Taylor Correctional Institution

Taylor Correctional Institution is a Florida state prison for men located in Perry, Florida. The Department of Corrections manages this Level V facility, which opened in 1994. It can house a maximum of 1,301 prisoners of mixed custody levels.

In 2014, two correctional officers were charged with multiple felonies after they ordered the murder of David Powell, a Taylor inmate. Powell had threatened to expose the officers' lucrative smuggling operations, but he did not suffer serious injuries after two stabbings.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

The visiting hours at Taylor Correctional Institution are on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST. Registration will start at 8:15 a.m. and they stop processing visitors at 2:00 p.m. You will not be allowed to visit if you arrive after 2:00 pm. 

Before you can visit an inmate at Taylor Correctional Institution, you must get on their approved visiting list. The visitor applicationㅡwhich is available in both English and Spanishㅡmust be filled out completely and mailed to the Taylor Correctional Institution. 

The Florida Department of Corrections will review your application, and the inmate will notify you when your application is approved.  If you are not approved, you will not be allowed to visit.

Everyone 12 or older must complete a visitor application, and all visitors 17 or younger must be accompanied by an approved adult on the inmate’s visiting list.

Visit procedures

You must have a valid photo ID to visit an inmate at Taylor Correctional Institution. During visitor registration, officers will also ask you some questions, and 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 and other electronic devices). The next step is a pat search from an officer; finally, there is a barrier search conducted by a canine handler. 

You are not allowed to visit with an inmate until you have cleared all of these steps.

What you can bring to a visit

The following items are allowed in the visiting room at Taylor Correctional Institution:

• A maximum of $50.00 ($1, $5, $10, and $20 denominations only or silver change) for the vending machines. You are allowed to carry the money in a small wallet or pouch.
• One car key. No key chains or keyless entry devices.
• Medication. Bring only the necessary dosage in the original prescribed container (it must be 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

Do not attempt to bring a cell phone or any other electronic device to the visiting room.

Dress Code

The Taylor Correctional Institution visiting room dress code prohibits the following clothing items:

• 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

Taylor Correctional Institution also has video visitation. This service is available through JPay, and you must use their calendar function to schedule a video visit.

A JPay account is required to visit with an inmate via video. The fee is $2.95 for 15 minutes, and video visits can last a maximum of 30 minutes.

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

The following packaging is not allowed:

• Boxes
• Padded envelopes
• Plastic bags
• Multi-layer packaging
• Envelopes that include metal parts
• Card stock type envelopes (U.S. Mail Priority or U.S. Mail Express card board type) 
• Bubble wrap
• Packing peanuts

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

Email is also an option through JPay. The inmates at the Taylor Correctional Institution do not have internet access, but they can receive a printout during mail call. 

You can also buy your inmate a JP5 tablet. This device allows them to read and write emails, as well as purchase music, eBooks, games, and rent movies. 

How to Call an Inmate

You can’t call an Inmate at Taylor 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 Taylor Correctional Institution, you must use JPay or MoneyGram. There is a fee when you send money, and the lowest fees are usually online or with the app compared to the phone or in person, but it’s never cheap.

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 in person and use receive code 5188. MoneyGram locations include all Walmarts and CVS Pharmacies. 

Programs For Inmates

Academic Programs

• Adult Basic Education (Main Unit & Work Camp)
• Basic Literacy Program (Main Unit & Work Camp)
• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (Main Unit)
• General Educational Development (GED) (Main Unit & Work Camp)

Vocational Programs

• Plumbing Technology

Chaplaincy Services

• Buddhist Meditation Program
• Catholic Mass
• Celebrate Recovery - English/Spanish
• Chapel Library Program
• Chapel Praise Team
• Experiencing God
• Family Integrity Training (FIT)
• Hebrw Israelite
• Islamic Jumah Prayer
• Jehovah Witness Studies
• Jewish Studies
• Messianic Studies
• Odinist
• Protestant Worship
• Religious Education
• Spanish Protestant Worship
• Spanish Worship Programs
• Spiritual Advisor Program
• Stepping Up
• Worship Services

Betterment/Faith and Character Dorm

• 100-hour Transition Program
• Anger Dynamics
• Bible in a Year
• Business Concepts
• Creative Writing
• English Basics Class
• Expository writing
• Financial Literacy - English/Spanish
• FIT - Insight Group
• FIT - Loss and Grief
• From the Inside Out
• Gavel Club
• Inmate Fitness Program
• Introduction to Faith and Character
• Introduction to Meditation
• Language Mentoring
• Law Library Program
• Leadership Training
• Library Program
• Parenting - Core Class
• Practical Parenting
• Spanish Language Class
• The Truth Project
• Thinking for a Change

Pictures of Taylor Correctional Institution

Careers at Taylor Correctional Institution

Taylor Correctional Institution has numerous open positions available, and they are currently offering a $1,000 hiring bonus.  If you are interested in a job, click here.

The Florida Department of Corrections has three career paths: correctional officer, parole officer, and construction and facility maintenance. They also have open positions in different departments such as education, library, and administrative support.

Standard benefits include paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, health insurance, tuition-free college courses, and a 457 tax-deferred retirement plan.