Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I sign up to be notified of the release, transfer, escape, death, or out-to-court appearance of an inmate who is incarcerated in the Florida Department of Corrections? Whom should I contact to obtain status information and how? If I am a crime victim, are there different rules for signing up for this information?

If you are a crime victim, the parent or legal guardian of a minor victim, or the next of kin of a deceased victim in a case for which the inmate is currently incarcerated in state prison….

You may write the Florida Department of Corrections -- Victim Services Program at 2601 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2500 and request to be added to our victim database. Email correspondence can be sent to victim.services@mail.dc.state.fl.us. All victim information is confidential, per Sec. 914.27 and Sec. 945.10, Florida Statutes.

Be sure to include the inmate name and inmate number (if you have it), as well as your first and last name(s), your home address with zip code, and your home, work or cellular telephone number(s) with the area code and email address(es). If you provide your telephone number(s), you will be automatically registered with the VINE Service.

We will provide automated written notification of the inmate's release between 30 to 120 days prior to his or her release. We will also provide written notification of emergency releases, as soon as we have been notified of the release. You may also register for email notification at www.vinelink.com.

Information provided to www.vinelink.com is not shared with the Victim Services Program office. Please note that written release notification is only provided to the victim(s) of the offender under his or her current incarceration.

The Victim Services Program has a toll-free number and we can be reached at 1-877-8-VICTIM (1-877-884-2846), Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. You may also request to be added to the victim notification database by using our on-line request form at http://www.dc.state.fl.us/apps/victimasst.asp or through our on-line Victim Services Brochure at: www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/victasst/.

If you are not a crime victim...

If you wish to be notified by telephone and/or email of the release, transfer, escape, death or out-to-court appearance of an inmate while he or she is incarcerated in state prison, you may register yourself directly with the VINE Service by calling toll-free 1-877-VINE-4-FL (1-877-846-3435) or you can go to https://www.vinelink.com.  Please note that the VINE Service is available to anyone. A VINE Service link has been provided next to the photo of every inmate and supervised offender on Community Supervision for your convenience.

No matter which way you register, the VINE Service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When the inmate has a status change, the VINE Service will call you. Upon receipt of the call, you will need to enter your PIN number followed by the pound sign (#) to acknowledge the call.  If you do not enter your PIN number and pound sign, the service will call again every two hours because it did not receive the proper acknowledgement that the call was received.  If you are not at home, a voice mail message will be left on your answering machine.  This process will continue for up to 48 hours until the call is acknowledged or the 48 hour time period has ended.

Note: If you register with the VINE Service directly, this information is not given to the Florida Department of Corrections Victims' Assistance Program office.

2. My sister has a prison pen pal who asks for money for various reasons, and I'm suspicious of him. How can I check out what he says he's in for, when he'll be released, etc?

Probably the simplest way to verify information about this inmate is to look him up on the internet at www.dc.state.fl.us/ activeinmates/. You'll need the inmate's name or DC number. This web site will provide information about the inmate's offense, location, sentence, history, custody level, race, sex, age, release date and more. A photograph is also provided. If you do not have access to the Internet, you may call the Inmate Information Line at (850) 488-2533 or the institution where the inmate is incarcerated to get this information, which is public record. If you are looking for an inmate in a county jail, you will have to call the specific jail or detention facility where he or she is incarcerated. The Florida Department of Corrections does not have information about individual inmates in county facilities.

3. I am interested in a career with the Florida Department of Corrections. Where can I get more information?

You may view State of Florida vacancies by accessing peoplefirst.myflorida.com. The statewide vacancy system is updated within 24 hours of a vacancy being advertised, and you can submit your application online or fax a State of Florida application to PeopleFirst at 1-888-403-2110. If you experience any problems applying on-line, please call the PeopleFirst service center at 1-877-562-7287. Specific information about correctional officer and correctional probation officer benefits and requirements can be found at http://fldocjobs.com/. If you have additional questions about the application process you may contact the Bureau of Personnel at 1-866-JOB-FDOC (1-866-562-3362). The Department employs about 18,000 correctional officers and 2,100 probation officers. Salaries for Correctional officers start at $30,807 annually and Probation Officers’ salaries start at $33,478 per year.

4. What's the difference between a jail and a prison?

The most notable difference is that the county generally manages jails and prisons are generally managed by the state. In addition, jail inmates may be awaiting sentencing, and prison inmates have already been convicted and sentenced, usually for a felony. Finally, jail inmates usually are sentenced to a year or less, whereas prison inmates usually have sentences of more than a year. The Florida Department of Corrections keeps track of the number and type of county jail inmates via its monthly "County Detention Facilities" report located at www.dc.state.fl.us/ pub/ jails/ or a copy can be obtained by calling the Bureau of Research and Data Analysis at (850) 488-1801.

5. My son was recently sent to prison and I would like to send him some spending money for the canteen, and his siblings and I would like to visit him. What are the procedures for visiting, sending money, writing to him, etc?

For a complete list of common questions and answers regarding visiting, sending money to or corresponding with an inmate, please visit www.dc.state.fl.us/ oth/ inmates/.

6. My son is being harassed in prison, and I fear for him. To whom can I report this?

Start by reporting it to the prison warden. Contact information can be found at www.dc.state.fl.us/facilities. If the situation is not resolved to your satisfaction, or if you deem it of a serious nature, you may want to write to the Office of the Inspector General, 2601 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, FL 32399-2500 or call them at (850) 488-9265. Provide detailed information of your concerns.

