Inmate Rights in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's prison rights landscape is defined by two features that appear in almost no other state. First, all personal mail to Pennsylvania state prisoners is routed through a central processing facility rather than sent directly to the institution where the person is housed, an anti drug measure implemented by PADOC. Second, the Pennsylvania Prison Society (PPS), founded in 1787 and one of only three non governmental prison oversight organizations in the entire United States, holds a statutory right granted by the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1829 to visit any inmate confined in any correctional facility in the state.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, known as PADOC, is led by Secretary Dr. Laurel R. Harry and is headquartered at 1920 Technology Parkway, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 (main phone 717 728 2573). PADOC operates 24 State Correctional Institutions (SCIs) housing approximately 39,000 inmates. Pennsylvania's voting rights rules for incarcerated people are also more nuanced than most states: people incarcerated for a felony conviction who will not be released before the next election cannot vote, but pretrial detainees, convicted misdemeanants, people on parole, and people on probation all retain the right to vote.

This guide covers rights inside Pennsylvania state prisons and county jails across ten domains, grounded in PADOC policy, Pennsylvania statute, and the current legal landscape.

Here is the short version, before we take each right apart.

Medical and mental health care are constitutionally required. All personal mail to PADOC inmates is routed through a central processing facility before reaching the institution, as an anti drug measure. Phones use Securus; the person the inmate wants to call must set up a Securus account and be added to the inmate's telephone list per DC ADM 818. Visitation rules vary by facility. Grievances must be filed and exhausted before federal court. Disciplinary hearings are governed by DC ADM 801; Administrative Custody (restrictive housing) is governed by DC ADM 802. The Pennsylvania Prison Society has a statutory right to visit any inmate in any correctional facility and responded to 14,000 contacts in 2024. PREA protections apply. Religious practice is protected under the First Amendment and RLUIPA. ADA accommodations are required. Pennsylvania's felony voting rules are nuanced: people on parole or probation CAN vote; only people actively incarcerated for a felony conviction who will not be released before the election cannot.

Medical and mental health care

Every person in a Pennsylvania state prison has a constitutional right to adequate medical and mental health care under the Eighth Amendment. PADOC provides health care services across its 24 SCIs. The Pennsylvania Prison Society (PPS) monitors health care access at PADOC facilities and at county jails as part of its 2,500 plus annual official visits, and can raise health care concerns directly with facility staff.

If your loved one is not receiving needed medical or mental health care, submit every request in writing with a date, keep copies, and file a formal grievance through PADOC. The Pennsylvania Prison Society provides a family support hotline and can help facilitate attention to health care concerns at state facilities. Contact the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP) or the ACLU of Pennsylvania for systemic medical care concerns.

Mail: central processing facility

Pennsylvania takes a distinctive approach to personal mail. In an effort to curb the introduction of drugs into facilities, all inmate mail is sent to a central processing facility and not directly to the institution where the inmate is housed. Families should be aware of this process and confirm current mail procedures through PADOC before sending mail, as delivery times may be longer than expected.

Legal mail, meaning correspondence with courts and licensed attorneys, retains constitutional protections and must be opened only in the incarcerated person's presence to check for physical contraband and cannot be read. PADOC Policy DC ADM 803 governs inmate mail and incoming publications. Legal mail is typically handled separately from the central processing system. InmateAid can help families confirm current mail procedures and the address to use for the specific PADOC facility.

Phone: Securus and DC ADM 818

Phone calls from Pennsylvania state prisons use the Securus platform. The process has two steps: the inmate must add the person to their telephone list, and the person the inmate wants to call must separately set up a Securus account. PADOC's policy for the telephone system is DC ADM 818 (Automated Inmate Telephone System Policy). Calls are monitored and recorded except for calls to attorneys. Phone rates are subject to the FCC's prison telephone rate caps, expanded in 2024 to cover all facilities regardless of size.

PADOC also offers an inmate email system. InmateAid can help families navigate Securus account setup and the current phone and email options for the specific PADOC facility. Visitation, including video visitation options, varies by facility.

Visitation

Visitation in Pennsylvania state prisons follows PADOC policy and varies by facility. Visitors must be approved in advance. PADOC's website at pa.gov/agencies/cor provides facility specific visiting hours, schedules, and visitor rules. Visitors must bring valid government issued photo ID and follow facility dress codes and security screening procedures.

PADOC understands and encourages communication between families and incarcerated people and provides information about visitation rules on its website. A visit can be denied for reasons including disciplinary status, restricted housing, or security concerns. If a visit is denied or a visitor is removed from an approved list, file a grievance through PADOC. County jails in Pennsylvania operate under their own local authority with separate visiting procedures. InmateAid can help families navigate PADOC visitation rules and scheduling.

The grievance process

PADOC maintains an internal grievance process for incarcerated people. Grievances must be filed and exhausted through the internal PADOC process before a federal civil rights lawsuit can be filed under the Prison Litigation Reform Act. PADOC's policy documents can be found on the DOC policies page.

File every grievance in writing, keep a copy, and document every response and every failure to respond within required timeframes. Contact the Pennsylvania Prison Society (PPS) family support hotline for assistance navigating the PADOC grievance process. Contact the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP) or the ACLU of Pennsylvania for systemic concerns after the internal process is complete.

Disciplinary hearings and administrative custody

When a person in Pennsylvania state custody is accused of a disciplinary infraction, they are entitled to the minimum due process protections from Wolff v. McDonnell: advance written notice of the charge, a hearing, and a written statement of the evidence and reasons for any sanction. Disciplinary proceedings in PADOC are governed by DC ADM 801 (Inmate Discipline).

