Mail, photos, and publications: addresses, format rules, and photo limits
For people in the Pennsylvania DOC, general mail doesn't go directly to the prison. It must be sent to Smart Communications (the DOC's third-party mail vendor) at P.O. Box 33028, St. Petersburg, Florida 33733. Include a full return address plus the inmate's full name and inmate number. Format matters too: general correspondence must be printed on 8.5 by 11 paper and cannot be bound or opened like a book.
- ✓ Address it to: Smart Communications/PA DOC, Inmate Name/Inmate Number, State Correctional Institution, P.O. Box 33028, St. Petersburg, FL 33733
- ✓ Include your full return address (first and last name)
- ✓ Put the inmate’s full, correct name and inmate number on the address
- ✓ Print the letter/card on 8.5 by 11 paper (do not send it bound like a book)
- ✓ If you include photos, stay within the limit of 25 photos per mailing
- ✓ Do not send photos you need back, photos cannot be returned
Books, magazines, and other publications follow different rules than letters. Pennsylvania DOC requires publications and photo books be sent to the Security Processing Center (SPC) at 268 Bricker Road, Bellefonte, PA 16823-1667. County jails set their own mailing procedures, and some no longer accept personal mail at the jail's street address. Erie County Prison, for example, no longer accepts personal mail delivered to its Ash Street address. Check their mailing policy for current instructions.
Common Questions
Q
Where do I mail letters, photos, or cards for someone in the Pennsylvania DOC?
Pennsylvania DOC states general correspondence must be mailed to its central processing vendor, Smart Communications, at P.O. Box 33028, St. Petersburg, Florida 33733 (addressed with the inmate’s name and number). Publications are handled differently, so use the DOC’s publications rules when you are sending books or magazines.
Q
How many photos can I send and will they be returned?
Pennsylvania DOC limits photos to 25 per mailing, and photos cannot be returned. The DOC also restricts content (for example, no obscenity, explicit sexual material, or nudity).
Q
Do Pennsylvania facilities use different vendors or systems than federal (BOP) facilities?
Yes. Federal facilities are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the BOP uses the Trust Fund Network (TRUNET) to manage inmate funds and commissary operations, which BOP documents state is not connected to the internet. That is separate from the tools you might see listed by Pennsylvania DOC or county jails.
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