Hernando Correctional Institution

Hernando Correctional Institution is a Florida state prison for women that is located in Brooksville, Florida. This is a level III facility that was built in 1950 and can house up to 470 inmates of various custody levels.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

If you wish to visit an inmate at Hernando Correctional Institution, you must first get on your inmate’s approved visiting list. They will have to send you a visitor applicationㅡwhich is available in both English and Spanishㅡand then you must fill it out completely and send it back to Hernando Correctional Institution. Everyone 12 or older must complete this form in order to visit an inmate. 

Hernando Correctional Institution is located in the Eastern Time Zone, and the visiting hours are on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. and they stop processing visitors at 2:00 p.m. 

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

Visit procedures

When you arrive for a visit at Hernando Correctional Institution, be prepared for the officers to ask you a few questions and go through a number of searches. 

First, you will have to answer questions about contraband, and then the officers will search your property. The next step is to go through a metal detector and a Magneto Static Detector (which detects cell phones). After that, an officer will conduct a pat search, and the last step is a barrier search that is conducted by a canine handler. 

Items like cell phones, tobacco, weapons, or drugs are considered contraband, and if you try to bring these items into the prison, you could be arrested.

Once you have cleared all of these steps, you will be allowed to visit with your inmate.

What you can bring to a visit

Each visitor is allowed to bring the following items into the visiting room at Hernando 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 have a medical condition that requires injections, the officers at Hernando CI will allow you to leave the visiting room so you can medicate. You are not allowed to bring in any needles or syringes into the visiting room. Before you can return to your visit, 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

The dress code at Hernando Correctional Institution is very conservative. 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

All inmate mail must include the inmate’s committed name, their DC number, and institutional address. Always use the US Postal Service, private companies and couriers are not permitted. 

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.

Non-paper items and stickers are prohibited in inmate mail.

There is also an email option available through JPay. The Hernando Correctional Institution has JP5 tablets available for purchase so your inmate can send and receive monitored emails (for a fee), and they can also purchase music, eBooks, and games. 

Your inmate does not have to own a table to receive emails. The Hernando CI staff can print out emails and deliver them to the inmate at mail call.

How to Call an Inmate

You can’t call an inmate at Hernando Correctional Institution, but they are allowed to make outgoing calls during approved hours. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Florida, please click here.

How to Send Money

If you would like to send money to an inmate at Hernando Correctional Institution, you can use JPay or 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

Education Programs

• Adult Basic Education
• General Education Development (GED)

Vocational Programs

• Digital Design Technology
• Web Development

Substance Abuse Programs

• Narcotics Anonymous
• Harbor Prevention
• Truth About Drugs

Chaplaincy Services

• ABE Brown Video Moms/Bonding
• Anger Management
• Bible Studies
• Celebrate Recovery
• Chapel Library
• Dating & Marriage
• Decision Making
• Economics
• Florida Integrity Training
• Kairos
• Mentoring
• Parenting
• Personal Integrity
• Purpose Driven Life
• Religious Education
• Religious TV Programming
• Self Esteem
• Special Events Seminars
• Worship Services

Institutional Betterment Programs

• Behavior Modification
• Children of Inmates
• Cognitive Restructuring Group
• Conflict Resolution Phase
• Preventing Violence Phase
• Parenting
• Parenting Phase
• Poetry
• PTSD Group
• Reintegration Skills
• Women Helping Women

Re-Entry Programs

• Benefits for Veterans
• Birth Certificate
• Career Scope Program
• Compass 100
• Florida Ready to Work
• Job Seeking Resources
• Pre-Release
• Resume Project
• Social Security Benefits

Pictures of Hernando Correctional Institution

Careers at Hernando Correctional Institution

If you are interested in a job at Hernando Correctional Institution, click here. The Florida Department of Corrections is the third largest prison system in the country, and they are hiring for numerous positions that offer competitive pay and benefits.