Medium and minimum security (men) · State Prison · PADOC

SCI Mercer

Mercer, Mercer County, Pennsylvania

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (724) 662-1837 Info last verified: June 2026

A medium- and minimum-security state prison for men in Mercer, in northwestern Pennsylvania.

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 Mercer, on Butler Pike in Mercer in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania, is a medium- and minimum-security prison for men, holding roughly 1,300 to 1,500 people. It opened in 1978 as a state regional correctional facility serving northwestern counties and was reclassified to a level 2–3 (medium/minimum) institution in 2008.

What Makes Mercer Different

It is medium and minimum security, so visits may be contact or non-contact depending on the person’s status — confirm which before traveling.
It opened in 1978 as a regional correctional facility for northwestern Pennsylvania before becoming a full state prison.
It is one of the smaller state prisons, holding roughly 1,300 to 1,500 people.

Visiting

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

The full approval process is in Visiting in Pennsylvania.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is on Butler Pike in Mercer, in Mercer County in northwestern Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh near the I-80/I-79 interchange.

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

Nearby Services

The Mercer and greater Sharon area has gas, food, and lodging. The nearest 24-hour emergency room is UPMC Horizon – Greenville in Greenville, about 15 miles north; UPMC Horizon’s Shenango Valley campus in Farrell is another option in the Sharon area. (Sharon Regional Medical Center’s emergency room closed in January 2025.)

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.