Close security — diagnostic and classification center (men) · State Prison · PADOC

SCI Camp Hill

Camp Hill, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (717) 737-4531 Info last verified: June 2026

Pennsylvania's intake and classification prison for men, near Harrisburg, where newly committed men are received and assessed before transfer to a permanent state prison.

Statewide rules that apply at every Pennsylvania state prison

These rules are set by PADOC and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in Pennsylvania.

Dress code

No bathing suits, shorts, or extremely short or revealing skirts or dresses; no halter, tube, tank, or spaghetti-strap tops; and nothing sheer, see-through, or ripped.
No spandex or leggings, and no coats, jackets, or hats in the visiting room; a complete set of appropriate undergarments is required, and underwire bras may set off the metal detector.

ID: Every visitor must first be on the incarcerated person's approved visitor list — the incarcerated person adds visitors, so do not contact the prison to add yourself — and adults must show one government photo ID or two non-photo IDs (no photocopies or expired IDs). A minor must be listed on a parent or guardian's form (DC-313) and accompanied by that adult.
What to bring: Bring only your ID and, where the prison allows it, coins or a small clear change purse for the vending machines — no phones, bags, or gifts. Money for the person is sent only through JPay, never handed over at a visit; confirm the specific prison's vending and locker rules.
Scheduling: All visits — in person and video — are by appointment through the Inmate Visitation System (inmatevisitation.cor.pa.gov), booked 3 to 60 days ahead; each prison sets its own days and hours. A newly committed person is held at a reception center (Camp Hill for men, Muncy for women) until classification, then transfers to a permanent prison.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Pennsylvania

Overview

SCI Camp Hill, on Lisburn Road in Camp Hill across the river from Harrisburg, is Pennsylvania’s diagnostic and classification center for men — the statewide intake point where all newly committed men are received, evaluated (medical, mental health, security level, and programming), and then assigned and transferred to a permanent State Correctional Institution. Because of that role, a man may be at Camp Hill only briefly, and the prison shown in the state locator can change within the first weeks or months. It is a close-security facility that also houses a general-population men’s population, holding about 2,276 men (capacity about 3,028). It opened in 1941.

What Makes Camp Hill Different

It is the men’s intake and classification center, so a newly committed man usually begins here before transferring to a permanent prison.
Visiting is limited during the reception period, so confirm the person’s status and location before traveling.
It is in the Harrisburg area, off Interstate 83 — more central than many Pennsylvania prisons.
Classification can take weeks to months, after which the person is transferred.

Visiting

The statewide PADOC rules above — the approved visitor list, the dress code, ID, and item limits — apply at Camp Hill. The facility’s own arrangements:

The full approval process is in Visiting in Pennsylvania.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is on Lisburn Road in Camp Hill, in the Harrisburg metro area.

Distances are approximate, based on map routing. Visitor parking is on site.

Nearby Services

Camp Hill and the Harrisburg area have the full range of gas, food, and lodging. The nearest 24-hour emergency room is Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill; UPMC Harrisburg, across the river, is another 24-hour option.

Mail

Personal mail does not go to the prison. Pennsylvania routes incoming letters, cards, and photos to an off-site Smart Communications (“MailGuard”) center in Florida, where they are scanned and delivered to the person as photocopies; address them with the person’s name and inmate number. Legal mail goes directly to the institution and is opened in the person’s presence, and books must come from a publisher or approved distributor through the Security Processing Center. Full rules are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone in a Pennsylvania state prison:

Visiting in Pennsylvania — the approved list, dress code, and the IVS reservation system
Mail & Packages — the off-site mail center and what still goes to the prison
Phone & Video Calls — Securus calls, ViaPath tablets, and Zoom video visits
Sending Money — depositing through JPay
Medical & Mental Health — the co-pay, grievances, and the Prison Society
Transfers & Finding Someone — reception, classification, and the locator

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.