Florida’s female prisons consist of four state-run institutions, one privately operated prison, six community release centers, and a federal facility in Tallahassee that houses women alongside men. Four of the state facilities sit in or near Ocala, and the fifth confinement facility, Homestead Correctional Institution, serves South Florida. Which one holds a specific woman depends on her custody level, her sentence length, and how close she is to release.
The Four State-Run Facilities
The Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) operates the following institutions and work camp for women:1Florida Department of Corrections. Facility Directory
- Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala. The oldest and largest women’s prison in the state, holding inmates at every custody level from community and minimum through maximum security.2United States Department of Justice. Investigation of the Lowell Correctional Institution
- Lowell Work Camp in Ocala. On the same campus, housing minimum-custody women assigned to work details.
- Florida Women’s Reception Center in Ocala. Processes every woman newly committed to the state system, provides in-patient mental health treatment, houses short-sentence inmates, and maintains a general population.3Florida Department of Corrections. Florida Women’s Reception Center
- Homestead Correctional Institution in Florida City, Miami-Dade County. The only major women’s facility in South Florida.4Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Correctional Facilities Directory
Why Most Women Pass Through Ocala
Three of the four state facilities sit on or near the same campus in Marion County along Gainesville Road, forming the largest concentration of incarcerated women in the state. Because the Florida Women’s Reception Center processes every newly committed female inmate, most women entering state custody spend time in Ocala before being transferred to a permanent assignment, including Homestead.
Community Release Centers
The FDOC operates or contracts with six community release centers (CRCs) that house women nearing the end of their sentences. Placement is reserved for inmates who meet custody and behavior criteria and are close to release. The female CRCs are:1Florida Department of Corrections. Facility Directory
- SHISA House – West CRC, Tallahassee (contract facility)
- Bradenton Bridge CRC, Bradenton (contract facility)
- Orlando CRC, Orlando
- Suncoast CRC, St. Petersburg (contract facility)
- Atlantic CRC, West Palm Beach
- Hollywood CRC, Pembroke Pines
Gadsden Correctional Facility
Gadsden Correctional Facility in Quincy is the only privately operated prison in Florida that houses women, out of seven private prisons in the state system.5Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability. Department of Corrections Program Summary It operates under contract with the FDOC and follows the same core rules as state-run institutions, with daily operations handled by a private contractor.
Federal Custody: FCI Tallahassee
The facilities above are all part of the state system. A woman sentenced in federal court will not appear in any of them. The Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee is a low-security facility holding both male and female federal offenders, with a population of roughly 1,169.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Tallahassee A woman with a federal conviction from Florida could be at FCI Tallahassee or at a federal facility in another state.
Finding a Woman in Custody
The FDOC runs a free online search tool covering everyone currently incarcerated in or supervised by the state system. You can search by name or by DC number, and the tool pulls from current inmates, released inmates, supervised populations, absconders, and escapees.7Florida Department of Corrections. FDOC Offender Search County jails keep separate databases, so a recent arrestee who has not yet been sentenced to state prison will not show up; check the county sheriff’s website.
For federal inmates, the Bureau of Prisons locator at bop.gov accepts a first and last name or a BOP register, DCDC, FBI, or INS number.8Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmate Locator If you aren’t sure which system holds her, try both.
Florida prisons process routine (non-legal) mail through an electronic system. Incoming letters are opened, scanned, and delivered digitally on tablets or kiosks. The original paper is kept by a contractor for 90 days and then destroyed, though you can request return of your original within that window by sending a written request with a self-addressed stamped envelope.9Cornell Law Institute. Florida Administrative Code 33-210.101 – Routine Mail
Legal mail is handled separately. Letters from attorneys are opened in the inmate’s presence to confirm they are legitimate and contain no contraband, but staff may not read the contents.10Cornell Law Institute. Florida Administrative Code 33-210.102 – Legal Documents and Legal Mail
Phone Calls
Inmates can place outgoing calls but cannot receive them. Incoming voicemails are allowed and monitored like live calls.11Cornell Law Institute. Florida Administrative Code 33-602.205 – Inmate Telephone Use The phone system is run by GTL. You can accept collect calls with no deposit, or set up an AdvancePay prepaid account tied to your phone number. Both bill at $0.135 per minute for domestic calls, with a $0.99 deposit fee each time you add funds to a prepaid account.12Florida Department of Corrections. Inmate Telephone System
Calls can run up to 30 minutes, with a 30-minute wait between calls. Each inmate gets two free five-minute calls per month. All calls except those to attorneys are recorded.12Florida Department of Corrections. Inmate Telephone System
Federal rate caps under the Martha Wright-Reed Act take effect April 6, 2026, and will likely lower these rates. The new caps set prison audio calls at $0.09 per minute and video at $0.23 per minute, with up to $0.02 per minute added for facility costs.13Federal Register. Incarcerated Peoples Communication Services – Implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Act
Video Visitation
JPay, a Securus Technologies company, handles video visitation through multimedia tablets and facility kiosks. A 15-minute session costs $2.95 and is monitored.14Florida Department of Corrections. Multimedia Tablets and Kiosks
In-Person Visitation
Visiting requires advance approval. After the inmate reaches her permanent facility, she receives copies of Form DC6-111A and sends them to each person she wants on her visitor list. You can also download the form from the FDOC website. Submit it by mail or email to the classification department at her institution. Everyone twelve and older must apply; children under twelve can visit without a form.15Cornell Law Institute. Florida Administrative Code 33-601.715 – Visitation Application
Classification staff run a criminal background check on every applicant. Approval can be denied for a history of advocating violence, violating facility rules, or posing a security risk. Approved visitors must follow the institution’s conduct and dress code at every visit; violations can end the visit and cost you future privileges.15Cornell Law Institute. Florida Administrative Code 33-601.715 – Visitation Application