Lowell Annex

Lowell Annex is a Florida state prison for women that is located in Ocala, Florida and managed by the Florida Department of Corrections. It is adjacent to the Lowell Correctional Institution, and it houses youthful, adult, and elderly offenders (59+).

Inmates of various security levels are housed at Lowell Annex, and it has a maximum capacity of 1,500. It also houses Florida’s female death row, which currently consists of Tiffany Cole, who was found guilty of kidnapping and first-degree murder of a St. Nicholas, Florida couple. 

Lowell Annex has the Lowell Correctional Institution Work Camp which houses inmates whose custody level allows them to work outside the prison. It is also home to the Lowell Correctional Institution Boot "C.A.M.P." Jones (Correctional Alternative Military Program), which is a boot camp for young offenders. 

The C.A.M.P. Jones facility was defunded in 2011 and moved to the Lowell Work Camp in an effort to continue to offer its rehabilitative benefits to those that qualify for the program. 

The Lowell Annex also has an inmate reception center and a 240-bed, secure-cell housing unit for inmates who are too much of a security risk to be housed in regular dormitories.

In 2015, The Miami Herald ran a series of stories that revealed the State of Florida was allowing inmate abuse and inhumane conditions at Lowell.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Before you can visit an inmate at Lowell Annex, they have to put you on their visiting list. The inmate must mail you a visitor application (available in both English and Spanish), and then your application must be approved by the Florida Department of Corrections. Everyone 12 or older must complete a visitor application.

The visiting hours at Lowell Annex are on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST. Registration starts 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

You must bring a valid photo ID when visiting an inmate at Lowell Annex. After the officers confirm that you are an approved visitor, they will ask you some questions, and then you will be subjected to a number of searches.

First, officers will search your property and then you will go through a metal detector, followed by a Magneto Static Detector (which detects cell phones). Next, an officer will pat search you; finally, there is a barrier search conducted by a canine handler. 

It is best to leave everything except for money and keys in your car. 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 can bring the following items into the visiting room:

• 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 are allowed to bring medication to your visit, but bring only the necessary dosage. All meds must be in the original prescribed container and clearly marked. 

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

There is a strict dress code in the Lowell Annex visiting room. The following clothing items are prohibited:

• 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 at Lowell Annex is available through JPay. The visits can last up to thirty minutes, and there is a fee. You must be an approved visitor on the inmate’s visiting list, and you will need to schedule the visit using the JPay calendar function. All you need for a Video Visit is a webcam and a computer.

All inmate mail must go through the US Postal Service. Mail from private companies and couriers is not allowed.

The general guidelines for inmate mail are:

• Letters can be a maximum of 15 pages in length (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

Remember to keep your packaging simple. 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) 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.

If you would like to email an inmate you can do that through JPay. The cost of each email is roughly the price of a stamp. Inmates do not have internet access, but the Lowell 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 Lowell Annex, but they can make calls during approved hours. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Florida, please click here.

How to Send Money

JPay or Moneygram are the options available for sending money to an inmate at Lowell annex. With JPay, you can send money via their website, their app, by phone, or by mail. To use MoneyGram, you must visit a location in person (locations include all Walmarts and CVS Pharmacies).

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 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 (Open Population and Close Management)
• General Educational Development (GED) (Open Population and Close Management)
• SMART Horizon Online High School Diploma
• Special Education Services (Open Population and Close Management)
• Title I Services

Vocational Programs

• Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating
• Fashion Design and Production
• Substance Abuse Programs
• Residential Therapeutic Community Program
• Screening Assessments

Chaplaincy Services

• Chapel Library Program
• Religious Education
• Worship Services

Institutional Betterment Programs

• 100-hour Transition Program
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Dance to Be Free
• Fresh Start Smoking Cessation
• Inmate Fitness
• Intramural Sports
• Law Library Program
• Library Program
• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
• Parenting
• Pre-Release Counseling
• Step Aerobics
• Wellness Education
• Women Helping Women

Pictures of Lowell Annex

Careers at Lowell Annex

The Florida Department of Corrections is the third largest prison system in the country. If you are interested in a job at Lowell Annex, click here. The FDC offers three different career paths: correctional officer, probation officer, and construction & facility maintenance.

There are also jobs in different departments like Administrative Support, Clerical Support, Computer Specialist, Education-Academic & Vocational, Finance and Accounting, and Healthcare.