hi there! i am karen.
i visit the minimum security satellite camp @ florence frequently. recently, someone contacted me a/b visiting there...i thought this information would be beneficial to everyone....
RDAP: my friend was moved from englewood to florence with the notion that the englewood facility was going to be exclusively RDAP. and that those prisoners from florence would be moved up to englewood.. i am not sure this has actually happened....and i am not well-versed on RDAP at florence - however, i will inquire for you.
GUYS TO A BUNK/CUBE: when you check in, you are assigned to a 4-man cube. when you are no longer the new kid on the block, you can move around. my friend was in a 4-man cube for a/b a week or so, before finding someone in need of a bunkmate. so he is now with just one other man. My understanding is that the physical space they have is minimal compared to what he had in Englewood - and no bulletin boards for pictures. There seem to also be regular 'shake-downs' to look for contraband, etc. last one took place on a sunday morning at 6am. lovely, huh?!
TELEPHONE CALLS: my friend telephones me maybe only once or twice a month....he has children and uses the majority of his minutes for them. so i get what's leftover usually at the end of the month. so i cannot speak for 15 minute phone calls. i get a/b 3 minutes usually!!! understand tho, that we write constantly, and i'm there at least 1nce or 2wice a month.
CLOTHING TO VISIT: yes, they are pricks. excuse my bluntness. i wore a top last weekend that had 3/4 sleeves that were split down the middle - apparently i was showing too much arm. perish the thought. so....in answer to your concerns...yes. be VERY mindful of what you wear. also - they are quite particular a/b your purse and what you carry in. also know that outside on the deck there are now cameras. one inmate ended up in the hole for an extended period of time recently for getting a bit too touchy/feely with his wife (or g/f).
GUARDS: the satellite camp is a minimum security facility. the COs there do not operate it as such. especially compared to the camp in Englewood. i think the proximity to the USP and the SMax seems to influence how they run this camp. it's way strict. and many times for no apparent reason. basically, federal prison employees are idiots. they are order takers. they could give a &*!@$ a/b anything other than when their shift is over. more a/b this later.
LISTS: yes, his list will transfer. phone & visitor. no problem.
COMMISARY ACCT: i am not involved in my friends access to his commissary acct, so i cannot comment here.
OTHER COMMENTS: the guards at this facility are very self-serving. i have seen them let people in for visitation 10+ minutes late. however, when i arrived a/b 10 minutes late one morning, the guard at the gate would not let me in...and i was forced to wait an hour and a half. in the morning, when the gates open first thing, you must be there promptly. at 11am, they are more flexible. i believe counts might have something to do with it - however, a few minutes here or there seems to be at their discretion. i have arrived at 11:15, 11:45 with no problems. on the other end, visiting hours are supposed to END at 3pm. these guys will give 10 minute 'warnings' at 2:40....and have everyone out before 3pm....again, they are very self-serving, want to get the hell out and will compromise your visiting time. it's unacceptable.
the inside visiting room consists of many chairs, few tables, a room for kids w/a tv. the vending machines seem to usually work. there is no bottled water...just a water fountain. there HAVE been cups there previously, and when they run out, there is absolutely no interest in getting more. guards at the desk are incredibly lazy.
MAIL: mail FROM the prison seems to arrive to me in Denver in a/b 2 days. usually my mail from denver to there can take up to a week.
my friend has commented that food there is better than the previous facility, which is a very relative statement. however, there appears to be more fresh fruit & veggies, eggs made to order...things not available at Englewood at the time he was there.
the satellite camp faces the foothills and the views are beautiful, the sunsets are riveting, the winds are pretty much constant.
If you want to visit and spend the night, there are clean places in Canon City, which is a/b 10 minutes from Florence and the prison/s. Florence is kind of a sad, forgotten looking town....but there is a pretty park in town with large trees and green grass.
i hope that i have been helpful to you. again, from Denver proper, Florence is a/b 1 1/2 hours drive. from colorado springs, exactly an hour. easy ride.
if there is anything else i can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask.
karen

Thanks Karen,

My husband is arriving from California at the end of this month. One thing I have learned is the Guards usually rotate once every three months - and sometimes if they come from the other prisons it takes time to let down. As I will be flying with 2 kids - Instead of visiting twice a month (which we do now) It will be once every 3 months. I also learned from his time in a Low, that my attitude can affect your relationship with them. I realize that sometimes they are dealing with inmates that have attitude and are let's just say -not very smart. My husband and many others are, and once they have gotten to know us - We have had decent dealings with them.

i'm so sorry to hear that you won't be seeing your husband as often. it hurts my heart to know that your kids won't see their father either. the moving around of inmates to places where they are virtually remote to their families is reprehensible in my opinion. especially when you read their policies and statements about how important it is for inmates to have visits and contact with their family and friends. from where i sit there is no concern at all on their part.
to address your comments about the guards and their attitudes...to be perfectly honest with you, i have no dealings with them whatsoever. i would no sooner garner a relationship with those people than i would the man in the moon. with all due respect to those that have family and/or friends that do these jobs? i have yet to encounter any that seem to possess the ability to go beyond what's put in front of them. sometimes to the point of ridiculousness. there have been situations that defy common sense. i could write paragraphs. if there's anything else you need to know, i'm happy to help if i can. travel safely.