Inmates Arrests Visitation Books Send $$
Dauphin County - County Jail - Pennsylvania
Dauphin County Prison

About Prison

The Dauphine County Prison is a local jail facility in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  It is an adult detention facility.  It holds pre-trial detainees, detainees who have been tried and are awaiting sentencing, and sentenced offenders.  Its average daily population is around 1,000 offenders. The primary goal of the Dauphin County Prison is to provide a safe and secure environment for inmates and staff, while keeping them detained from the rest of the population at large.

In addition to providing a detention facility, the Dauphin County Prison is committed to making efforts to improve the detainees’ lives, whether while they are detained or once they are released back into society.  They do this by offering interventions to help them deal with the underlying behaviors, often addiction-related, that led them to jail in the first place.  The goal is to help them avoid re-incarceration.  In addition to benefitting the detainees, reducing recidivism and re-incarceration has a public benefit, as it reduces the amount of tax dollars spent on incarceration.

Some of the interventions that will be offered include counseling, addiction counseling, life skills, and educational classes.  Together, these programs are meant to help make inmates more employable when they are released, as well as equipping them to handle life challenges in a better and more pro-social manner.  In addition, while learning some of these skills, the inmates provide assistance to the community.  Inmate work crews help out various county and municipal agencies and groups with routine work and with special projects, which include, but are not limited to, cleaning up after snowfalls, litter pickup, and growing produce for soup kitchens.

When inmates enter the Dauphin County Prison, they are classified in order to meet their needs and the needs of the facility and other inmates.  They may be in the Classification Unit for up to 10 business days, where they will receive a physical exam, be interviewed by an intake worker and a religious worker or chaplain, and may interact with people from outside agencies.  This team works together to determine the appropriate classification for the inmate.  Inmates cannot have visitors during their time in the Classification Unit.

Dauphin County Prison Addresses

Physical Address

Dauphin County Prison
501 Mall Road
Harrisburg, PA 17111

Inmate Mailing Address

The mailing address for the Dauphin County Prison is:   

Inmate’s Full Name/ Inmate DCP#
Dauphin County Prison
501 Mall Road
Harrisburg, PA 17111

While incarcerated at the Dauphin County Prison, inmates can utilize the United States Postal Service to send and receive mail.  All incoming mail may be screened for contraband.  All incoming and outgoing mail must be properly addressed, including the return address.  If mail is received without a full return address, it will not be delivered to the inmate.  It must also include the inmate’s real name, not nicknames or aliases.

Inmates can send and receive an unlimited amount of mail, but are only allowed to keep 12 letters in their cell.  They can send out their other letters or put them in storage with their other personal belongings, but can only have 12 in their cell.   However, inmates can have an unlimited amount of legal mail in their cells.

In addition, inmates can receive published materials like books and magazines. They must be mailed from the original source, whether the publisher for an authorized bookstore, and they have to be shipped to the inmate via the United States Postal Service, not from another shipper.  An inmate can only have up to five publications, plus a religious text like a Bible or Qu’ran, and ten photos in his or her possession.

Phone Number

The main phone number for the Dauphin County Prison is 717-780-6800.

Dauphin County Prison List

You can search for inmates by their first name, last name, booking number, permanent number, state ID, county ID, FBI number, or ICE number on the Inmate Lookup site.  The inmate records include a booking photo/ mugshot; inmate’s full name, inmate sex, height, weight, hair color, hair length, eye color, complexion, race, ethnicity, marital status, citizenship, housing information, commitment date, projected release date, the charges against them, the bond (if bond has been ordered), and the bond amount. 

Recent Arrests

The Inmate Lookup site does not have a roster of recent arrests.  It is also not searchable by booking date, making it difficult to have an arrest roster.  However, each of the records does contain a booking date, so it would be possible to create a daily arrest roster from the information provided. 

Mugshots

Once you have located an inmate using the Inmate Lookup, you can find mugshots/booking photos for the inmate. 

