security cards, or diplomas? Don't route these through Smart Communications. Mail official documents directly to the institution's Business Office using this format: Attn: Business Office – Inmate name/inmate number Institution Address Line #1 City, State Zip Code Some facilities use a separate address for mail, so double-check you're using the correct institution address before sending anything you can't easily replace.

1. Write the return address clearly (with your first and last name). Mail without a complete return address can get held up.
2. Use 8.5 x 11 paper for correspondence and keep pages loose. Do not bind it or assemble it like a book.
3. Count your photos before you seal the envelope. The limit is 25 photos per mailing.
4. Only send photos you can afford to lose. Original photos cannot be returned and will be securely destroyed after 45 days.