Butler County Prison, PA Inmate Text, Email

Email Info Visits Mail Phone Money Bail Inmate Search Tablets Remote Visits Commissary Court Booking Photos Court Process Video Nearby Jails

Butler County Prison

Address:
202 S. Washington Street
Butler, PA 16003
Phone:
724-284-5256

Exchanging email messages and photos with an Inmate

Butler County Prison uses a secure messaging service call Smart Communications so that inmates can communicate electronically with friends and family members on the outside.

SmartMail allows inmates to communicate safely and quickly with family and friends outside of the jail, prison or detention center. Inmates send and receive electronic letters using a safe and secure computer kiosk or tablet stationed in their institution. THE COST IS JUST $0.50 CENTS; cheaper than a postage stamp and envelope.

The message can be sent with postage paid and will be free to open and read for the recipient.
Or, the message can be sent collect / "COD" for free and will be paid for by the recipient.
To send or receive a message you MUST open a SmartJailMail.com account.
Once you open an account, you may search for inmates, prisoners, or detainees to connect with.
When you locate the inmate that you want to connect with, you can send them a connection request.
They will then need to approve the request before you can send messages.
Sending messages with SmartMail is just like sending an e-mail, except it is contained within the SmartJailMail web site. Messages can be delivered instantly or may be held for review depending on the destination facility.
Electronic messages are delivered much more quickly than traditional paper mail to the correctional facility so you can stay connected.

More information on how to send and receive messages and photos with an inmate.

Can inmates send and receive texts and emails?

Almost all jails and prisons have adopted a messaging system which allows inmates to communicate with their friends and family using an electronic messaging system. It’s neither email nor text, it’s something in between.

The inmate and their contacts do not use their regular email accounts or phone numbers, but account numbers that are set up with the company providing the service.
All communication goes through them. Think of them as a middleman.

Once a contact of the inmate is approved, like the approval process a visitor goes through, an account is set up, using a credit or debit card to fund the account.

To start, the inmate’s contact can send a message that has a limit of so many characters, usually about one page of text.

The message is then reviewed by a computer that scans the message for certain keywords or phrases that are not allowed, almost like a censoring service. If the machine scanner finds problems with the message it sends the message to the Butler County Prison staff to review, and if they find no issues, will then forward it to the inmate’s account so that they can read it.

If there are problems with the message, it is possible the message will not be sent. The sender will be notified of the decision and will not get a refund.

Once the inmate receives the message, should the account holder have funded the account allowing replies, the inmate can respond with a similar length message.

How much does it cost for an inmate to use a text or email service?

The cost to use the electronic messaging service, which is like texting or emailing, costs between $0.50 and $1.00 per page; a page being about 500 characters.

Can inmates send and receive photos through their messaging system?

Photos can be sent by the inmate’s contact that is not incarcerated, but not by the inmate due to security concerns. There is an extra cost, usually about $0.50 for each photo attached.

The photos must go through a security screening where nudity, violence and other things are checked before the photo can be delivered. If the photo is rejected, the sender will be notified, but no refund will be given.

The inmate does not have the ability to print out the photos that make it past the screening, but the photos will stay in their account so that they can view them at their leisure.

Can I send an inmate a link to a video to watch?

No. Because this is a closed system, the inmate has no access to the internet, thus the inmate will have no access to any links that you send them.

Can I send the inmate a video?

Yes, just as you can send text and photos, you can send a video message, or if not a message, then a video of your children or yourself. Every company has a limit on the length of the video, usually no more than one minute, and at a cost of approximately $2.00 to $3.00 per video.

The video will first be screened for any nudity, excessive vulgarity, violence, etc. If it is rejected on any of the grounds the sender will not be given a refund.

As with the policy of photos, the inmate cannot reciprocate. They cannot send videos of themselves or anything in jail.

What device does an inmate use for texting and emailing?

The jails that contract with the electronic messaging service is given a certain number of kiosks within each unit for inmate use. Inmates can log on as they might with a public computer terminal.

In addition to the public terminal kiosks, inmates are given (or can rent) access to individual tablets like a bulky, almost indestructible ipad. These allow an inmate to use them to access your messages, photos and videos in a more private manner.

Should the inmate damage the tablet, they will be responsible for replacing it. The money will be deducted from their commissary account.

