Hardee Correctional Institution

Hardee Correctional Institution is a Florida state prison for men that is located in Bowling Green, Florida. This facility opened in 1991 and can house up to 1,541 inmates of various security levels, including minimum, medium, and closed.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Before you can visit an inmate at Hardee Correctional Institution, you must first get approval from the Florida Department of Corrections. Your inmate must send you a visitor applicationㅡwhich is available in both English and Spanishㅡand then you must fill it out completely and send it back to Hardee Correctional Institution. Everyone 12 or older must complete this form in order to visit an inmate. 

Hardee Correctional Institution visiting hours 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 visitors 17 or younger must be accompanied by an approved adult on the inmate’s visiting list.

Visit procedures

The visitor registration process at Hardee Correctional Institution is extensive. Be prepared for the officers to ask you a few questions, and then you will go through a number of searches. 

First, the officers will ask you about contraband, and then they will search your property before you go through a metal detector and a Magneto Static Detector (which detects cell phones). After that, you must go through a pat search, and the last step is a barrier search that is conducted by a canine handler. 

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

You will be allowed to enter the visiting area after you have cleared all of these steps.

What you can bring to a visit

Each visitor is allowed to bring the following items into the visiting room at Hardee Correctional Institution:

• A maximum of $50.00 ($1, $5, $10, and $20 denominations only or silver change) for the vending machines, and you can carry the money in a small wallet or pouch.
• One car key. No key chains or keyless entry devices.

If you need to bring medication for your visit, you are only allowed to bring in the necessary dosage. It must be in the original prescribed container and clearly marked. 

If you are a diabetic, or have any other medical condition which requires injections, they will allow you to leave the visiting room and take care of that in your vehicle. You are not allowed to bring in any needles or syringes into the visiting room. Before you can return to the visiting room, the officers will conduct another pat search.

If you are bringing an infant into the visit, you are allowed to carry in the following items:

• 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 
• Baby wipes or towelettes (in a clear plastic bag) 
• An infant baby carrier (subject to search)
• One set of infant clothing
• One, non-quilted baby blanket to keep the infant warm

Dress Code

Remember to dress conservatively when visiting an inmate at Hardee Correctional Institution. If you wear any of the following items, you will not be allowed to visit:

• 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

When addressing inmate mail, you must always include the inmate’s committed name, their DC number, and institutional address. All mail must go through the US Postal Service (no UPS or FEDEX). 

Here are the general guidelines for inmate mail:

• Letters can be no longer than 15 pages (You cannot glue, tape, or staple anything to the pages)
• Greeting cards, but nothing with electronic or non-paper parts
• Pictures, with the exception of nude photographs, Polaroids, or anything larger than 8”x10”
• A maximum of ten, blank, greeting cards, blank pieces of paper, or envelopes
• A maximum of twenty, first class stamps

All mail in boxes, padded envelopes, plastic bags, multi-layer packaging, envelopes that include metal parts, or card stock type envelopes (U.S. Mail Priority or U.S. Mail Express card board type) is not allowed. Also, the mailroom will reject any package that has bubble wrap or packing peanuts.

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

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at Hardee Correctional Institution are not allowed to receive incoming calls, but they do have access to phones and can make calls to approved numbers during daytime hours. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Florida, please click here.

How to Send Money

There are two companies that offer money services for inmates at Hardee Correctional Institution: JPay and MoneyGram. With JPay, you can send money via their website, with their app, on the phone, or by mail. For MoneyGram, you will have to visit a location in person.

JPay Options

• Online or Mobile App: To send an inmate 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.

Moneygram

If you would like to use cash, visit a MoneyGram location (including all Walmarts and CVS Pharmacies) and use receive code 5188. 

Programs For Inmates

Academic Programs

• Adult Basic Education
• General Education Development (GED)
• Inmate Tutor Assistant (ITA)

Vocational Programs

• Carpentry

Chaplaincy Services

• Abe Brown Ministry
• Abundant Life Ministries
• Aleph Institute
• Bethel Baptist Church
• Bible Truth Deliverance Church
• Calvary Chapel Pinellas Park
• Christian Motorcyclist Association
• Free Inside Ministries
• Frontline Ministries
• God Behind Bars
• God is Good
• Gospel Crusade
• HOPE
• Inside Out Ministries
• Jehovah Witness
• Jesus Only Way Ministry
• Jordan Gospel Ministry
• Kairos
• Masjid Aisha
• Men of the Word
• Mount Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church
• New Life Baptist Church/Tabernacle
• Riverside Ministries Spanish
• Rock of Ages
• Samoset Baptist
• Southern Palm Zen Group
• St. Michaels
• Theological Seminary
• Timothy’s Gift Ministries Walker Seventh Day Adventist

Institutional Betterment Programs

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Anger Resolution
• CAPS/ 4 Phase
• Character Quality Building
• DIRECT
• Effective Communication
• Every Man’s Battle
• Financial Literacy
• Financial Planning & Investing
• Greyhound Advancement Center Dog Obedience Training Program.
• HOOD Series
• Life Path
• Mentoring & Leadership
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Parenting
• Small Business Entrepreneurship
• Transition
• Wellness and Fitness
• Writing a Business Plan
• Young Adult Men

Pictures of Hardee Correctional Institution

Careers at Hardee Correctional Institution

If you are interested in a job at Hardee Correctional Institution, click here. The Florida Department of Corrections is the third largest prison system in the country, and there are so many opportunities available, including a $1,000 hiring bonus if you land a job at Hardee CI.