Lowell Penitentiary is a women's prison located in Marion County, Florida, north of Ocala. Part of the Florida Department of Improvement, it serves as the premier prison for women in the state. Nearly 3,000 women are incarcerated in the complex, which includes Lowell Annex . By 2015, 2,696 women are in the main Lowell CI, making it the largest prison for women in the United States; the prison population became larger than the Central California Women's Facility that year.
It was the first Florida prison for women. Opened in April 1956 as Florida Penitentiary. It's a community detention house, minimum, intermediate, and closed. At the time of opening, Lowell was the only prison that housed the women in the state. In 1999, his name was changed to the Lowell/Women's Prison Society, and in 2000 was given the latest title of the Lowell Correctional Institution. It has a maximum population of 1,456 female prisoners ranging from youth (14-18) to adults (18). The annex has a general population of 1,500 maximum and 150 residential beds specifically for close management, death penalty, medical isolation, and confinement. This is consistently associated with abuse of inmates, inhuman conditions, and little or no intervention from the State of Florida (Miami Herald, 2015, 2017)
Video Lowell Correctional Institution
Facilities
Lowell Correctional Institutions accommodate female offenders at all levels of security, including teenagers ages 14 to 18 and adults. The Lowell Annex, under the auspices of the Lowell Correctional Institution, is a center for inmate admissions. It's also a close security house and a death row convict. Lowell's Prison Labor Camp houses prisoners whose detention rates allow them to work outside the gates and with the public. Lowell Boot Institution "C.A.M.P." Jones (Correctional Alternative Military Program), is a training camp for young offenders. Campsite. The Jones facility was frozen in 2011 along with several other facilities across the state. Campsite. The Jones program was transferred to Lowell Labor Camp in an effort to continue offering rehabilitative benefits to those eligible for the program. Lowell's Main Unit currently hosts the E.D.P Program for offenders aged 14 to 21.
The Levy Forestry Camp, a 30-mile (48 km) forestry labor camp in Bronson, is under the supervision of the Lowell Correctional Institution until it is evicted and closed in 2012. The camp provides labor for the Florida Forestry Division while it is operating.
Maps Lowell Correctional Institution
History
Prior to the opening of the women's prison, female offenders in Florida were housed in Florida State Prison, Raiford, in separate units separate from men. They were placed in the State Prison, Raiford in a wooden dormitory. The quarters are crowded and use a double bed. Women work in separate parts of prison and agricultural workshops. The degree of separation between men and women compared to other prisons is not possible. Facilities for black and white girls are also separated. Black girl placed in Raiford with adult offender. The white girl is being held at the Ocala Industrial School for Girls in which the Lowell Correctional Institution will then be established. The School of Industrial for Girls provides institutional care for an average of 80 to 100 naughty girls, mostly white. In April 1956, the first female prison opened at Lowell, Florida Correctional Institution. All the women in the state prison of Raiford were transferred to this facility. At that time the prison became a row of death for women in Florida.
Growth
The Forest Hills School for Girls, formerly belonging to the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitation Services, was added to Florida C.I. in 1973. The Levy Forestry Camp was added in 1995 with the primary mission of providing manpower to the Forestry Division. In July 1997, C.A.M.P. Jones opened as the only "training camp" - a stylish program for young female actors in Florida. In 1998, Florida C.I. combined with Marion C.I., changed its name to Lowell C.I./Women's Unit. Then in 2000, the prison was renamed Lowell C.I. and began to place young pregnant offenders.
At a point of the Broward Correctional Board holds a prisoner of a woman convicted of death. Lowell Annex was opened in April 2002. Women's death row was transferred to Lowell Annex in February 2003.
In 2009, the renovation of the Lowell Penitentiary began. The first phase was completed and (2) 180 open bed dormitories were placed online in the summer of 2009. With the opening of these two dormitories, some of the older dorms were taken from the service. In the fall of 2009, Phase Two begins and some mission changes take effect, the elderly prisoners are transferred to climate-controlled dormitories in the Lowell Correctional Annex and the main dormitory where inmates using wheelchairs are accommodated to be replaced by new food services and cafeteria building. Another mission that has changed in 2009, is Lowell Prison housing from Prisoners of Pregnancy. In 2009, the Correction Department completed a climate controlled facility in South Florida to accommodate long-term pregnant prisoners. Prisoners in their late pregnancy will remain in the Lowell Penitentiary. There are additional (2) open bay dorms and (2) safe cell housing units planned to begin in the final stages of renovation.
In 2010, Lowell's Correctional Institution completed a (1) 240-bed safe cell housing unit. These boarding houses allege that the department has been classified as a security risk and requires housing within cells rather than dorm beds.
In 2012, the Lowell Acceptance Center, is scheduled to open. This stand-alone facility will take over the Acceptance and Orientation mission of the Appendix. Also scheduled to open at the Lowell Acceptance Center is a Crisis Treatment/Transitional Treatment Unit that will place inmates requiring mental health care of inpatients. The projected prison population after these units are completed will be about 4,000 homes in 6 units to be traversed by the Lowell Correctional Institution.
Miami Herald series
In 2015, the Miami Herald announced it would publish an investigative series, "Beyond Punishment," on Lowell CI, accusing the blame. The newspaper published a short video of the same title. FLDC criticized the newspaper, stating that it had worked with previous newspapers. It gives advance statements to the newspaper.
Tuberculosis Outbreak
In July 2005, 3,100 detainees and 800 staff members were tested at the Lowell Disease Relief Institute for tuberculosis. Prison officials confirmed seven cases and no casualties. State and local officials are not sure how infections are brought to the facility.
Notable Characters
Tiffany Cole - Found guilty of kidnapping and first-degree murder of the St. Nicholas, Florida. Sentenced to death. His conspirator, Michael Jackson, was also found guilty and sentenced to death.
Sheila LaBarre (aka Sheila the Peeler), lives a life without parole for killing two people in Epping, NH, also placed in this prison.
See also
- Rachel Wade
- Emilia Carr
- Tiffany Cole
References
Further reading
- "Beyond Punishment." Miami Herald . 2015.
External links
- Lowell Penitentiary
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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