What is the inmate text and email system in Butler County Prison?

The electronic messaging system used by Butler County Prison, if there is one, can be found at the top of this page. If there is no information about the ability to text or email with an inmate, it is possible that the facility has recently changed companies or does not have this service available. Call 724-284-5256 to confirm.

What are the companies that provide inmate electronic messaging services?

This is a list of all the companies in the United States that work with jails and prisons, providing text and email messaging between inmates and their friends and families:

Access Corrections
CIDNET
City Tele Coin
Correct Pay
Corrlinks
Ctel
Edevo
Express Account
Gettingout
GTL
Homewav
IC Solutions
Inmate Canteen
Inmate Sales
JailATM
J Pay
NCIC
Paytel
Pigeonly
Prodigy Sales
Reliance
Securus
Smart Communications
TBE
Visitel

How do I fund the inmate’s messaging system?

You fund the messaging service with credit and debit cards. All of them take Visa and MasterCard, most also take Discover, and just some take America Express.

How often can an inmate text and email?

There is no limit to the amount of texting and email that an inmate can have with their family and friends.

Can inmates’ text any time of the day or night?

If an inmate has their own tablet, then they can text any time of the day or night, however if the must use the wall mounted kiosk terminal in their unit, they are limited to using it only during the hours they are allowed off their bunks; usually 7:00AM to 10:00PM, excluding meals, head counts and shift changes.

Can inmates email other inmates in other jails or prisons?

No, inmates are not allowed to communicate with each other, nor with inmates in other institutions. There is always a way to get around it, for example if one of the inmates has access to a phone with an internet connection, but this would be the only way.

Butler County Bail Bond Information

Because Butler County and Pennsylvania can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Butler County Prison at 724-284-5256, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, and do this right after an arrestee has been booked.

Ask the staff at the Butler County Prison or the Butler County Court Clerk these specific questions:

Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
Where do I go to pay it?
Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released.

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.

Butler County Prison Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The Butler County Prison allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature.

Envelopes
The Butler County Prison also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates.

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & Prison #
Butler County Prison
PO Box 9156
Seminole, FL 33775-9156

Legal Mail

Send all legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Prison #
Butler County Prison
202 S Washington St.
Butler, PA 16001

Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The Butler County Prison allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address below.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Butler County Prison standards will be disposed of. No more than three books may be shipped at any one time.
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.

All newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate's Full Name & Prison #
Butler County Prison
202 S Washington St.
Butler, PA 16001

How to Schedule & Visit with an Inmate in Butler County Prison

To schedule a visit and meet with an inmate in Butler County, either at-the-jail or remotely by video, follow these instructions:

To schedule and visit with an inmate you MUST first open a SmartJailMail.com account.
Once you open an account, you may search for Butler County inmate to visit with.
When you locate the Butler County inmate that you want to connect with, you can send them a connection request.
Butler County Prison will then need to approve the request before you can send messages.

For all the information you need to schedule and visit with a Butler County Prison inmate, including how it works, how much it costs, visitation using a rented tablet, how often and when you can visit and more, check out our Visit Inmate Page.
NOTE: Your visits will be monitored, recorded and stored. You may want to refrain from discussing your inmate's court case as anything discussed can be used against them in court.

Butler County Prison Gives Inmates Access to Tablets At No Cost for Communication, Research and Entertainment

They may not be directly connected to the internet, but inmates at Butler County Prison are provided free tablets to use within the jail that allow them to have access to the following services and information:

Phone Calls - Inmates may make calls directly from their tablet allowing for more privacy. The rates are the same as the phones in the unit, and the calls are still recorded and monitored.
eMessaging - Communicate via a text based message or picture. Fee based system.
Job Search - Using JobView, a secure job search application, inmates have the ability to see what jobs are available when they are released.
Education - Free educational platform and course catalog that provides thousands of educational resources.
Self Help -Inmates have daily access to mental health and addiction recovery programming.
Music - Top-40, Hip-Hop, Country, Rock, Gospel, and more.
Law Library - Legal research with up-to-date case information.
eBooks - Thousands of available titles.
Religion - Religious resources for spiritual guidance.
Games - Inmates can play their favorite games. Available through monthly subscriptions
Facility Services - Digital access to submitted forms, requests, facility documents, and notifications from staff.
Video Visitation - Visitation may not be allowed on the Tablets. Call Butler County Prison at 724-284-5256 to confirm.

