The Berks County Prison is located in Leesport, Pennsylvania, which is a small borough about 10 miles north of Reading, Pennsylvania. The facility can house a maximum of 1250 inmates.  It is run by the Berks County Jail System.  The current warden of the prison is Janine L. Quigley.  The 2010 reported population of Leesport was 1,918 and the area is comprised of 0.8 square miles.

Berks County was founded in March 1752, and was named after William Penn’s home county of Berkshire in the United Kingdom.  The county is a diamond-shaped area of 864 square miles, situated in southeastern Pennsylvania.  The 2015 census reported the county population as 415,271.

The county seat is in the city of Reading, which is the county’s largest city, with a reported 2015 population of 87,879.  Reading is located 56 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

The Berks County Prison holds both pre-trial detainees and post-conviction inmates sentenced in the Berks County Court System to a period of time of two years or less. When an inmate is sentenced to more than two years, they are admitted into the Pennsylvania State or Federal Prison System, depending on their offense.

The Berks County Jail System’s Community Re-entry Center (CRC) is located on the same road as the prison.  The goal of this facility is to reduce recidivism rates by assisting residents in re-establishing themselves as productive members of society. Through collaborative efforts with local government, non-profit, faith and community-based agencies, inmates are provides with guidance and the resources necessary to enable reintegration back into the community. Services are delivered both pre- and post-release to provide a continuum of care for up to three years after release.

The Treatment Department at the Berks County Jail System classifies inmates and coordinates all inmate programs.  Some programs are offered in-house by staff and others are performed by contracted agencies or volunteers.  Programs include group and individual counseling, drug and alcohol treatment, case management, and crisis counseling.  This department also manages inmates’ earned time, work release, institutional employment, and volunteer services.

Each housing unit has a counselor or caseworker assigned to it and inmates have the ability to sign up and meet with the unit counselor Monday through Friday.  If you have a concern about an inmate’s quality of life, you can voice that concern by calling the Berks County Prison Treatment Department at 610-208-4800, extension 4200.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse or sexual harassment while confined at the Berks County Prison, you can contact the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) hotline at 1-866-823-6703.

If you have concerns that include any allegations of criminal activity or employee misconduct of prison staff, contact the Prison Warden, Janine L. Quigley, or the Chief, Jeffrey Smith by dialing 610.208.4800, extension 4009.

Physical Address:

Berks County Prison
1287 County Welfare Rd
Leesport, PA 19533

Community Re-entry Center (CRC)

1261 County Welfare Road
Leesport, PA 19533

County of Berks, Clerk of Courts

4^th Floor, 633 Court Street
Reading, PA 19601

Mailing Address:

Berks County Jail System
1287 County Welfare Rd.
Leesport, PA 19533

Email:

[email protected]

Berks County Phone Numbers:

Berks County Prison main:  610-208-4800

Following are extensions for several key jail departments and the hours/days of operations.  Note, all of the departments, with the exception of Bookings and Medical, are closed on holidays:

Arrest Warrants:  (610) 478-6240, extension 3258

Clerk of Courts:  610-478-6550

Inmate Mail:

Inmates may receive mail through the U.S. Postal Service and through private delivery services.  All incoming mail is opened and searched for contraband.  Inmates cannot receive cash or personal checks, stickers, postage stamps, Polaroid pictures, some photocopied materials or materials downloaded from the internet.  For an expanded list of prohibited items, review section 2.9 of the Inmate Handbook.  Inmates can receive magazines, newspapers, and books, but these must be sent directly from the publisher. 

Inmates may not receive clothing, undergarments or sneakers through the mail.  All mail must have a legible, complete return address; items that do not meet this requirement will be returned to the post office.  Mail that is sent COD or “postage due” will not be accepted.

Mail can be sent to the following address and should include the inmate’s first and last name, and their Berks County Jail System (BCJS) number:

Berks County Jail System
1287 County Welfare Rd.
Leesport, PA 19533

If an inmate requires medication, it will be provided through Medical Services at the jail. 

Inmates cannot release their property in person or through the mail.  If an inmate wishes to release property to a designee, the inmate fills out an Inmate Communication Form and addresses it to the property staff.  The request must include the name and telephone number of the person who will be picking up the items. The designee must make an appointment with a Property Officer to pick up the property by calling the Property Department at 610-208-4800, extension 4105.  Designees receiving and inmate’s property must provide identification and sign a form to acknowledge receipt of the property.

Berks County Prison Inmate Search / Who's in Jail:

Berks County Prison inmates can be found on the https://vinelink.com/#/search website.  This list provides the inmate’s name, age, gender, race, Offender ID (BCJS number), birth date, current location and custody status.      

Arrest Records/Jail Records:  

To obtain a copy of arrest records, you can fax a request to the Berks County Clerk of Courts at 610-478-6593.  You will need to know the docket number associated with the records.  Docket numbers can be located by visiting https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets.aspx.  A request for records can also be submitted in person at:

County of Berks, Clerk of Courts, File Room
4^th Floor, 633 Court Street
Reading, PA 19601

A copying fee of $0.25 per page (for scanned documents) or $1.00 per page (for microfilmed) documents is required.

Rockdale County Jail Mugshots:

Berks County Prison does not maintain an online mugshot database, and its inmate list does not contain mugshots or booking photos of inmates. 

Inmate Release Notification:

Berks County offers an automated service, PA SAVIN, that will advise registrants when specific inmates are released from jail or prison.  Call 1-866-9PA-SAVIN (1-866-972-7284) or visit https://vinelink.com/#/home/site/39000 to register.

