Mail & Photos to Hill-Finklea Detention Center

Two Different Addresses, Two Different Purposes

Hill-Finklea Detention Center uses a mail-processing system where regular personal letters go through a third-party scanning service, Smart Communication, based in Pinellas Park, Florida, not to the jail itself. Packages, legal mail, and books ordered from a publisher, on the other hand, go straight to the physical facility in Moncks Corner. Sending something to the wrong address is likely to cause delays or a return, so double-check which category your mail falls into before addressing the envelope.

Personal Letters

Address personal letters to:

[Inmate Name] [Booking Number]
c/o Smart Communication
Berkeley County Detention Center
PO Box 2027
Pinellas Park, FL 33780

Smart Communication scans incoming personal mail and forwards a digital copy to the inmate instead of delivering the physical letter. This is a common system at county jails nationwide and isn’t unique to Hill-Finklea.

Packages, Legal Mail, and Books

Anything that isn’t a standard personal letter, packages, legal correspondence, and books or publications shipped directly from a bookstore or publisher, goes to the physical facility instead:

[Inmate Name] [Booking Number]
Berkeley County Detention Center
300 California Ave.
Moncks Corner, SC 29461

Books and Reading Material

Books must ship directly from the publisher or bookstore, not from a friend or family member mailing a personal copy. Magazines and newspapers must be softcover and come directly from the publisher as well. A book or magazine mailed personally, even if brand new, is likely to be rejected under this rule.

Photos

The official page doesn’t specify a per-envelope photo limit or size restriction for this facility. If you’re planning to send a large batch of photos, call (843) 719-4546 to confirm current limits before mailing.

Every Piece of Mail Is Inspected

Both the scanned personal letters and the physically delivered packages and legal mail go through an inspection process for contraband before reaching the inmate. Anything flagged can be held for disciplinary or criminal review, or returned to the sender.

What’s Never Allowed

Never mail cash directly to an inmate at any facility, use one of the approved deposit methods covered in the send money guide instead. Don’t include anything that could be mistaken for a prohibited substance, doing so risks the mail being rejected and can create legal exposure for the sender.

If Your Mail Doesn’t Seem to Be Getting Through

If it’s been more than two weeks since you sent something and you haven’t heard anything back, call (843) 719-4546 to check on it instead of assuming it was lost. Confirm you used the correct address for the type of mail you sent, since a letter sent to the wrong address is the most common reason mail doesn’t arrive as expected at this facility.

Send Photos and Letters with Pigeonly

The easiest way to send photos and letters to someone at Hill-Finklea Detention Center is through Pigeonly. Upload your photos or write your letter online, and Pigeonly prints and mails everything to the facility for you, following the mail rules listed above.