Prison Visitation

The Dauphin County Prison has a liberal visitation policy that encourages visits between inmates and their friends, family, and loved ones.  Each block has its own visitation schedule.  Inmates can see the visitation schedule, which is posted on each block.  Inmates are responsible for notifying their visitors of the visitation schedule for their block, which may change according to the needs of the prison.  Prison staff will not provide that information to callers or visitors. 

Each inmate gets one 50-minute visiting period per week.  Almost all visits are non-contact visits, but inmates can earn contact visits by completing an approved parenting program or completing a Therapeutic Community program.  Inmates who are in classified or restrictive housing do not get to have visits.  In addition, if inmates commit a disciplinary infraction, they may have their visitation privileges canceled for that week or for additional weeks, depending on the infraction. 

All visitors must be either 18 years of age or accompanied by a responsible adult.  Minor visitors do not have to be accompanied by a parent or guardian, but they must be accompanied by an adult.  All visitors over the age of 16 years must have two forms of identification, including a government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license. 

Visitors must be signed in and processed at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the visitation time; visitors who are late will not be permitted to visit.  Therefore, it is suggested that visitors come at least 30 minutes before the beginning of a visitation. 

All visitors must be authorized to visit; any unauthorized visitors will not be allowed to complete their visit.  In addition, all visitors are subject to security checks prior to visitation.  Failure to pass the security check means that the visitation will not occur.  In addition, failure to pass the security check could subject the would-be visitor to charges, depending on the reason why the security check has not been passed.

Visitors must comply with a dress code in order to visit the Dauphin County Prison.  All dresses, skirts, and shorts must touch at least the knee.  Visitors cannot wear clothing that is tight, low-cut or revealing.  Clothing with buttons cannot be unbuttoned to a point where it is revealing.  All shirts and blouses must have sleeves that are at least 2 inches in length (no tank tops or tube tops).  Bathing suits cannot be worn in lieu of clothing.  All visitors must wear all appropriate undergarments.  Visitors may not wear hoodies or pants with holes.

There is a limit of two visitors at each time, but an infant or child may accompany two adults, if the child or infant will occupy the same seat as the adult visitor.  If there are more than two visitors, they can divide the visit into different time sections. 

There are personal lockers supplied for visitor’s personal belongings.  All personal belongings should be placed in the lockers because visitors cannot bring personal items into the visitation room.  Visitors cannot bring cell phones, scarves, coats, umbrellas, hats, or wallets into the visitation area.  In addition, even if the visitors include an infant or toddler, no baby bottles, toys, pacifiers, blankets, diapers, or diaper bags are allowed into the visitation area.  Visitors cannot bring books, magazines, newspapers, or pictures into the visitation area.  Visitors cannot bring tobacco products, lighters, or smoking paraphernalia into the visitation area. 

You cannot bring clothing to an inmate during visitation.  Inmates may be able to get clothing from the outside, but it should be brought to the jail lobby during normal business hours.  Mail cannot be brought to the inmate during visitation; all mail has to come through the United States Postal Service.

While the jail has discretion to grant some contact visits for inmates, no former inmates can get contact visits. 

Phone Privileges

Inmates at the Dauphin County Prison are not allowed to make personal calls or long distance calls for free.  If there are verified emergencies, such as hospitalizations or deaths, then the jail may, at its discretion, permit the inmate to take an incoming call or to place an outgoing call without a phone account.

For regular communication with family, inmates can set up a phone account.  The Dauphin County Prison uses Global Tel Link (GTL) for its inmate phone calls.  Inmates have to use a PIN number to access GTL services, and are usually given their PIN the day after they are incarcerated.  Inmates must keep track of this PIN number and keep it secure while they are in the DCP.  If an inmate loses his or her DCP, they can request that the Deputy Warden of Security reissue the PIN number.

The Dauphin County Prison does not set up phone accounts for inmates.  Instead, using the provided pin number, friends and family members can set up the phone account.  To set up a phone account, you set it up by phone number.  These funds then apply to the phone numbers that the inmate will be able to call.

