Mail & Photos to SCI Smithfield

The Mailing Address

Address general correspondence, cards, and photos to:

Smart Communications/PADOC
[Inmate's Name / Inmate Number]
SCI Smithfield
PO Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733

This is a scanning center’s address, not SCI Smithfield’s physical location. All general mail statewide routes through Smart Communications regardless of which PA DOC facility the inmate is at.

How the Scanning Process Works

Smart Communications opens, scans, and prints incoming mail, then delivers the printed copy to the inmate. Typical delivery time is 6-8 days from when you mail something. The physical original is kept for 45 days before being destroyed, so this isn’t a process for sending anything irreplaceable.

Photos

You can include up to 25 photos per mailing. Photos can’t contain nudity or obscene content, and are subject to the same scan-and-print process as letters.

Books and Publications Go to a Different Address

Books, magazines, and other publications don’t go through Smart Communications. They’re mailed to PA DOC’s Security Processing Center instead:

[Inmate's Name / Inmate Number]
268 Bricker Road
Bellefonte, PA 16823-1667

Publications must come from an approved vendor or publisher, family members can’t mail a book they already own. Processing time through this address runs longer than general mail, typically 2-3 weeks.

Official Documents Go Directly to the Facility

Items like identification documents, checks, and birth certificates are mailed directly to SCI Smithfield’s business office at the facility’s own address, not to Smart Communications. If you’re sending something official, confirm with the facility at (814) 643-6520 that you have the correct routing before mailing it.

Legal Mail

Legal mail requires a DOC-issued control number. The attorney or court fills out a control number request form and gets a secondary authentication code issued for that week, which goes on the front exterior of the envelope only. Privileged mail can only contain documents that came from the sending attorney or court, third-party documents aren’t allowed inside legal mail. If you’re an attorney or working with one, contact the facility directly to get set up.

If Your Mail Gets Rejected

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.

What’s Never Allowed

Never mail cash, a personal check, or a money order directly to an inmate or to Smart Communications, use JPay instead for any money transfer. Also avoid including anything that could be mistaken for a prohibited substance, doing so risks the entire mailing being rejected and can create legal exposure for the sender. You can also send photos and letters digitally through Pigeonly without mailing anything at all.

If Your Mail Doesn’t Seem to Be Getting Through

Given the scan-and-print delay, allow at least 1-2 weeks before assuming something is lost. If it’s been longer with no acknowledgment, call SCI Smithfield at (814) 643-6520 to check whether anything was flagged during processing or rejected outright.