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Ask the Right Office: Pennsylvania

Pick a problem to see the office, the official rule, the deadlines and who must file. Then fill in a plain-English letter in your browser, print or save it as a PDF, and add a follow-up date to your calendar.

What this page can and can't tell you

Can: Which office to write to and how to put together a clear letter.

Can't: It can't give an official release date, say whether a specific person qualifies, or give legal advice. Only the DOC, the board or a court decides.

A letter doesn't replace the required official grievance form or procedure, and those have deadlines. If you're worried about retaliation, keep copies and dates of everything you send, and tell the person's attorney or a legal aid office if anything changes afterward.

Free legal help: Legal Services Corporation: find legal aid (civil matters). For criminal cases, ask the public defender's office that handled the case.






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Pennsylvania at a glance

ProblemOfficeDeadline to fileResponse deadline
Time calculation reviewFacility Grievance Coordinator (usually the Superintendent's Assistant)Within 15 working days after the event.Within 15 working days of entry in the tracking system.
Credit (good time) disputeFacility Grievance Coordinator (usually the Superintendent's Assistant)Within 15 working days after the event.Within 15 working days of entry in the tracking system.
Medical request or complaintFacility Grievance Coordinator (usually the Superintendent's Assistant)Within 15 working days after the event.Within 15 working days of entry in the tracking system.
Visit or mail denial appealFacility Grievance Coordinator (usually the Superintendent's Assistant)Within 15 working days after the event.Within 15 working days of entry in the tracking system.
Records requestThe records custodian at the agency that keeps the recordNo filing deadline in the statute.Within 5 business days of receipt by the open-records officer; no answer counts as a denial.
Parole fileNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Disability (ADA) accommodationFacility Grievance Coordinator (usually the Superintendent's Assistant)Within 15 working days after the event.Within 15 working days of entry in the tracking system.
Transfer or classificationFacility Grievance Coordinator (usually the Superintendent's Assistant)Within 15 working days after the event.Within 15 working days of entry in the tracking system.

Grievance rule: PA DOC DC-ADM 804, Inmate Grievance System (effective 2/16/2016) (opens in new tab). Records: Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.901 (opens in new tab). Who files a grievance: The incarcerated person.

Not legal advice. Rules change and facilities may add local steps; the official text controls. Missing a deadline can end a claim. Find free legal aid (LSC) (opens in new tab). Last checked .

Other states · Pennsylvania credit rules · Check a release calculation · Release countdown · What do I do now?

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