7. Do you have anything I can download that would give me a brief overview of the Florida prison system, including statistics?

We have an online handout called “Quick Facts” that provides information about prison life, per diem, recidivism and salaries on one side, and prison and community corrections statistics on the other that may be helpful.

8. How many prisons does Florida have?

As of January 2011, Florida had 140 prison facilities, including 61 major institutions, 41 work/forestry camps, one treatment center, 34 work release centers and five road prisons. Florida correctional facilities are divided into major institutions, work camps, work release centers and road prisons. The classification of inmates into these different facilities takes into account the seriousness of their offenses, length of sentence, time remaining to serve, prior criminal record, escape history, prison adjustment, and other factors. The most serious offenders with the longest sentences and those least likely to adjust to institutional life are placed in more secure facilities

Correctional Institutions are prisons with fences, razor wire or ribbon, electronic detection systems, perimeter towers with armed correctional officers and/or officers in roving perimeter vehicles. Most of these inmates do not reside in cells, but in open bay dormitories with bunk beds. Some exceptions include those confined for disciplinary or security reasons, and those on death row. These facilities are divided into seven levels of security ranging from minimum custody facilities to maximum custody facilities. About 84% of the Florida prison population is housed in a major institution.

Work/Forestry Camps are minimum to medium custody facilities, surrounded by fences and razor ribbon. Inmates are usually transferred to a work camp after completing part of their sentences at a correctional institution and demonstrating satisfactory adjustment. Most of these work camps are located next to correctional institutions enabling the sharing of facilities like laundry and health services. The inmates housed at these facilities may be assigned to community and public work squads. Their jobs include cleaning up roadways and right-of-ways, grounds and building maintenance, painting, building construction projects, moving state offices, and cleaning up forests. 12% of the prison population resides in work camps.

Work Release Centers (WRC) house two categories of inmates: community custody inmates who are participating in community work release by working at paid employment in the community and minimum custody inmates who are participating in a center work assignment by working in a support capacity for the center (such as food services and laundry). They must be within two or three years of their release date, depending on their job assignment. Sex offenders may not participate in work release or center work assignments. There are no perimeter fences, and inmates must remain at the WRC when they are not working or attending programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Inmates participating in work release must save part of their earnings for when they are released in order to pay toward victim restitution as well as room and board. More than 3,000 inmates participate in Florida’s 34  work release programs annually, with about 4% of the prison population enrolled at any given time. Work release centers are supervised by the Department’s Office of Institutions.

Road Prisons house minimum and medium custody inmates and have perimeter fences. Most of these inmates work on community work squads and the highways doing road work. Their jobs also include support services to state agencies such as collecting recycling materials and moving furniture. Less than 1% of the prison population is housed in road prisons.

For a complete list of facilities as of June 30, 2010, go to http://www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/annual/0910/facil.html. To learn more about specific Florida prisons visit http://www.dc.state.fl.us/facilities/.

Do you know which group uses the initials “LK” and five-point crown?

9. How can I find out more about gangs in prison?

The Florida Department of Corrections has an extraordinary amount of information about gangs both in prison and around the country on its web site at www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/gangs/. The Security Threat Intelligence Unit can be contacted via e-mail at stgiu@mail.dc.state.fl.us or call them at (850) 410-4582.

The tattoo on the right was found on an inmate and represents the Latin Kings. The Latin Kings represent their gang with the five-point crown, and “ALKN” (Almighty Latin King Nation). This group will also use the colors black and gold in their clothing, drawings, and jewelry, such as the necklace on the right.

10. To whom can I talk about my family member's transfer, gaintime, discipline, release, etc.?

Each inmate is placed on a classification team when he arrives at a state prison facility. Any questions concerning the above issues should be directed to the classification officer in charge of that team. (The phone numbers and addresses of each facility are located on the Internet at www.dc.state.fl.us/orginfo/facilitydir.html.) Before contacting the classification officer, please visit www.dc.state.fl.us/ oth/ inmates/ for answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding these issues. If you do not have access to the Internet, you may call the Inmate Information Line at (850) 488-2533 or the institution where the inmate is incarcerated to get this information, which is public record. If you are seeking information about county jail inmates, you will have to call the county jail or detention facility where the inmate is incarcerated - they have no central number to call. The Florida Department of Corrections does not have information on individuals in county jails or detention centers.

11. What is Florida's method of execution for death row inmates?

Beginning January 14, 2000, lethal injection became the primary execution method for inmates on Florida's death row. Previously, electrocution was their sole option. For information about death row in general, including a death row inmate's daily routine and a list of those with active death warrants, go to www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/deathrow/.

12. How much does it cost to incarcerate an inmate for a year?

In Fiscal Year 2009-10, it cost $19,469 a year or $53.34 a day to feed, clothe, house, educate and provide medical services for an inmate at any state facility, and $15,498 to do so at a prison for adult males, which are the majority of individuals incarcerated in the Florida state prison system. For more inmate cost per day information, go to www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/annual/0910/budget.html.

13. How many inmates are in Florida prisons? On death row? On community supervision like probation?

On February 1, 2010, there were 100,866 inmates in Florida prisons and 392 on death row. There were also approximately 156,000 offenders on active probation on that date. For statistics on these and other prison populations, go to www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/annual/0910/stats/.

14. What is the recidivism rate for inmates in Florida?

Florida’s recidivism rate is about 33%, which means one of every three inmates released from a Florida state prison returns to prison in Florida within three years. (This does not include the number of inmates who return to county jails, federal prisons or prisons in other states.)