How to Contact an Inmate in Florida State Prison

iEditorial Note: These blog posts represent the opinion of DoNotPay’s Writers, but each person’s situation and circumstances vary greatly. As a result, you should make sure to do your own independent research. Because everyone is unique, our self-help tools are never guaranteed to help with any specific situation. DoNotPay is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and is not equivalent to the services of a licensed lawyer. DoNotPay provides a platform for legal information and self-help, and does not offer legal services. Third party news articles mentioned on our website do not necessarily reflect the views of the company, or the current services that we offer.

How to Connect With Inmate in Florida State Prison

The (FSP), or Raiford Prison, is the largest state agency in Florida and the third-largest prison system in the US. Formerly known as the Florida State Prison-East Unit, the male prison was opened in 1961 and has a capacity of 1,460.

FSP incarcerates nearly 96,000 inmates and oversees about 166,000 offenders in the community. It provides academic programs, chaplaincy services, and institution betterment programs. FSP is the only prison in Florida that's officially named a prison. The rest are correctional institutions/facilities.

Where is Florida State Prison?

Florida State Prison is located in unincorporated Bradford County, FL, on State Road 16, right across the border from Union County. It lies at the center of other prisons, and is surrounded by New River O-Unit, New River Correctional Institution, and sits across the river from Union Correctional Institution.

FSP General Information

Physical address23916 NW 83rd Ave

Raiford, Florida

32026

(do not send inmate mail to this address)

General phone number(904) 368-2500
Chaplain phone number(904) 368-8894
Fax number(904) 368-2732
Websitehttp://www.dc.state.fl.us/

How To Contact Inmates in Florida State Prison

There are many different ways to get in touch with an inmate in Florida State Prison. You could:

1. Make a call: Florida inmates aren't allowed to receive calls. But they can place collect calls to approved numbers. In case it's an emergency, you'll need to contact the chaplain, who will, in turn, inform the inmate so they may be given a special phone call. The telephone system is as follows:

  • Monday to Thursday and Sundays: 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
  • Friday and Saturday and any day before a state observed holiday: 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

2. Send a letter: You can also send mail to a prisoner in Florida State Prison. Be sure to use the inmate's committed name and DC number when addressing your letters.

Inmate last name, first name, DC#

PO Box 23608

Tampa, FL 33623

3. Visit in-person: If you live close to Florida State Prison or don't mind the hassle of driving down to the physical location, you can visit the prison at this address:

23916 NW 83rd Ave

Raiford, Florida

32026

4. Email messages: Inmates in Florida State Prison aren't authorized to access the internet. But the department offers a range of multimedia services to inmates through JPay Inc. Secure Mail is available to prisoners at the cost of $0.39 per stamp, which goes at $0.58.

How to Send Money to Florida State Prison: JPay

no longer provides inmates bank deposit amounts or account balances through the toll-free number previously used. This is in a bid to address security and related inmate safety concerns. If you wish to send money to an inmate, you'll have to use JPay, which lets you deposit a range of ways like:

  • Toll-free phone: Send money with your credit/debit card. Dial (800) 574-5729 To speak with a live JPay customer service agent.
  • Walk-in cash: Visit any MoneyGram agent location to make a cash deposit.
  • JPay mobile app: Download the JPay app on Google Play or Apple Appstore to send money from wherever you are.
  • Online at JPay: Last but not least, you can send money online with your debit or credit card at JPay.com.

How to Send Packages to Florida State Prison

If you're planning to send a package, familiarize yourself with the rules and address the mail correctly. Call the Florida State Prison for clarification about what's allowed and not allowed. Here are the basics of sending a package:

Allowed:

  • Money
  • Packages
  • Blank greeting cards
  • Personalized letters
  • Reading materials
  • US postage stamps
  • Pre-approved inmate packages
  • Up to 15 pages of written material

Forbidden:

  • Stickers
  • Drugs and drug paraphernalia
  • Lottery tickets
  • Objects that could promote sexual deviancy
  • Food
  • Laminated objects
  • Nonpaper materials

Steps to Take Before Calling or Writing to a Prisoner

Follow these steps before contacting your loved one in prison.

  1. Locate the prisoner: If you have no idea where your prisoner is being held, the first step is to locate them. DoNotPay makes it easy to locate inmates through all prisons in Florida. Head over to our web browser to get started, then:
  2. Go to Connect With an Inmate.
  3. Click Locate Someone.
  4. Enter inmate's name, date of birth, state, and other personal details.
  5. Check the matches and locate the inmate.

DoNotPay can also help:

Difficulties you May Encounter When Contacting a Loved One in Florida State Prison

Inmates in Florida State Prison continue to have rights under the constitution's First Amendment to maintain contact with the outside world. Still, they face lots of restrictions.

For instance, inmates aren't allowed to get phone calls unless they have a family emergency. They also aren't allowed to receive regular mail in multi-layer packaging, padded envelopes, boxes, plastic bags, card stock type envelopes, etc. Besides, any slightest error to the inmate's name or DC number could result in rejection.

Add all that to the fact that you have the hassle of writing and delivering the letter to the post office, and it all becomes apparent why many people stop communicating with inmates. But you don't have to let this stop you from keeping in touch with your loved one.

Get In Touch With Your Loved One Via DoNotPay

DoNotPay can help you connect with your incarcerated loved one. Whether you want to find where they're currently being held, write a personalized letter, or check for any new mail virtually, we've got you covered.

How DoNotPay Can Help you Connect with an Inmate in Florida State Prison

Communicating with an inmate in Florida State Prison shouldn't be that hard. DoNotPay's new prison product simplifies the mailing process. Thanks to the newly integrated mailing technology and encrypted database, you can send mail to your loved one directly from our site or app. You can also get responses from inmates for an easy two-way communication experience. Here's how we can help you:

  1. Locate the Connect With an Inmate service on DoNotPay.

  2. Choose whether you want to locate a loved one, create a virtual mailbox, or send a personalized letter.

  3. If you want us to find your loved one, provide their personal details and the state they are located in. We'll then conduct a search on the appropriate state database.

  4. If you want to create a virtual mailbox, just provide your full name! We'll set one up for you so you can easily receive incoming mail from your loved one.

  5. If sending a personalized letter, tell us which facility your loved one is located in and what you would like to say to them. You can even include a photo! Your letter will be delivered automatically - just wait 10 days for it to arrive to your loved one!

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

DoNotPay works across different companies, entities, and groups. In addition to helping you find and connect with an inmate in Florida State, we can also help:

Sign up today to get started.

Fight for your rights