The Florence Colorado prison is not one prison but a federal complex of four, sitting on roughly 600 acres in Fremont County about two hours south of Denver. The Federal Correctional Complex Florence houses more than 2,000 men across a minimum-security camp, a medium-security institution (FCI Florence), a high-security penitentiary (USP Florence High), and ADX Florence, the only federal supermax in the United States. Which facility a person is in determines nearly everything about how you can reach them.
The Four Facilities
Inmates are assigned to one of the four institutions based on criminal history, sentence length, and behavior. The buildings share administrative infrastructure and sit near one another, but daily life inside each one is different.
The minimum-security satellite camp, next to FCI Florence, holds around 340 men in dormitory-style housing. Most are nearing the end of nonviolent sentences and work in support roles across the complex.
FCI Florence is the medium-security institution and the largest in the complex, with roughly 1,050 men. Inmates live behind secure perimeters with electronic detection but have broader access to work and education than those at higher levels.
USP Florence High holds about 827 men behind reinforced perimeters, guard towers, and a patrol road. Inmates here are serving time for serious federal offenses and require close supervision, though they have not demonstrated the behavior that would move them next door to ADX.
ADX Florence, the Administrative Maximum Facility, holds roughly 411 men. It is where the federal system sends people whose behavior has proven unmanageable at every other high-security prison in the country.
What Makes ADX Different
ADX Florence opened in 1994 as the Bureau of Prisons’ only “control unit” facility, designed around isolation and total movement control. Cells measure roughly 7 by 12 feet and are built almost entirely from poured reinforced concrete. The bed, desk, and stool are molded directly into the floor and walls. A narrow window is angled to show only a strip of sky. Meals arrive through a slot in the door and are eaten alone.
Most inmates spend 22 to 23 hours a day inside that cell. The remaining time is for solitary recreation in a concrete enclosure slightly larger than the cell itself, and even that can be cancelled without notice. Any movement outside the cell requires full restraints and a multi-officer escort. Motion detectors and pressure pads cover the corridors and exterior zones.
People land at ADX for killing or seriously assaulting staff or inmates at lower-security prisons, organizing gang activity from behind bars, repeated escape attempts, or posing a verified threat to national security. The common thread is that no other federal facility could safely hold them.
The Step-Down Program
ADX is not necessarily permanent. The Bureau of Prisons runs a four-phase Step-Down Program that moves inmates gradually back toward a standard high-security prison, with a minimum of about three years from start to finish.
- General Population phase, minimum 12 months of clear conduct inside ADX’s standard conditions, which qualifies the inmate for the program.
- Intermediate Unit, minimum 6 months. Cells have slightly more natural light, and inmates begin associating in small groups of up to eight for limited periods each day. Phone access increases to a few calls per month.
- Transitional Unit, minimum 6 months. Group sizes expand to 16, out-of-cell time grows to several hours daily, meals happen outside the cell with the assigned group, and outdoor group recreation becomes available.
- Pre-Transfer Unit, minimum 12 months. Inmates are often double-celled, move without restraints within the unit, and take on work assignments. Life here closely resembles a standard high-security prison.
Advancement is not automatic. Staff weigh the original reason for ADX placement, conduct, and institutional adjustment, and some inmates have spent years without moving forward.
Getting on an Inmate’s Approved Visitor List
Before you can visit anyone at Florence, you have to be on that inmate’s Approved Visitor List, and the process starts with the inmate, not with you. When someone arrives at a Florence facility, they receive a Visitor Information Form (BP-A0629) and mail a copy to each person they want on their list.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. How to Visit a Federal Inmate You fill out your portion, which asks for personal information including your Social Security number, employment history, and any criminal record, then return it to the address on the form.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. Visitor Information
The Bureau runs a background check through federal databases, and approval can take weeks. Incomplete forms are typically denied outright, so fill in every field. If you’re not approved, the inmate is responsible for telling you. No separate rejection letter goes to the visitor.
Visiting Hours and What to Expect at the Gate
Standard visiting days at the Florence complex are Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays, with hours from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. Visiting Regulations Florence, Colorado You will not be processed into the visiting room after 2:00 p.m. Visitor traffic at the complex front gate stops at 9:30 a.m. for the 10:00 a.m. inmate count, and no visitors enter until the count clears. For Special Housing Unit inmates, visits are conducted by non-contact video rather than in person.
