Mail goes through Smart Communications in Florida first, not directly to the facility.
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PA DOC routes general mail and photos for SCI Phoenix through Smart Communications, a third-party processor in St. Petersburg, Florida, before it ever reaches the facility. Letters and photos are scanned and delivered digitally or as copies, and originals are destroyed after 45 days, so keep that in mind before mailing anything irreplaceable.
Address general letters, cards, and photos like this:
[Inmate’s Full Legal Name, PA DOC Number]
SCI Phoenix
Smart Communications/PADOC
PO Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733
Every piece needs the inmate’s full name and PA DOC inmate number so it can be matched and forwarded correctly. Mail sent directly to the facility’s physical address instead of the Smart Communications PO Box will likely be delayed or returned.
Smart Communications opens, scans, and reviews incoming mail in Florida before it’s delivered to SCI Phoenix, either as a digital copy or a printed copy depending on the facility’s system. This typically takes about 6-8 days from when Smart Communications receives it to when the inmate sees it, longer than mail would take if sent directly to a home address.
Once scanned, original letters and photos are held for 45 days and then destroyed. If you’re sending something sentimental, know it won’t be returned or kept as a physical original past that window.
Photos are capped at 25 per mailing. Keep content appropriate, sexually explicit images, gang-related content, and anything depicting drugs or weapons will be rejected.
Books, magazines, and other publications don’t go through Smart Communications. They’re mailed to a separate address:
[Inmate’s Full Legal Name, PA DOC Number]
SCI Phoenix
Security Processing Center
268 Bricker Road
Bellefonte, PA 16823-1667
Publications must come from an approved vendor or publisher directly, not from an individual sender, and delivery typically takes 2-3 weeks.
Padded envelopes, stickers, glitter, perfume or scented paper, blank greeting cards with envelopes attached, and photocopied or printed digital images (as opposed to genuine photographs) are commonly rejected. Legal mail marked as privileged correspondence from an attorney follows different handling rules and generally isn’t opened outside the inmate’s presence.
Smart Communications or facility mailroom staff will typically note why a piece was rejected. If you don’t get a clear explanation, call SCI Phoenix directly at (610) 409-7890 to ask.
Smart Communications won’t process mail that’s missing the inmate’s number, bound in a way that blocks scanning, sent in bulk, or contains cash, a personal check, or a money order. If something is rejected, the inmate has 15 working days to appeal in writing to the facility manager under DOC policy DC-ADM 804. If they don’t appeal, you can ask the mailroom to forward the item to someone else using a cash slip, also within 15 working days, otherwise it’s destroyed.
For SCI Phoenix, Pigeonly takes a letter or photos from your phone, prints them, and mails them off to the St. Petersburg, Florida PO Box run by Smart Communications. There they’re scanned and reviewed the same as anything a family member posts by hand.
6 of 12 questions
Address mail to the inmate's full name and PA DOC number, SCI Phoenix, Smart Communications/PADOC, PO Box 33028, St. Petersburg, FL 33733. Don't mail directly to the facility's physical address.
Mail & PhotosPA DOC uses Smart Communications, a third-party processor, to scan and review incoming mail before it reaches the facility. This applies statewide, not only at Phoenix.
Mail & PhotosAbout 6-8 days from when Smart Communications receives it to when the inmate sees it.
Mail & PhotosNo. Originals are destroyed 45 days after scanning. Don't send anything you want kept as a physical original.
Mail & PhotosUp to 25 photos per mailing. Sexually explicit or gang-related content, along with images depicting drugs or weapons, will be rejected.
Mail & PhotosYes, but they go to a different address, the Security Processing Center at 268 Bricker Road, Bellefonte, PA 16823-1667, and must come from an approved vendor or publisher directly.
Mail & PhotosPadded envelopes, stickers, glitter, scented paper, blank cards with attached envelopes, and photocopied or printed digital images instead of genuine photographs.
Mail & PhotosSmart Communications won't process mail missing the inmate's number, bound so it can't be scanned, sent in bulk, or containing cash, a check, or a money order. The inmate has 15 working days to appeal the rejection in writing under DOC policy DC-ADM 804, or you can ask the mailroom to forward it to someone else using a cash slip within that same window. Otherwise it's destroyed.
Mail & LettersNo. Any photo meant for SCI Phoenix lands at Smart Communications in St. Petersburg, Florida, to be scanned before delivery. Pigeonly sends printed photos there from your phone, which spares you a trip to the store or the post office.
Mail & LettersSmart Communications keeps the physical originals for 45 days after scanning, then destroys them. Don't mail anything irreplaceable, since you won't get it back even if you ask.
Mail & LettersNot through general mail. Physical packages of that kind typically come from an approved outside vendor rather than being mailed directly, similar to how books work through the Security Processing Center. Call (610) 409-7890 to confirm what's currently allowed and how to order it.
Mail & LettersYes. Cards, letters, and drawings all route through Smart Communications along with photos, and get scanned and printed the same way. There's no separate process for cards.
Mail & LettersConfirm his current facility before mailing anything.
View ArticleSchedule an in-person or video visit alongside your letters.
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All information on this page comes directly from official government and facility sources. How we verify information › Last verified July 13, 2026.