Pennsylvania uses the Connect Network the email program.
It cost 25 cents for 1 credit which equals 2000 characters which is really short! The person on the inside can access it through a kiosk or tablet. They have to purchase a tablet for about $150 bucks but can download messages and respond with more time from their room.
The program crashes a lot so its good to write your email in another program then cut and paste it in the connect network platform.
When you are adding a person in a PA institution look for PA DOC or PA Department of Corrections. PA prisons aren’t listed by individual institution like the prompt asks for.
It is also recommended that if you use the phone app for connect network it works better. It is said it doesn’t crash as much or delete your emails.
Snail Mail
All snail mail in PA gets processed through a Florida company called Smart Connections. You just need the name, number and institution of your person. All of this mail gets scanned in FL then printed out at the prison. The original stuff is thrown away.
Smart Communications/PADOC
Name/DOC Number
Institution
PO Box 33028
St Petersburg, FL 33733
Envelopes must include a return address. Even postcards need a return address.
Only mail that is within 8.5 inches wide x 11 inches tall will be accepted. People may receive a maximum of 25 photos per mailing. If more than 25 are mailed, they will all be returned. They never receive the actual photo – just a printed scan. However, you can send a photo book.
Photo Books
If you are sending a photo book, it must be sent to the Security Processing Center instead. The same rules regarding photos—including a limit of 25—still apply. BUT your person will actually receive the photos not just scanned pieces of paper with bad resolution.
Security Processing Center
name, DOC #
Institution
268 Bricker Road
Bellefonte, PA 16823-1667
(If you google photo book you will find many options. Our network has used snap fish and many other of the online photo book services. Just google photobook)
Books and Magazines
All books and magazines must come from an approved vendor, bookstore or the publisher. In PA all the books and magazines get sent to the same place, address listed below. Pittsburgh Prison Book Project and Philly Books through Bars are two PA based orgs that can help you get books to your loved ones. As of January 2021, it takes roughly a month from sending time, for a book to get into the hands of your loved one.
Security Processing Center
name, DOC #
Institution
268 Bricker Road
Bellefonte, PA 16823-1667
Money
To send money to a person in a PA prison you must set up a JPAY account. You can send up to $300 a day. It costs about $5 on top of whatever amount you send for processing. AND the money is garnished on the inside too for the victims fund.