Inmates cannot move money from their commissary accounts to phone accounts.

Inmate Trust Accounts / Commissary

Inmates can use commissary, also known as canteen, to purchase items that the jail does not supply.  Commissary and canteen are words used to describe in-jail stores that offer items for inmates to purchase.  All of the inmates in general population are able to buy items from commissary, though inmates who are being disciplined may not be allowed to purchase items.  They use money from their inmate trust accounts to make these purchases.

Inmate trust accounts are set up as soon as an inmate is placed in the jail facility, even if the inmate enters the jail with no money.  Family members can put money in an inmate’s trust account.  There are three ways to make these deposits: in person in a drop box, using a kiosk, and online.  There is a drop box that is located in the front of the Prison and you can place a money order in the drop box to have money put on the inmate’s trust account; the money order must include the inmate’s proper name and DCP number.  Another way to deposit money is to use the kiosk that is located in the prison’s main lobby; the kiosk accepts both cash and credit cards.  A third way to make deposits into an inmate’s trust account is to go to https://deposits.jailatm.com.  You can deposit money into an inmate’s trust account at that website, but you will first have to set up an account to make deposits. 

Bail Information

To pay bail for an inmate at the Dauphine County Prison, you can go to the Clerk of Courts Office.  The Clerk of Courts Office is located on the 2nd floor of the Dauphin County Courthouse.  Bail can be paid from 8:00am to 4:00pm, except for on holidays.  In order to pay bond, the case has to have been transferred from the Magisterial District Justice who set the bail. If it has not been transferred, you can pay the bail at the Magisterial District Judge Office.

To pay bail, you can only pay with cash or a certified check.  You can also use a bail bondsman or surety company to pay bail.  If you are paying a surety bond, you can use real estate for the surety.

If you cannot afford bail, in Dauphin County, there is an organization that will post bail for people who cannot afford to pay their bail, as long as you qualify for their services.

Defendants who are released on bail may have to be followed by pretrial services.  Pretrial services is responsible for supervising defendants that have been released on bail pending court proceedings for their charges.  Not all defendants who are released on bail have to be supervised; the court must order the supervision and can also order other conditions for bail.  Bail supervision can include check-ins, referrals for services that can include mental health, drug or alcohol treatment, parenting, and anger management, and other conditions that the judge determines are appropriate.  A defendant who fails to comply with the conditions of release may have their bail revoked and be put back into the jail system. 

Conclusion

The Dauphin County Prison is the local prison facility for Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  Inmates at the Dauphin County Prison have access to a wide variety of services while they are supervised, in accordance with the prison’s stated goal of reducing recidivism and reincarceration.  Inmates at the Dauphin County Prison have access to healthcare services; the prison has contracted with a third-party medical provider to provide healthcare to inmates in the facility.  All inmates have a checkup when they are seen in the Classification Unit, and this health assessment helps the prison develop a long-term treatment plan for the time of the inmate’s incarceration.  However, it is important to know that these medical services are not free.  Instead, inmates will be charged fees for medical services, which complies with the plans outlined by the Dauphin County Prison Policy of Financial Responsibility.   However, there are not fees for all services or medications.  The primary goal of the Medical Department at Dauphin County Prison is to ensure the health of the inmates at the prison, so even inmates who cannot afford to pay for services will have access to medical care, dental care, and other appropriate medical services.  Inmates who want access to health care services can fill out a request slip for a sick call visit.  Sick calls are routinely conducted on weekdays and can handle both acute and chronic conditions.

 


Year Built or Opened: 1957 Warden or Supervisor: Leonard K. Carroll, Deputy Warden Daily Inmate Count: 1000 Total Capacity: 716 Security Level(s): minimum - medium

Inmate’s Full Name/ Inmate DCP#
Dauphin County Prison
501 Mall Road
Harrisburg, PA 17111

Phone Number(s): 717-780-6800
Fax Number: 717-558-8825
Email Address: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

501 Mall Road
Harrisburg, PA 17111