Administrative Custody, PADOC's restrictive housing policy, is governed by DC ADM 802. A disciplinary conviction can affect classification, housing assignment, program eligibility, visiting access, and parole consideration. Document what happened at any disciplinary hearing, who was present, and what evidence was considered. If the hearing result appears to violate procedural requirements, file a grievance under DC ADM 801 or through the PADOC grievance process. Contact the Pennsylvania Prison Society if you believe a restrictive housing placement is being used improperly.

The Pennsylvania Prison Society: a unique oversight resource

The Pennsylvania Prison Society (PPS) is one of only three non governmental prison oversight organizations in the United States with statutory access to correctional facilities, alongside the Correctional Association of New York and the John Howard Association of Illinois. PPS was founded in 1787 in response to inhumane conditions at Philadelphia's Walnut Street jail. In 1829, the Pennsylvania Legislature granted PPS official access to all prison facilities in the state.

As official visitors, PPS representatives can privately interview any inmate confined in any correctional facility in Pennsylvania, including county jails. In 2024, PPS responded to more than 14,000 calls, letters, and emails from incarcerated people and their families, conducted over 2,500 official visits with more than 300 trained volunteer monitors organized into chapters across the state, and conducted 15 proactive walkthroughs. In 2024, PPS secured state general operating funding for the first time and now has full time prison monitoring staff in all three geographic regions of Pennsylvania. PPS also provides a family support hotline and mentoring programs. Contact PPS at prisonsociety.org for assistance.

PREA and protection from sexual abuse

The Prison Rape Elimination Act applies in all PADOC facilities and in Pennsylvania county jails. Every person in custody has the right to be free from sexual abuse and sexual harassment by staff and by other incarcerated people. PADOC must maintain PREA policies, train staff, provide a reporting mechanism, and protect people who report from retaliation.

Reports of sexual abuse or harassment can be made to facility staff, the PREA coordinator, or through external reporting options. Retaliation against someone who reports is a PREA violation and the basis of a separate complaint. Document every incident, every report made, and any change in housing or treatment that follows a report. The Pennsylvania Prison Society monitors PREA compliance at PADOC facilities and can receive concerns.

Religious practice

People incarcerated in Pennsylvania state prisons have the right to religious practice under the First Amendment and the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. PADOC must accommodate sincere religious beliefs and practices unless it can demonstrate a compelling security interest that cannot be addressed through less restrictive means. Religious programming and chaplaincy services are available in PADOC facilities.

Requests for specific religious accommodations, including dietary adjustments and access to religious items, go through a formal request process at the facility. A denial must rest on a genuine documented security concern. Denials can be challenged through the PADOC grievance process and, if unresolved, in federal court under RLUIPA. Document the specific accommodation requested, the reason given for any denial, and every step taken.

ADA and disability accommodations

People with disabilities in Pennsylvania state prisons are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. PADOC must provide reasonable accommodations for people with mobility, vision, hearing, cognitive, and other disabilities. Requests for disability accommodations should be submitted in writing to the facility.

A denial or failure to respond can be challenged through the PADOC grievance process and, if unresolved, in federal court. Contact the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP) or the ACLU of Pennsylvania for systemic disability access concerns. Document every accommodation requested and every response received.

Voting rights: nuanced rules in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's felony voting rights law is more nuanced than most states in this series. The PADOC maintains a dedicated voting rights page explaining who can and cannot vote.

People who CANNOT vote in Pennsylvania: people currently confined in a penal institution for a felony conviction who will not be released before the next election (even if also incarcerated for misdemeanor offenses); people who violated any provision of the Pennsylvania Election Code within the past four years. People who CAN vote in Pennsylvania even if they have a criminal record: pretrial detainees (people awaiting trial who have not been convicted); convicted misdemeanants (people incarcerated only for a misdemeanor, not a felony); people on parole (including those living in a halfway house); people on probation; people under house arrest (home confinement, regardless of conviction status); people who will be released from a correctional facility or halfway house before the date of the next election. Pennsylvania's rules mean that people commonly assume they cannot vote when in fact they are eligible. People on parole can vote even while living in a halfway house. Contact PADOC or a local election office to confirm eligibility.

Parole and reentry in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania uses a parole system for people serving state sentences. The Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole supervises people upon release. Pennsylvania law allows people on parole and probation to vote, which reflects a policy view that reintegration into civic life begins upon release from incarceration.

PADOC provides a Pennsylvania Reentry Handbook for people leaving state prison. Reentry resources include housing assistance, employment programs, state issued identification support, and access to benefits. People leaving PADOC facilities should confirm their voter registration status before or upon release. The Pennsylvania Prison Society provides mentoring programs and connects formerly incarcerated people with community support. Contact InmateAid for current PADOC reentry programming information for the specific facility.

The bottom line for Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's prison rights landscape is defined by the central mail processing facility that all personal mail passes through before reaching the prison, the Pennsylvania Prison Society's unique 1829 statutory right to visit any inmate in any correctional facility, a phone system using Securus under DC ADM 818, disciplinary and administrative custody policies under DC ADM 801 and 802, and voting rights rules that allow people on parole and probation to vote while barring only people actively incarcerated for felony convictions who will not be released before the next election.

The rights in this guide are real: adequate medical care under the Eighth Amendment, central processing of personal mail with legal mail handled separately, Securus phone access with required account setup per DC ADM 818, facility specific visitation under PADOC policy, a grievance process that must be exhausted before federal court, due process in disciplinary hearings under DC ADM 801 with administrative custody under DC ADM 802, the Pennsylvania Prison Society with statutory access to privately interview any inmate in any facility, PREA protections, religious accommodation, ADA access, and nuanced voting rights that preserve the vote for people on parole and probation. Document everything, file every grievance, contact the Pennsylvania Prison Society for oversight concerns, and stay in contact through InmateAid.