Holmes Correctional Institution

Holmes Correctional Institution is a Florida state prison for men located in Bonifay, Florida, and it is operated by the Florida Department of Corrections. This facility was built in 1988 and can house a maximum of 1,185 inmates of various custody levels.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

You are not allowed to visit an inmate at Holmes Correctional Institution unless you are on their approved visiting list. The inmate will have to mail you a visitor applicationㅡwhich is available in both English and Spanishㅡand then you must fill it out completely and honestly before sending it back to Holmes Correctional Institution. Everyone 12 or older must complete this form in order to visit an inmate. 

Holmes Correctional Institution is in the central time zone, so the visiting hours are on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST. Registration starts at 7:15 a.m. and they stop processing visitors at 1:00 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 Holmes Correctional Institution, you must have a valid photo ID to get into the visiting room. The officers will make sure you are an approved visitor, and then they will ask you some questions before you go through a number of searches and scanners.

The officers will search your property and then you will go through a metal detector and a Magneto Static Detector (which detects cell phones). Next, you must undergo a pat search, and finally, you will go through a barrier search that is conducted by a canine handler. 

Only bring a car key and money for vending machines. Items like cell phones, electronic devices, tobacco, weapons, and 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

These are the only items allowed in the visiting room at Holmes 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.

You can bring necessary medication to your visit, but you can only bring in the necessary dosage. All meds must be in the original prescribed container and clearly marked. 

For medical conditions that require injections, like diabetes, the officers at Holmes will allow you to leave the visiting room. Needles and syringes are not allowed inside. Before you can return to your visit, the officers will conduct another pat search.

If you are bringing an infant into the visit, you may have 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 in the visiting room at Holmes Correctional Institution is conservative. The following clothing items are not allowed:

• 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

Video visitation is available through JPay at Holmes Correctional Institution. The visits can last a maximum of thirty minutes, and you must pay to use this service. You must also be an approved visitor on the inmate’s visiting list to have a video visit.

Always include the inmate’s committed name, their DC number, and institutional address on all inmate mail. Only mail from the US Postal Service is accepted. Holmes does not allow mail from private companies and couriers.

What can you send to an inmate?

• Letters 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

Do not send any 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). Any mail with bubble wrap or packing peanuts is not allowed.

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

Email

JPay is a service that allows you to send an email to an inmate. Inmates do not have internet access, but the Holmes staff can print out emails and deliver them at mail call.

How to Call an Inmate

You can’t call an inmate at Holmes Correctional Institution, but they do have access to phones during approved hours. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Florida, please click here.

How to Send Money

To send money to an inmate at Holmes Correctional Institution, you can use either JPay or Moneygram. 

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 (includes all Walmarts and CVS Pharmacies) and use receive code 5188. You can also use a debit or credit card with this option.

Programs For Inmates

Academic Programs

• Adult Basic Education (Main Unit & Work Camp)
• General Educational Development (GED) (Main Unit & Work Camp)
• Special Education Services
• Title I Services

Vocational Programs

• Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing
• PC Support Services
• Welding Technology

Chaplaincy Services

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Basic Life Principles Seminars
• Baptisms
• Bridge Builders (drug treatment)
• Catholic Studies/Communion
• Celebrate Recovery
• Chapel Library Program
• Chapel Media Center — DVD Educational
• Chapel Re-Entry Classes
• Conquering Additions
• Discipleship — Living on the Edge
• Discipleship — Pick Your Cross
• Evangelism Explosion — Prison E.E.
• Faith and Character Based Program — Phase II
• Gavel Club
• Hebrew Israelite Study
• Interfaith Mediation
• Islamic Jumah Prayer
• Jehovah Witness Bible Study
• Jewish Sabbath Prayer Services
• Marriage Process
• Mentoring
• Music/Band
• Parenting
• Primary Worship Opportunities
• Religious and Crisis Counseling
• Religious Education
• Religious Study Program
• Revivals and Special Events
• Self Help Program
• Spanish Worship Services
• Worship Services

Institutional Betterment Programs

• 100-Hour Transition Program
• Active and Passive Sports
• Anger & Stress Management
• Goal Planning
• Job Interview Skills
• Law Library Program
• Library Program
• Money Management
• Victim Impact

Pictures of Holmes Correctional Institution

Careers at Holmes Correctional Institution

To view the job listings at Holmes Correctional Institution, click here. The Florida Department of Corrections is the third largest prison system in the country, and there are numerous open positions across the state that offer competitive pay and benefits.