Florida’s High-Security Prisons
If you or a loved one is facing a federal prison sentence, you may be wondering what kind of prison you will end up in. The security levels of federal prisons range from minimum to high, with an additional administrative level. Each level has different features and restrictions, depending on the inmates’ risk and needs. In this article, we will focus on the highest security level: maximum security prisons.
The most dangerous and violent offenders in the federal system are housed in maximum security prisons, which are also called penitentiaries. These inmates are serving long sentences or life imprisonment for serious crimes, such as murder, terrorism, espionage, or sex offenses. Some of them may also be on death row, waiting for their execution.
Maximum security prisons have the most restrictive and secure environment, with high walls, razor wire, guard towers, and electronic surveillance. For most of the day, the inmates are confined to their cells, with limited activities and movement. The staff-to-inmate ratio is high, and the security measures are strict.
In Florida, there are two maximum security prisons, both located in the Federal Correctional Complex, Coleman (FCC Coleman). FCC Coleman Federal Correctional Complex is a United States federal prison complex for male inmates in unincorporated Sumter County, Florida, near Wildwood. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), a division of the United States Department of Justice.
Approximately 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Orlando, 60 miles (97 km) northeast of Tampa, and 35 miles (56 km) south of Ocala, the facility is located in central Florida. The Coleman prison address is 846 NE 54th Ter, Coleman, FL 33521. The space of the complex is 1,600 acres (650 ha). As of 2010, the complex houses 7,120 prisoners altogether, and 1,300 employees, and is the largest correctional facility operated in the nation, making it one of the largest employers in the county. According to Rachel Monroe of The Atlantic, the prison has held several notable or unusual criminals. Most prisoners, except for those housed at United States Penitentiary Coleman 1, are serving sentences for drug-related crimes, and had not been found guilty of violent acts.
The prisoners at FCC Coleman federal prison are all male. They have sentences of 10 years on average. Press reports indicate female prisoners, which previously were held at the adjacent satellite prison camp, had been raped by staff, and that widespread sexual abuse has been tolerated. Prosecutors have been unable to prosecute cases against the employees due to lack of evidence.
The complex consists of four facilities: Federal Correctional Institution, Coleman Low (FCI Coleman Low): a low-security facility. Federal Correctional Institution, Coleman Medium (FCI Coleman Medium): a medium-security facility with an adjacent satellite prison camp for minimum-security inmates. United States Penitentiary I, Coleman (USP Coleman 1): a high-security facility. United States Penitentiary II, Coleman (USP Coleman 2): a high-security facility.