Visitation:

Family and friends wishing to visit an inmate must be on the Inmate’s Visit List; this incudes children of the inmate.  Inmates designate the names of their visitors (up to 8 people) and submit their Visit List to Treatment Staff, who enter visitor’s names into the visit system.  Treatment Staff cannot add visitors to the list without the inmate’s authorization.  Visitors wishing to be added to an Inmate’s Visit List, should write the inmate and provide their full name, address, telephone number, race and date of birth (information required to be an approved visitor).  It may take up to 14 days to process changes to an inmate’s approved visitor’s list.

Visitors are required to be at least 18 years of age, must be able to produce a valid, government-issued photo ID, provide their Social Security Number, and not have been incarcerated in the Berks County Jail System in the past two years.  Those on parole must provide written approval to visit the inmate from their parole officer.  Children, who are direct family to the inmate (child, stepchild or grandchild), and under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult visitor who is on the inmate’s approved visitor’s list. 

No more than three people can visit an inmate at a single visit.  General population inmates are allowed up to two visits per week with a maximum of 30 minutes per visit.  CRC inmates are allowed one visit per week for a maximum of 50 minutes.  Call the Treatment Department at (610) 208-4800, extension 4200 to ask specific questions about visitation.

Visiting hours for friends and family are 8:00 a.m.-8:00 pm.  Following are the visit days, dependent on the inmate’s assigned housing:

All visits, except for privileged visits, are monitored.  Visitors cannot bring any items that may be considered as weapons and cellular telephone are prohibited.  Packages and/or purses are subject to search.  Lockers are provided for storage of personal items for visitors.  Visitors are required to be dressed appropriately and should not wear revealing clothing.  Additional information on visitation can be found at http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/Jail/Pages/FriendsandFamilyVisitation.aspx  

Visitors should park in one of the three lower parking lots and check in at the lobby desk:

Berks County Prison
1287 County Welfare Rd
Leesport, PA 19533

Berks County Prison Inmate Phone Privileges:

Inmates cannot receive incoming phone calls.  Inmates have access to phones in their housing areas for outgoing phone calls.  These phone calls must be collect calls or pre-paid phone calls.  Jail phone calls are monitored and may be recorded.  Any attempt to transfer or conference a call will result in the call being disconnected.

At the Berks County Prison, pre-paid phone calls are administered through the AdvancePay Phone service at ConnectNetwork.  The party receiving the calls creates an AdvancePay Phone account, which will allow them to receive phone calls even if their phone number restricts collect calls.  The receiving party still has to accept the call.  The cost of the call is deducted from the AdvancedPay account balance. 

There are multiple ways to make deposits to AdvancePay accounts.  Visit the Ways to Pay page of the ConnectNetwork site for more details.  To set up an AdvancePay account through ConnectNetwork, call 1-800-483-8314 or create an account online at https://www.connectnetwork.com/webapp/jsps/signup/signup.cn.

The Berks County Prison does not have email services for inmates.

Berks County Inmate Trust Accounts:

The Berks County Jail system uses the Inmate Account to provide funds to inmates for the purchase of personal items and payment of service fees.  An inmate account is established by the jail when a person is incarcerated.  Inmates can check the balance of their account through the inmate telephone system. 

Funds deposited into the account can be used for commissary purchases, or transferred to a designated individual of the inmate’s choice, provided the inmate is not under disciplinary sanctions.  Items can be ordered from the commissary at any time, but each cellblock has a schedule for commissary delivery.  Medical Services might prohibit inmates from making certain purchases because of health concerns. 

Deposits can be made to the Inmate Account in the following ways:

• A deposit machine is located in the lobby of the prison.  Depositors must have the inmate’s first name, last name and BCJS number to make a deposit.  Kiosk accepts cash in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills.  Credit/debit cards (MasterCard and Visa brand) can also be used to make deposits.
• An inmate’s friends or family can create an account and deposit funds for the inmate through the ConnectNetwork or by telephone at 1-814-949-3303.  Fees are associated with making deposits.  The Berks County Prison site ID is 61. 
• Money orders, government checks, and payroll checks must be made payable to the inmate’s full name, and be mailed directly to the Inmate Account Department.  The money order/check should include the inmate’s BCJS number.  No personal checks will be accepted.  These are mailed to:

Inmate Account Department
Berks County Jail System
1287 County Welfare Rd.
Leesport, PA 19533

In Berks County, an inmate can designate one individual to receive money from their trust account; this designation is permanent.  The inmate must complete and submit a "Request for Release of Funds" form and an addressed envelope (with the recipient’s address) each time they wish to send money.  A staff member must verify the inmate’s identity and sign the form.  The designated recipient must submit a notarized affidavit that includes the address where the checks will be mailed and his/her phone number.  Requests will only be processed the first and third Mondays of each month, excluding holidays, and requests should be submitted three business days prior to the first and third Mondays of each month.

Post Bail or Bond in Berks County:

Bail allows an arrested person (defendant) to be released from jail until his or her case is completed. 

A bond is an amount of money in cash or a surety bond for the purpose of making sure an accused person attends a required court appearance.  A property bond, cash bond or bonding company may be used to bond a person out of the Berks County Prison.

In Berks County, payment arrangements for bail and bonds depend on the jurisdiction of the court in which the person was sentenced and on the specifics of individual cases.  For more information on the Pennsylvania courts, visit https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/PortalSelfHelp.aspx.  You can also contact the Sherriff’s Office at:

Sheriff's Office
Berks County Courthouse
633 Court Street, 3rd Floor
Reading, PA  19601

Phone: 610-478-6240
Fax: 610-478-6222

Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Email: [email protected]

Conclusion

Now that you have read our article on the Berks County Prison, we hope we have made it much easier to conduct an inmate search, obtain arrest records, lookup mugshots, schedule a visit, send money, or contact the prison directly.  We understand how difficult it can be when a family or friend is incarcerated, and we try our absolute best to provide the most updated information on each facility, to make your life easier.