Florence, Colorado Federal Prison: Facilities, ADX, and Visits

The Florence Colorado federal prison is actually a four-facility federal correctional complex in Fremont County, about 90 miles south of Colorado Springs. It includes ADX Florence (the only federal supermax in the United States), a high-security penitentiary, a medium-security institution, and a minimum-security satellite camp. Which facility your person is held in determines nearly everything about how you can visit, write, call, or send money.

The Four Facilities

The Bureau of Prisons runs all federal institutions under authority that places federal inmates in the custody of the Attorney General and charges the BOP with their safekeeping and care.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 4042 – Duties of Bureau of Prisons At Florence, that custody is split across security levels on one piece of ground:

  • USP Florence ADMAX — the administrative maximum penitentiary, commonly called the ADX or Supermax, for inmates considered too dangerous or disruptive for any other federal facility.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. USP Florence ADMAX
  • USP Florence High — a high-security penitentiary that also houses the final phases of the ADX step-down program.
  • FCI Florence — a medium-security institution with a double-fence perimeter.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Florence
  • Florence Camp — an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp with dormitory housing for low-risk inmates, typically those near the end of a sentence.

Each facility has its own mail room, its own visiting room, and its own rules on contact, phone time, and programming. Before you do anything else, confirm which one holds your person. The BOP’s online inmate locator will give you that along with the eight-digit register number you’ll need for everything that follows.4Federal Bureau of Prisons. About the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator

What the ADX Is

The ADX opened in November 1994 and was designed to eliminate nearly all contact between inmates. People in the most restrictive units spend 22 to 24 hours a day in their cells. Meals come through a slot in a steel door. Recreation happens in an individual concrete enclosure. The isolation is the point.

According to staff at the facility, roughly 92% of ADX inmates were sent there because of serious disciplinary problems at other BOP institutions, not because of the original crime that put them in federal prison.5District of Columbia Corrections Information Council. Florence ADMAX Inspection Report and BOP Response The rest include high-profile terrorism defendants, gang leaders whose organizations might attempt a rescue, and individuals under Special Administrative Measures (SAMs) that sharply restrict their communication with anyone, including family and attorneys.

The Step-Down Program

ADX placement isn’t necessarily permanent. The BOP runs a four-phase step-down program designed to move inmates back to lower-security facilities over roughly two years, provided they maintain clear conduct:

  • Phase 1 requires one year of clear conduct in the ADX’s general population units.
  • Phase 2, in the intermediate “Joker Unit,” is the first time inmates interact with other inmates without being in restraints. Most spend about six months there.
  • Phase 3, at USP Florence High, allows three hours of out-of-cell time a day and 300 phone minutes per month.
  • Phase 4 adds double-celling for at least six months and access to education programming.

A multidisciplinary committee reviews each inmate at least once every six months during step-down.5District of Columbia Corrections Information Council. Florence ADMAX Inspection Report and BOP Response

Visiting an Inmate

You cannot just show up. Only people on an inmate’s approved visitor list can enter any Florence facility, and getting on that list starts with the inmate, not with you. The inmate receives a Visitor Information Form (BP-A0629) and mails a copy to each person they want on the list.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. How to Visit a Federal Inmate You fill out your sections, including background information, and mail the completed form back to the institution. The BOP then runs a background check before approving or denying you.7Federal Bureau of Prisons. BP-A0629 Visitor Information

On the day of your visit, bring a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport. Expect metal detectors and a pat-down. Dress matters: the BOP prohibits revealing clothing, sleeveless garments, hats, miniskirts, and anything resembling inmate clothing like khaki or green military-style outfits. Skirts must fall no higher than two inches above the knee.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. How to Visit a Federal Inmate Individual facilities layer on their own rules, so check with the specific institution before you drive out.

The visit itself looks very different across the complex. At FCI Florence or the satellite camp, visits happen in a common room with tables, and limited physical contact is allowed. At the ADX, all visits are non-contact: you speak through a phone receiver separated by glass. Inmates under SAMs face even tighter rules and may only be seen on specific weekdays with advance written notice to the BOP.

Sending Money

You cannot hand cash to an inmate or mail money directly to the prison. All deposits run through centralized BOP channels and land in the inmate’s commissary account. You need the inmate’s full legal name and eight-digit register number, formatted as #####-###.4Federal Bureau of Prisons. About the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator

Three options are available:

Inmates can spend up to $360 per month at the commissary on hygiene items, snacks, clothing, and communication costs. The cap rises by $50 during the November and December holiday period.11Federal Bureau of Prisons. Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual

Mail and Books

Each facility has its own mailing address and mail room, so using the wrong one, or leaving off the register number, will get your letter returned or destroyed. Put the inmate’s full legal name and register number on every envelope.

Books and magazines face stricter rules the higher the security level. At FCI Florence, USP High, and the ADX, both hardcover and softcover publications must come directly from the publisher, a book club, or a bookstore. You cannot mail a used paperback from home to someone at the ADX or the high-security penitentiary. At the minimum-security camp, softcover publications can come from any source.12Federal Bureau of Prisons. Incoming Publications A unit manager can approve an exception for out-of-print titles if the inmate provides written proof the book isn’t available through standard channels.

Phone Calls and Email

Federal inmates ordinarily pay for their own calls from the commissary account; in some situations the receiving party pays instead. As of April 6, 2026, the FCC caps phone rates at federal prisons at $0.11 per minute for local, long-distance, and international audio and video calls. International calls may carry a small additional charge for overseas termination costs.13Federal Communications Commission. Incarcerated Peoples Communications Services

How much phone time your person actually gets depends on where they are housed. ADX inmates in the most restrictive units may be limited to one or two 15-minute calls per month. Step-down Phase 3 allows up to 300 minutes. FCI and camp inmates have considerably more latitude.

For written electronic contact, the BOP uses TRULINCS, a limited email system. Messages cap at about 13,000 characters, roughly two pages of text, and inmates pay per-minute fees to compose and read them.14Federal Bureau of Prisons. Stay in Touch People on the outside receiving messages are not charged. TRULINCS is not available to inmates under SAMs or in the most restrictive ADX units.

Education

Any federal inmate without a high school diploma or GED must participate in the BOP’s literacy program for at least 240 hours or until they earn the GED, whichever comes first.15Federal Bureau of Prisons. Education Programs Beyond that, program access tracks security level. The FCI and camp offer the widest range, including vocational training and reentry planning. USP High is more limited. At the ADX, most instruction comes through self-study materials delivered to the cell, because the isolation protocols rule out group classes for most of the population.

Filing a Grievance

Inmates at any Florence facility can challenge conditions, discipline, or staff conduct through the BOP’s Administrative Remedy Program. The process runs in three stages, each with its own form and deadline:

  • BP-9, filed with the warden within 20 calendar days of the incident. The warden has 20 days to respond, with a possible 20-day extension.
  • BP-10, filed with the Regional Director within 20 days of the warden’s response. The Regional Director has 30 days to respond, with a possible 30-day extension.
  • BP-11, filed with the BOP’s General Counsel within 30 days of the regional response. The Central Office has 40 days to respond, with a possible 20-day extension.

Finishing all three levels isn’t just a formality. Federal courts generally won’t hear a lawsuit about prison conditions unless the inmate shows they completed the entire administrative remedy process first. Miss a deadline at any stage and the path to court can close. For families helping someone inside, tracking those dates is one of the most practically useful things you can do.