The availability of tablets may seem like something that inmates who are serving time do not deserve, but here are some of the benefits for inmates in Butler County:

Keeps inmates busy.
The threat of losing access to tablets keeps them better behaved.
Safer for the staff to keep inmates happy.
Allows communication with family members.
Educational programming.
Legal research.
Social programming such as anger management, substance abuse, etc.

For more information about Tablets and how your inmate can get one to use while he is in jail, chek out our Inmate Tablet page.

Butler County Prison Inmate Mail Types

Personal postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & Prison #
Butler County Prison
PO Box 9156
Seminole, FL 33775-9156

Legal Mail
Legal Mail is mail from Attorneys, law enforcement, the courts, bail companies, etc.

Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The Butler County Prison allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address above.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Butler County Prison standards will be disposed of. No more than three books may be shipped at any one time.
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.

All legal mail, newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate's Full Name & Prison #
Butler County Prison
202 S Washington St.
Butler, PA 16001

How to Set up a Phone Account and Receive Calls from an Inmate in Butler County Prison

To communicate by telephone with a Butler County inmate, follow these instructions:

To receive phone calls from a Butler County inmate you MUST first open a SmartJailMail.com account.
Once you open an account, you may search for Butler County inmates or detainees to connect with.
When you locate the Butler County inmate that you want to connect with, you can send them a connection request.
Butler County Prison will then need to approve the request before you can receive phone calls.

For all the information you need to receive phone calls from a Butler County Prison inmate, including how it works, how much it costs, how often you can receive calls and when you can receive them and more, check out our Inmate Phone Page.
NOTE: Your phone calls will be monitored and stored. You may want to refrain from discussing your inmate's court case. Anything discussed on the calls may be used in your inmate's court case.

How to Deposit Money in an Inmate's Account in Butler County Prison

To deposit money into the account of a Butler County inmate, follow these instructions:

To deposit money you MUST first open a SmartJailMail.com account.
Once you open an account, you may search for the Butler County inmate you want to send money.
When you locate the Butler County inmate that you want to connect with, you can send them money.
Butler County Prison may need to approve the deposit, but more than likely, it will be approved.

For all the information you need to send money to a Butler County Prison inmate, including how it works, how much it costs, what payment methods you can use, how much you can send, and more, check out our Send Money Page.

How to Deposit Money Online for an Inmate in Butler County

To deposit money online for an inmate in Butler County Prison follow these steps:

Register to open an account, or Sign In to JailATM, a service that acts as a bank for inmates in Butler County.
After registering and signing in, select 'Send Money Now'.
Choose Pennsylvania, then choose Butler County Prison
Type in your inmate's last name or their Inmate ID.
Select your inmate.
Input an amount to deposit to your inmate in Butler County Prison, and then input your payment method.
NOTE: There may be a limit on how much money you can send your inmate in Butler County at any one time.
If you need to phone customer support, call 877-810-0914.

For all information, tips and procedures for sending money to an inmate in Butler County Prison, or depositing money at the jail, over the phone or by mail, check out our Send Money Page for Butler County.

How to Send and Receive Secure Text and Email Messages with an Inmate in Butler County Prison

To communicate by text or email with an Butler County inmate, follow these instructions:

To send or receive a message you MUST first open a SmartJailMail.com account.
Once you open an account, you may search for Butler County inmates or detainees to connect with.
When you locate the Butler County inmate that you want to connect with, you can send them a connection request.
Butler County Prison will then need to approve the request before you can send messages.

For all the information you need to send and receive secure messages in the form of text or email with a Butler County Prison inmate, including how it works, how much it costs, renting your inmate a tablet, how often you can communicate and more, check out our Text/Email an Inmate Page.
NOTE: Your messages will be monitored and stored. You may want to refrain from discussing your inmate's court case.

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Butler County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Butler County Prison follow these steps:

Select Pennsylvania, then select Butler County Prison, and then select the 'Send a Package Order' option.
Register and create an account with My Care Pack, also known as Access Securepak, for Butler County.
Choose the inmate and the products you want shipped to them, and input your payment method.
NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Butler County at any one time.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Butler County Prison check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Butler County.

Customer Service Contact
Call 800-956-2747 Monday - Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST.
Email: [email protected].