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How to mail an inmate in Pennsylvania

To write to someone in Pennsylvania state custody, address the envelope to the inmate's full committed name and inmate number, then Smart Communications/PA DOC, [facility name], PO Box 33028, St. Petersburg, FL 33733. All personal mail is handled at this central address — not the prison itself. Run by Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.

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The mailing address

[Inmate's full committed name]  [inmate number]
Smart Communications/PA DOC
[Facility name]
PO Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL  33733

Replace the bracketed lines with the person's details and their facility (pick it below for the exact wording).

How Pennsylvania inmate mail works

  • All general personal mail for Pennsylvania state inmates goes to the Smart Communications processing center in Florida — not to the prison. Letters sent to the institution’s own street address are returned.
  • The envelope must show the inmate’s full committed name and inmate number and the correct facility name, plus your full first and last name and return address. Mail missing the inmate number or name is returned.
  • Incoming mail is opened, scanned, and the inmate receives a photocopy — not your original. Originals are held about 45 days and then destroyed; they are never returned to you.
  • Keep it to standard letter-size paper (8.5" x 11" or smaller). Do not send anything bound like a book — bound items are rejected.
  • Because it is scanned, avoid anything that will not photocopy or that reads as contraband: no crayon or marker, no perfume, lipstick, stickers, glitter, tape, or stains.

What you can't send

  • Cash, checks, money orders, gift cards, or postage stamps
  • Bound materials or anything that opens like a book
  • Nude, sexually explicit, or obscene photos
  • Stickers, glitter, glue, tape, crayon, marker, perfume, or lipstick
  • Any physical object other than paper (no polaroids, laminated items, or enclosures)

Photos: Up to 25 photos per envelope. They are scanned and not returned, and cannot be nude, sexually explicit, or obscene.

Books & magazines: Books and magazines cannot be sent as personal mail. Publications must come directly from an approved publisher or vendor under the DOC’s incoming-publications policy (DC-ADM 803).

All 31 Pennsylvania facilities

Common questions

What is the mailing address for an inmate in Pennsylvania?

Address the envelope to the inmate's full committed name and inmate number, then Smart Communications/PA DOC, [facility name], PO Box 33028, St. Petersburg, FL 33733. All personal mail is processed at this central address, not the prison.

Is inmate mail in Pennsylvania opened or scanned?

Yes. Under the Pennsylvania DOC's rules, incoming personal mail is opened and scanned, and the inmate receives a copy rather than your original.

What can't I send to a Pennsylvania inmate?

Do not send: Cash, checks, money orders, gift cards, or postage stamps; Bound materials or anything that opens like a book; Nude, sexually explicit, or obscene photos; Stickers, glitter, glue, tape, crayon, marker, perfume, or lipstick; Any physical object other than paper (no polaroids, laminated items, or enclosures). Prohibited items get the letter rejected.

How do I find which facility someone is in?

Use the Pennsylvania DOC's official inmate locator, then open that facility's page below for the exact addressing. People are transferred without notice, so confirm before mailing anything important.

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