Columbia County Prison Visitation Changes Due to Coronavirus

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Columbia County Prison

Address:
721 Iron Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
Phone:
570-784-4815

New Visitation Policies in Columbia County Prison Due to COVID-19 Coronavirus

Because of concerns for the safety and wellness of both staff and inmates at the Columbia County Prison in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, contact visits of any type may be suspended. Even if they have visits, from time to time, face masks may be required.

Approved Non-contact visits with family, friends and the inmate’s lawyers may still be allowed when at-home or onsite video visitation is not available, however given that new guidelines are changing daily please check the visitation page or call 570-784-4815 for updates.

Video Visitation at Columbia County Prison

At-home and onsite video visitation guidelines for Columbia County Prison, when this service is available, can be found by going to the visitation information page.

We highly recommend that you call 570-784-4815 first for any changes due to staff shortages or other unforeseen circumstances, including whether your inmate has become ill and is unable to be in the general population where video kiosks are available.

How Long Will These Changes Last?

Experts in the study of the COVID-19 are anticipating that spread of the virus will be a ongoing concern for Columbia County, the state of Pennsylvania and the entire United States until well into 2024 and maybe even beyond. We are witnessing the virus becoming more contagious, but less deadly over time. Many people think that the 'more contagious, but less deadly' variants will infect so many people that a higher level of natural immunity for the majority of Americans will be the end result.

Will the Inmates in Columbia County Prison Be Safe from Getting Sick With COVID-19 Coronavirus?

Whether the inmates are safe from contracting the coronavirus depends entirely on two things:

The Virus being introduced into the facility by a staff member or inmate who is unaware that they have it.
How easily it spreads.

At this stage most people who get the coronavirus show very few symptoms beyond what you might experience with a bad cold or a mild case of the common flu. Newer variants are turning out to be less deadly than the common flu we experience every year.

Studies that have been done are showing that the hardest hit are those 60 years of age and older, those with pre-existing medical issues like diabetes, leukemia or obese individuals. Young men and women rarely become very ill, and when they do, seem to recover quickly.

Given the close proximity of inmates and staff to each other in this lockup, it is going to be very difficult to prevent the spread of COVID-19 once it is introduced into the facility as the virus can spread via the microscopic vapor that we release every time we speak, cough or sneeze.

We will continuously update this page as the virus changes and new policies are instituted.

TextBehind enables you to communicate with your incarcerated loved ones located inside the United States from anywhere in the world using text letters, kids' drawings, and custom greeting cards. Unlimited inmate reply letters are processed for electronic delivery to your smartphone and email at no extra charge.
The cost to send an electronic letter is approximately $1.00.

Here’s how it works for Columbia County Prison:
1.   All offender mail (paper and electronic) is addressed and delivered to TextBehind. Electronic mail is sent through the apps (iphone, Google Play). Paper mail is sent to the address below:
Inmate Name and Inmate Number
Columbia County Prison Pennsylvania (note: please do not abbreviate the name)
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
2.   If it was sent via TextBehind's app (iphone, Google Play), TextBehind can process it within one business day.
3.   An additional step is involved in processing mail that is sent using the U.S. Postal Service. TextBehind will use a scanner to make digital files of the contents of the mailing—including cards, photos or artwork.
4.   All digital files are then forwarded to the offender’s assigned prison.
5.   Columbia County Prison mailroom prints approved pages and delivers them to the inmate.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

TextBehind does not deliver any mail to the inmate directly, nor do they guarantee delivery of your letters to the inmates by the courier, jail or prison staff. Once they process your mail and ship them out on your behalf, they are out of the loop entirely. However, at times they may offer to resend your letters under certain strict conditions as a courtesy.
Inmates do not receive any invites when you add them, and neither do they need to accept the use of TextBehind service. Once you add the inmate, you can create letters for them.

Here’s what happens when TextBehind receives a letter from an inmate:

Upon receiving, TextBehind staff open their letters, scan, and upload high-quality images to your TextBehind account as a complimentary service. You are not required to have any money or credits balance in your TextBehind account to receive inmate letters.
Next, you will receive a text and email alert to notify you of any new incoming reply letters. At that time, you can log into the TextBehind website or mobile app and view letters in your CONTACTS >> Click on Conversation Icon.

YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS...

Inmates do require a stamp to send out their letters to TextBehind using Postal Service.
The cash or credit balance from your TextBehind account will not be shared with inmates as a substitute for the stamps.
All letters printed and shipped by TextBehind nationwide to virtually any jail or prison facility are delivered to the jails/prisons by couriers such as the USPS or FedEx as their standard process.
After the shipments, TextBehind has no control over the process.
The delivery of your letters depends on couriers and prison staff taking necessary action on time.

IMPORTANT TextBehind LINKS:
Register / Log in with TextBehind
Contact TextBehind with Questions
Add an Inmate to your list of Contacts

** Address to Mail letters using TextBehind **
Inmate Name and Inmate Number
Columbia County Prison Pennsylvania (note: please do not abbreviate the name)
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131

Why is TextBehind used by Lockups?
Due to the problem of letters and postcards containing, or soaked in contraband (drugs), TextBehind electronic and physical letters is replacing the former policy of allowing mail to be sent directly from inmate’s friends and family members, and vice versa.

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

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

Select Pennsylvania, then select Columbia County Prison, and then select the 'Send a Package Order' option.
Register and create an account with Access Securepak, for Columbia 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 Columbia County at any one time.

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

How to Send Money to an Inmate in Columbia County

To send commissary money to an inmate in Columbia County Prison follow these steps:

Register with Access Corrections by creating an account.
Select Pennsylvania, then select Columbia County Prison, and then the inmate you want to send money to.
Choose the amount of money you want to send, and input your payment method.

For all information on how to Send Money to an inmate's account check out our full money and commissary guide for Columbia County Prison.

How to Send a Secure Email Message to an Inmate in Columbia County

To send a secure email message to an inmate in Columbia County Prison follow these steps:

Register with Access Corrections by creating an account.
Select Pennsylvania, then select Columbia County Prison, and then the inmate you want to send your message to.
Choose the amount of money you want to spend, and input your payment method. The funds can also be used by the inmate to send a message back to you.
NOTE: All messages between you and your inmate will be permanently recorded and seen by the staff and could be used against your inmate in court.

For all information on how to Text/Email an Inmate in Columbia County Prison check out our Secure Messaging Guide for Columbia County.

How Do Inmates in Columbia County Prison Make Phone Calls?

To receive phone calls from inmates in Columbia County, or to assist them in making phone calls to other people, follow these steps:

Columbia County Prison uses the services of IC Solutions.
Register with them online or call them at 888-506-8407.
Agents are available 24 hours a day, and speak both English & Spanish.
Services for Columbia County inmates and their families and friends include Collect Calling, PIN Debits, Purchasing Calling Cards, Voicemail & Prepaid calls. In addition, IC Solutions provides secure messaging, sending photos, video phone calls and online deposits for inmates and their families in Columbia County.
Although rates are subject to change, they generally run about $0.21 per minute for phone calls.

Note: All your calls with an inmate are recorded, stored and shared with law enforcement if the conversation deals with your case or any criminal activity. Anything communicated can be used against you or your inmate in court.

For all the information regarding phone calls with Columbia County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, limits and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.

How to visit an inmate in Columbia County Pennsylvania using Video Visitation or visiting an inmate at the jail

To visit an inmate in Columbia County follow these steps:

In addition to visiting inmates at the jail, Columbia County Prison uses a video visitation service called IC Solutions.
In order to visit with your inmate online or at the Columbia County Jail Video Kiosk, you must first register with IC Solutions.
Once you are logged into your existing IC Solutions account or have created a new account and are logged in, you must select Register for Video and enter Columbia County Prison.
Then select your Columbia County Inmate.
Then fund your account using either a Visa, Mastercard credit or debit card.
Lastly, schedule a visit.
The cost for a remote video visit ranges from $7-10 for 20-25 minute visit. Rates are subject to change.

For full instructions on all the benefits of using IC Solutions to visit a Columbia County inmate, visiting an inmate at the jail itself, rates, policies, rules, dress codes, bringing children, attorney and clergy visits and more, go to our official Visit Inmate Page.