Families who struggle to find reliable, affordable transportation to visit their loved ones at Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions (SCIs) may use the Pennsylvania Prison Society’s low-cost bus program.
Bus tickets are free only for children and cost $20 for adults. You can purchase bus tickets online through the Pennsylvania Prison Society’s website. Tickets aren’t refundable, so confirm your availability before securing a seat on the bus. You may get affordable bus tickets to visit a loved one at SCI Benner, Frackville, Mahanoy, or Muncy as long as you’re on the inmate’s list of approved visitors and have a Keystone account to schedule visits.
For help with your case from our Philadelphia criminal defense lawyers, call Kenny, Burns & McGill now at (215) 423-5500.
Can You Get a Free Ride to Pennsylvania Prisons?
While bus rides aren’t completely free for adults, transportation to Pennsylvania SCIs from the Pennsylvania Prison Society has made it much more affordable starting in October 2025. Children always get free rides, making it easier for them to visit a parent, grandparent, or other important adult in their life.
Bus tickets to state correctional institutions through the Pennsylvania Prison Society cost $20 for anyone over 18
The Pennsylvania Prison Society is only partially reinstating its bus service, so rides are only planned every few months. While it may be convenient to use it sometimes, you shouldn’t rely on the Pennsylvania Prison Society’s bus service for transportation to see your loved one at all times of the year.
How Can You Get Low-Cost Rides to Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions?
You can purchase bus tickets from the Pennsylvania Prison Society online. To do so, you must provide your name, phone number, and indicate the trip you’re taking. You must also provide the prison ID number and the name of the loved one you are visiting.
If you are visiting a loved one with children under 18, you must register them as well.
You need a Keystone account to schedule visits through the Department of Corrections, and you’ll be reminded of that when purchasing your ticket.
Who Can Get Low-Cost Rides to Pennsylvania Prisons?
The purpose of the Pennsylvania Prison Society’s affordable transportation program is to keep families connected while individuals are serving their sentence.
You don’t necessarily have to be related to an inmate to qualify for a $20 bus ticket to see them at an SCI. As long as you are on the individuals’ approved visitor list and have a Keystone account, you can use the Pennsylvania Prison Society’s transportation service.
Which Pennsylvania Prisons Can You Get Rides To?
The Pennsylvania Prison Society currently only offers low-cost bus rides for adults and free rides for children to the following four Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions, but may expand to more prisons in the future:
- Benner
- Frackville
- Mahanoy
- Muncy
Unfortunately, if your loved one is an inmate at one of Pennsylvania’s other SCIs, of which there are many, you cannot use the Pennsylvania Prison Society’s bus service to visit them.
The transportation service also does not provide low-cost bus rides for individuals to visit loved ones serving a shorter prison sentence in county jails.
FAQs About Getting a Free Ride to a Pennsylvania Prison
When Are the Next Bus Rides to Pennsylvania Prisons?
Bus rides to the SCIs Benner, Frackville, Mahanoy, and Muncy are scheduled for December 2025, April 2026, and July 2026. If funding increases, more trips may be added to the bus schedule, so feel free to check the Pennsylvania Prison Society’s website periodically.
Can You Purchase a Bus Ticket to an SCI in Person?
You can purchase a bus ticket for an upcoming visit to an SCI in person at the Pennsylvania Prison Society’s offices at 230 S. Broad Street in Philadelphia. The cost and required information are the same, whether you buy your ticket in person or online.
Where Do You Get Picked Up for Rides to Pennsylvania Prisons?
Bus rides from the Pennsylvania Prison Society to any of the four SCIs offer affordable transportation from Philadelphia, typically from the offices at 230 S. Broad Street. You must arrange your own transportation to and from the pick-up location.
Can You Reserve a Specific Seat on a Bus to a Pennsylvania Prison?
You cannot reserve a specific seat for the bus ride to visit a loved one in Benner, Frackville, Mahanoy, or Muncy, but you can reserve space for yourself and other visitors. Seats are given on a first-come-first-serve basis, so you may want to arrive early if you’re traveling with several children or a larger group.
How Long Do You Get to Visit the Prison?
Visit lengths can range anywhere from three to six hours, depending on the day. Lockdowns, staffing issues, and other things might disrupt and shorten visits. The Pennsylvania Prison Society can’t guarantee that visits will occur, as that’s in the Department of Corrections’ control.
Bus rides alone may take upwards of three hours in either direction, so plan for a lot of downtime. To ensure the visit is successful, when you arrive, make sure you have all the identification and information necessary to gain admittance to the prison.
When Do You Return from Bus Rides to Pennsylvania Prisons?
Most trips are scheduled to return to Philadelphia in the mid-afternoon, from two to three o’clock, depending on traffic, delays at stops, and other factors beyond the bus service’s control.
Are Pennsylvania Prison Society Bus Tickets Refundable?
Bus tickets from the Pennsylvania Prison Society are not refundable, so do your best to make sure you can make the date when you purchase tickets, despite the fact that they are free for children and low-cost for adults.
Call Our Defense Lawyers in Philadelphia for Help Today
For help with your case from our West Chester, PA criminal defense lawyers, call Kenny, Burns & McGill at (215) 423-5500.
