Lowell Correctional Institution

Lowell Correctional Institution is a Florida state prison for women (both adult and youthful offenders) that is located in Ocala, Florida and managed by the Florida Department of Corrections. 

This facility houses inmates of various security levels, and has a maximum capacity of 1,456. It is the primary prison in the state of Florida for female offenders, and one of the largest women’s prisons in the United States.

Opening in April 1956 as the Florida Correctional Institution, Lowell CI was the first Florida prison for women. At the time, Lowell was the only prison that housed solely female offenders in the state.

In 1999, the name was changed to Lowell Correctional Institution/Women's Unit, and in 2000, it was officially named Lowell Correctional Institution. 

Lowell Correctional Institution currently hosts the E.D.P Program for offenders aged 14 to 21.

In 2009, the Department of Corrections built a climate-controlled facility in South Florida to house long-term pregnant inmates. Inmates who are in the final term of their pregnancy are housed at Lowell Correctional Institution.

Notable Inmates at Lowell CI include Sheila LaBarre (aka Sheila the Peeler), who is serving life without parole for murdering two men, and Emilia Carr who is serving life without parole for the murder of Heather Strong.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

If you wish to visit an inmate at Lowell Correctional Institution, you must first get on their approved visiting list. The inmate must mail you a visitor applicationㅡwhich is available in both English and Spanish. Once you fill it out and send it back, the FDC will review your application. Everyone 12 or older must complete a visitor application and be approved by the Florida Department of Corrections. 

The visiting hours at Lowell Correctional Institution 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

When you first arrive at Lowell Correctional Institution, you must present a valid photo ID. The officers will confirm that you are an approved visitor, and then they will ask you some questions. Before you are allowed into the visiting room, you will also go through a number of searches.

First, your property will be searched, and then you will go through a metal detector and a Magneto Static Detector (which detects cell phones). Next, an officer will pat search you, and 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.

If you need to bring medication to your visit, bring only 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 Lowell will allow you to leave the visiting room because needles and syringes are not allowed. Before you can go back 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 visiting room at Lowell Correctional Institution has a strict dress code. 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

Lowell Correctional Institution does have video visitation 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 to have a video visit, and you must also schedule the visit using the JPay calendar function.

All you need for a Video Visit is a webcam and a computer with the appropriate capabilities. JPay's system will take you step-by-step through the process of setting up a successful Video Visit.

The inmate’s committed name, their DC number, and institutional address must be on all inmate mail. You must use the US Postal Service because 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

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.

Email is available through JPay, and the cost per email is usually no more than 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

Inmates at Lowell Correctional Institution can’t receive incoming calls, but they do have access to phones during approved hours. For details about setting up a phone account, so you can receive calls from an inmate in Florida, click here.   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 Correctional Institution. 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
• General Educational Development (GED)
• Special Education Services
• Title I Services
• Volunteer Literacy Program

Vocational Programs

• Cosmetology
• Culinary Arts
• PC Support Services
• Equine Care Technology (Main Unit and Work Camp)

Substance Abuse Programs

• Residential Therapeutic Community
• Intensive Outpatient
• Pre-Treatment Motivation Program

Chaplaincy Services

• Chapel Library Program
• Religious Education
• Worship Services

Institutional Betterment Programs

• 100-hour Transition Program (Compass 100)
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Faith and Character Dorm Program
• Fresh Start Smoking Cessation
• Gavel Club
• HIV/AIDS/STD Awareness
• Inmate Fitness
• Intramural Sports
• Law Library Program
• Library Program
• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
• Parenting
• Thinking for a Change
• Wellness Education
• Women Helping Women
• Women Offering Obedience and Friendship (Dog Training Program)
• Yoga

Extended Day Program for youth offenders

In response to Chapter 958, Florida Statutes, mandating that those inmates who are youthful offenders be provided enhanced program services, the Extended Day Program was developed.  

This is a 16-hour daytime program provided at all youthful offender institutions that is designed to provide at least 12 hours of activities.  The program is structured to include work assignments, education, including vocational and academic programs, counseling, behavior modification, military style drills, systematic discipline, and other programmatic opportunities aimed at reducing inmate idleness and enhancing the young inmate's chance at becoming a law abiding citizen upon re-entry into the community.

Pictures of Lowell Correctional Institution

Careers at Lowell Correctional Institution

If you are interested in a job at Lowell 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.