Which mail will not be processed by intelligent communications?
smart communications cannot process the following mail:
- mail missing inmate number
- mail addressed to medical staff members
- mail addressed to jpay
- mail that contains cash, personal checks, or money orders
- mail that is bound in the center or formatted to prevent scanning
- mail that has been damaged by the postal services of the united states
- legal mail
- books, magazines, or calendars
- mass mail
What should I do if the provider does not accept the full intelligent communications address because it is too long?
The document accepts abbreviated forms of the intelligent communications address. smart communications can be abbreviated as “sc” and the name of the institution can be removed from the address entirely.
sc – john smith/ ab1234po box 33028st. petersburg, florida 33733
if the address still doesn’t match, you can omit sc altogether.
john smith/ ab1234 P.O. Box 33028st. petersburg, florida 33733
What return address should inmates use on outgoing mail?
Inmates should use the Smart Communications address with their name and inmate number as the return address.
intelligent communications/padocjoe jones/ab1234sci camp hillpo box 33028st petersburg fl 33733
When will inmates receive their mail?
Inmates may take 6-8 days to receive their mail. smart communications processes mail within 24 hours of receipt at its processing center in st. petersburg, fl. However, it may take 3-5 days for the United States Postal Service to deliver mail to Smart Communications. Document Mail Rooms will make a reasonable effort to ensure that incoming inmate mail is delivered to the inmate within 48 hours of the time the mail was made available to them from Smart Communications.
This excludes weekends and holidays, mail containing content that requires iprc review, and mail held for research purposes at the prison.
what does intelligent communication do with the original mail?
All original mail will be retained for a period of 45 days, unless the doc. indicate otherwise. after 45 days, the original mail will be destroyed.
what about electronic copies?
All scanned mail is uploaded to a database organized/classified by inmate. it is sent to the inmate’s location six days a week. when email arrives at the facility, staff can approve, reject, or forward the mail. approved mail is printed and delivered to inmates.
How long is email kept?
smart communications keeps electronic copies for 45 days.
what if official documents are included in my mail sent to smart communications, such as driver’s license, social security cards, checks, court orders with raised seals, etc.
smart communications will send all official documents to the sci business office where the inmate is located.
Can incoming general correspondence sent to smart communications be returned to the sender once processed?
not. all general incoming correspondence will be destroyed after the 45-day hold, unless doc. indicate otherwise.
How will mail senders know when mail is delivered?
Mail senders who sign up with smart communications can receive alerts when mail arrives at smart communications and when the document is delivered or rejected.
Will general incoming mail procedures delay the parole process?
green sheets, house plans and other time-sensitive matters will not be delayed.
Where can I get more information about smart communications?
The Smart Communications website is a great resource for information about their services.
I accidentally sent my mail to the security processing center address, not the smart communications address, what will happen to my mail?
all incoming general correspondence should be sent to the intelligent communications of the document’s external mail provider. mail sent to the security processing center will be processed through the facility where the inmate is housed. Upon arrival at the facility’s mail room, mail will be denied and confiscated. Following this denial, if the inmate wishes to appeal, he/she has 15 business days to notify the facility administrator in writing, in accordance with DC-ADM Inmate Grievance System Policy 804. If the inmate does not wish to appeal, he/she may submit a proof of cash with a self-addressed envelope to the mail room within 15 business days of denial for posting to be mailed out of the facility to a friend or family member. otherwise the photo album will be destroyed.
I sent an email to an inmate via smart communications; however, the inmate never received the mail. what should i do?
you should contact the doc mail procedures resources email at ra-crmailprocedures@pa.gov. Please provide the following information in your email:
- the exact address to which the mail was sent
- the return address on the envelope
- the inmate’s full name and inmate number
- the mail carrier who delivered the mail
- did the mail contain photos?
- did this mail contain publications or materials that open like a book?