Columbia Correctional Institution Annex

Columbia Correctional Institution Annex opened in October 2004, and it is an addition to Columbia Correctional Institution, which is a Florida state prison for men located in Lake City, Florida. The annex has a maximum capacity of 1,566, and it houses inmates in minimum, medium, and closed-custody. 

In one of the most horrific incidents of inmate violence ever reported, Columbia Correctional Institution Annex inmate Larry Mark was killed by his cellmate in 2018. The cellmate strangled and mutilated Mark, gouged out his eyeballs, wrapped his blood-soaked body in a sheet, and then walked to the chow hall with Mark’s ear strung around his neck.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

In order to visit an inmate at Columbia Correctional Institution Annex, they must request that you be added to their visiting list. You must also be approved by the Florida Department of Corrections.  Once the inmate requests to add you, they will send you a visitor applicationㅡwhich is available in both English and Spanishㅡto fill out and mail back to the facility.

Anyone who is 12 or older must complete this form in order to visit an inmate. Do not attempt to visit before you are approved because you will not be allowed to enter the institution.

Visiting hours at the Annex are on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. and visitors will not be processed after 2:00 p.m. 

All minor visitors, 17 years of age or younger, must be accompanied by an approved adult on the inmate’s visiting list.

Visit procedures

When you arrive at Columbia Correctional Institution Annex for a visit, you must answer a series of questions and go through numerous searches. 

First, the officers will ask if you are bringing in contraband, and then you will have your property searched before you go through a metal detector and a Magneto Static Detector. After that, you will be subject to a pat search before finishing up with a barrier search that is conducted by a canine handler. 

Do not attempt to bring in contraband. If you attempt to bring in items like cell phones, tobacco, weapons, or drugs, you could be arrested.

Once you have cleared all of these steps you will be allowed to enter the visiting park. 

What you can bring to a visit

The only items allowed in the visiting park are money and a car key. You can bring in a maximum of $50.00 ($1.00, $5.00, $10.00, and $20.00 denominations only or silver change) for the vending machines, and you can carry the money in a small wallet or pouch.

To avoid any problems with keys, take your car key off of your keychain because you can’t bring in any other keys or a keyless entry device.

If you need medication during your visit, they will allow you to bring the necessary dosage. All medicine must be in the original prescribed container and must be clearly marked. If you have a medical condition which requires injections, you can leave the visiting park and take the necessary medication in your vehicle, but you can’t bring in any needles or syringes into the visiting park.

The following items are allowed if you are bringing an infant to the visit:

A maximum of five diapers, three clear plastic baby bottles, or two sipper cups for toddlers, one clear plastic baby pacifier, three clear plastic jars of baby food with the original seal intact, and baby wipes or towelettes (in a clear plastic bag). Also, you may bring in an infant baby carrier (subject to search), one set of infant clothing, and one non-quilted baby blanket to keep the infant warm.

Dress Code

When you visit an inmate at Columbia Correctional Institution Annex, you must dress conservatively. If you wear any of the following items you will not get in:

• Halter tops or bra-less attire
• Underwear-type t-shirts or tank tops
• Fishnet clothing
• Skin tight clothing
• Shoes with removable parts
• See-through fabric without an undergarment
• Dresses, skirts, or shorts more than three inches above the knee
• Clothing with a threatening picture or language
• Camouflage
• Any clothing with metal

Video Visitation

All inmate mail must come through the US Postal Service. Remember to include the inmate’s committed name, DC number, and institutional address on all correspondence. You are allowed a maximum of 15 pages for each letter, but do not glue, tape, or staple anything to the pages.

Greeting cards are also permitted, but they can’t have any electronic or non-paper parts. Pictures can be included in inmate mail, with the exception of nude photographs, Polaroids, or anything larger than 8”x10.” 

You can send up to ten blank greeting cards, blank pieces of paper, or envelopes to your incarcerated loved one. You can also send a maximum of twenty first class stamps.

Inmates are not allowed to receive mail in boxes, padded envelopes, plastic bags, multi-layer packaging,envelopes that include metal parts, any package containing bubble wrap or packing peanuts, or card stock type envelopes (i.e. U.S. Mail Priority or U.S. Mail Express card board type).

Do not send non-paper items or put stickers on the envelope or correspondence. 

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at Columbia Correctional Facility Annex are not permitted to receive telephone calls, but they may place collect calls to approved numbers during certain hours.

Inmate phone lists are limited to ten numbers, and they are only authorized to call personal landline or cell phone numbers. Collect calls to businesses are prohibited. You must be on the inmate’s call list for you to receive calls. 

For complete details on how to call an inmate in Florida, please click here.

How to Send Money

The only way to send money to an inmate at Columbia Correctional Institution Annex is through JPay (online, app, phone, mail) or by visiting a MoneyGram location.

• Online or Mobile App: To send money with your credit or debit card, visit JPay.com or download the JPay Mobile App that is available at the Apple App Store (for iPhones) and Google Play (for Android phones).
• By phone: Call (800) 574-5729 to talk with a live JPay call center agent and send money with a debit or credit card. 
• Mail a money orderㅡmade payable to JPayㅡwith a deposit slip to:

JPay
P.O. Box 260010
Hollywood, FL 33026

Money order deposit slip available in English here.

Hoja de Depósito para Giros Bancarios disponible en Español aqui.

• Visit a MoneyGram location (including all Walmarts and CVS Pharmacies) and use receive code 5188. This method allows you to use cash.

Programs For Inmates

Academic Programs

• Adult Basic Education
• General Educational Development (GED)
• Special Education Services
• Title 1 Services
• Volunteer Literacy Program

Vocational Programs

• Masonry Brick and Block

Substance Abuse Programs

• Transitional ReEntry Intensive Outpatient
• Transitional ReEntry Aftercare

Chaplaincy Services

• Chapel Library Program
• Audio/Video Library
• Prison Fellowship Monthly
• Religious Education
• Worship Services
• Hebrew Israelite
• Jehovah Witness
• Catholic Services
• Islamic Study/Taleem
• Jumah/Islamic Service
• Ramadan
• Orthodox Jewish Services
• Hebrew Language Study
• Jewish Sabbath
• Inside/Outside Dads
• Alcoholics Anonymous Group

Institutional Betterment Programs

• Faith/Character Based Dorm
• 100-Hour Transition Program
• Anger Management
• Fresh Start Smoking Cessation
• Inmate Fitness Program
• Law Library Program
• Library Program
• Pre- Release Counseling
• Veteran’s Volunteer Program
• Wellness Education

Pictures of Columbia Correctional Institution Annex

Careers at Columbia Correctional Institution Annex

The Florida Department of Corrections is the third largest prison system in the country. There are many positions available in the FDC, so if you are interested in a career at Columbia Correctional Institution Annex, click here.