Call 719-784-9100 and press 1 to hear a recorded message about the current visiting status for all four institutions.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. Visiting Regulations Florence, Colorado Visits get cancelled for institutional emergencies or special counts, so the 30-second check is worth it before you drive.
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport. You’ll also need to provide your current address and confirm your relationship to the inmate. Leave almost everything else in the car.
The dress code is strict and enforced at the gate. Clothing in khaki, olive green, or similar colors is prohibited because it resembles inmate uniforms. Sweatpants and jogging outfits are not allowed for the same reason. Revealing clothing, see-through fabric, and anything with offensive or gang-related imagery will get you turned away. Skirts and dresses must reach the knee. No hooded clothing, tank tops, or open-toed shoes. Watches, bracelets, and excessive metal are not permitted. If you show up in something questionable, staff will not let you in, and there is no second chance that day.
Sending Money
Funds go to a centralized lockbox, not to the Florence facility directly. Send a money order, cashier’s check, or certified check to:
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Post Office Box 474701
Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001
Do not send cash or personal checks. The inmate’s full legal name (no nicknames) and eight-digit register number must be printed clearly on both the negotiable instrument and the outside of the envelope.4Federal Bureau of Prisons. Sending Funds Using the United States Postal Service
Electronic transfer services like MoneyGram and Western Union offer faster processing using the Bureau’s facility codes, with transaction fees that vary by amount and payment method. If a payment doesn’t meet the requirements, the Bureau returns it to you with a form explaining the problem.5Federal Bureau of Prisons. Stamps, Negotiable Instrument and Other Returned to Sender
Mail, Books, and Legal Correspondence
Every piece of incoming mail is opened and inspected. The envelope must show the inmate’s full legal name and register number on the first line, followed by the institution’s specific mailing address. Mail without the correct register number is returned. Don’t include anything other than paper correspondence; items that could count as contraband result in the entire piece being confiscated or returned.
Books and magazines follow separate rules that trip people up constantly. At FCI Florence, USP Florence High, and ADX, all publications (hardcover or softcover) must come directly from a publisher, bookstore, or book club. You cannot buy a book at a store and mail it in yourself. Order from an online retailer or publisher and have it shipped straight to the inmate. At the minimum-security camp, softcover books can come from any source, but hardcovers still must come from a publisher or bookstore.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. Incoming Publications If a book is out of print and unavailable through standard sources, the inmate can request an exception through their Unit Manager with written documentation that the book can’t be obtained normally.
Attorney mail receives special handling. For correspondence to be treated as privileged, the attorney must be clearly identified on the envelope and the front must be marked “Special Mail — Open only in the presence of the inmate.”7Federal Bureau of Prisons. Correspondence – Program Statement 5265.14 Properly marked legal mail is opened in front of the inmate and inspected for contraband but not read. Attorney mail without the markings is treated as regular correspondence and screened like everything else.
Phone Calls and Electronic Messages
Federal inmates at Florence can make phone calls, but the system is nothing like a normal phone plan. As of January 2025, the FCC-mandated rate for audio calls is $0.06 per minute, and video calls run $0.16 per minute. Inmates who participate in First Step Act rehabilitation programs receive 300 free phone minutes per month. Those who do not participate pay for their minutes from their commissary account.8Federal Bureau of Prisons. FBOP Updates to Phone Call Policies and Time Credit System
For written communication beyond postal mail, the Bureau operates TRULINCS, an electronic messaging system that reaches you through a platform called CorrLinks. Inmates can only exchange messages with people on their approved contact list. The process starts when the inmate adds you and staff approves the request. You then receive an automated email from CorrLinks asking whether to accept or block future messages. If you accept, the inmate can send messages from terminals inside the institution. The system runs entirely on fees inmates pay from their commissary accounts.9Federal Bureau of Prisons. TRULINCS Topics
TRULINCS messages are not private. The Bureau monitors all electronic communications, and anything you write can be read by staff. Phone calls are similarly monitored and recorded, with the exception of calls to attorneys that have been properly registered as legal contacts.