Mail, photos, messaging, and phone/call options for staying in touch.
SCI Phoenix records and may review audio and video from all non-attorney video visits. Attorney video visits are not recorded. For phone calls, inmate telephones can dial numbers in the North American Calling Plan. Calls to U.S. states can be placed as collect or pre-paid, while calls to Puerto Rico, Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other Caribbean islands may be handled differently. To get started with remote communication, set up an account with the facility's approved vendor and complete identity verification. Then request a video visit or phone access. The vendor forwards your request to SCI Phoenix, and facility staff decide whether to approve it and which time slots are available. Review the vendor's payment, credit, and refund policies before scheduling.
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
If you want to stay in touch with someone at SCI Phoenix, your main options are scheduled visits (including video) and phone calls. Here are the rules that tend to trip people up, plus the simplest way to plan ahead.
If your loved one is at SCI Phoenix, general mail doesn't go directly to the prison. Everything gets routed through Smart Communications for processing first. Small mistakes (wrong paper size, missing inmate number, bound pages) can delay or reject your mail.
Sending mail to someone at SCI Phoenix is straightforward—just use the correct address format and follow Smart Communications rules for letters and photos.
Yes. All video visits with non-attorneys are audio and video recorded and subject to review. Video visits with attorneys are not audio or video recorded.
Inmate telephones at SCI Phoenix can call numbers in the North American Calling Plan. Calls to U.S. states may be collect or pre-paid, while calls to Puerto Rico, Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other Caribbean islands may be handled differently.
Start by creating an account with the facility's approved vendor and completing identity verification (this may include uploading a photo ID). Then request to connect with the incarcerated person. The vendor forwards your request to SCI Phoenix, which controls approvals and scheduling, so expect a wait. If the vendor requires prepayment or credits, purchase those before you schedule.
Need to put money on someone's account at SCI Phoenix? Pennsylvania DOC directs families to use the Department's electronic money services. You can find current details under the "JPay Information" section on the DOC website.
Your first visit at SCI Phoenix starts online. Pennsylvania DOC uses the Inmate Visitation System (IVS) for scheduling both in-person and video visits. You'll verify your identity through Keystone Login before you can book anything.
Your first visit at SCI Phoenix is a lot easier once you understand the system Pennsylvania DOC uses. Here's the path: create your IVS account (through Keystone Login), confirm you're on your loved one's authorized visitor list, then schedule within the allowed time window.
