How to Send Mail, Photos, Books, and Publications to Someone at SCI Pine Grove
Mail for Pennsylvania state prisons runs on two separate tracks: everyday letters and photos go through a central mail processor, while books and magazines get routed to a different processing center. Getting the right address and format makes all the difference for smooth delivery.
General mail doesn't go directly to SCI Pine Grove. Instead, the Pennsylvania DOC routes all incoming correspondence (including photos) through Smart Communications, a contracted mail processor. They receive the envelope, open it, and scan the contents. Once scanned, your mail becomes an electronic document. The facility mailroom prints it out and delivers it to your loved one. Publications like books and magazines follow a completely different path (they go to the DOC Security Processing Center), and certain official originals are handled separately through the institution business office.
General Letters Photos
- ✓ Include a full return address, with your first and last name
- ✓ Address it with the inmate’s full, correct name and inmate number
- ✓ Print your correspondence on 8½×11 paper
- ✓ Do not send correspondence that is bound or that opens like a book
Send general letters and photos to Smart Communications, not directly to SCI Pine Grove. Use this address: Smart Communications/PA DOC Inmate Name/Inmate Number SCI Pine Grove P.O. Box 33028 St. Petersburg, FL 33733 Smart Communications opens and scans everything. The facility mailroom then prints the scanned pages and delivers them to the inmate.
- ✓ Limit photos to 25 per mailing
- ✓ Do not send photos that contain obscenity, explicit sexual material, or nudity
- ✓ Photos cannot be returned to you
- ✓ Original photos are securely destroyed after 45 days
Books, magazines, calendars, and photo books count as "publications," and they do not go to Smart Communications. Instead, send them to the Pennsylvania DOC Security Processing Center (SPC) in Bellefonte. Use this address: Inmate Name, Inmate Number 268 Bricker Road Bellefonte, PA 16823-1667 One key rule: publications must come from original-source vendors (publishers, bookstores, or online distributors). You cannot mail books or magazines directly from home as a family member or friend.
- ✓ Photo books must be soft cover
- ✓ Photo books must be limited to 25 pages (excluding the cover)
- ✓ Photo books must not exceed 8×11 inches
- ✓ The SPC accepts publication types such as new and donated books, calendars (including customized), photo books, magazines, book catalogs, printed religious literature, and donated library books (with approval from the facility librarian)
- Double-check the name, inmate number, and your return address. Missing or incorrect information can stop delivery.
- Keep general correspondence flat and letter-style. Anything bound or that opens like a book can be rejected.
- Count your photos before you seal the envelope. More than 25 photos in one mailing is over the limit.
- Order books and magazines from an original-source vendor. Family and friends should not mail publications directly.
- Stick to photo book specs. Photo books must be soft cover, 25 pages or fewer (not counting the cover), and no larger than 8×11 inches.
Heads up: Sending items to the wrong address (letters to the prison instead of Smart Communications, or books to Smart Communications instead of the SPC) can cause serious delays or prevent delivery entirely.
If you need to send official original documents (like IDs, checks, or diplomas), mail them directly to SCI Pine Grove's business office: Attn: Business Office – Inmate name/inmate number Institution Address Line #1 City, State Zip Code
If something you sent through Smart Communications doesn't seem to arrive, contact the facility mailroom and ask about delivery status after scanning and printing. Still no resolution? You can escalate through the Pennsylvania DOC channels that handle inmate mail processing.
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