USP Florence-ADX

[TurtlesLassie]

My husband just transferred to ADX-Florence from Lompoc. I haven't heard from him yet. What is this place like, accommodations, yard, etc? What is the criteria for being sent there? Thanks.

[jackdaniels]

I cannot speak on specifics but I can tell you that your husband went froma pen to ADX Florence. I don't know you or your husband. I do know that only the most dangerous of inmates go to the ADX. If you wouldn't mind letting me know some of the specifics...maybe I could be of more held.

[Zelda50]

I'm not surprised you haven't heard from him yet. Phone time is limited at ADX FLorence and visits are non-contact visits (if you can even get approved) via a telephone with glass window between you. Mail is highly censored!! It is basically an entire prison which is one giant segregated housing unit. A friend of mine sent a description of Florence ADX to the moderator - perhaps she'll post it on the forum soon, so keep checking back. Inmates are placed at ADX Florence when they've gotten in trouble in a penitentiary or if they are considered very high security (spies, Unibomber, etc.) However, the folks I know who have lived there have reported that, while it is very isolating, they are not physically treated badly - it is very stressful mentally. Some can earn their way out of there through different levels by good behavior - in only the last level can they work in UNICOR. Otherwise, very few have jobs as orderlies. They have TV's in their cells and they do all their education/programming by television. Limited recreation. Limited social contact with other inmates. They even built a wall outside the cell windows so the inmates cannot see the Rocky mountains which are nearby. Basically, the last place most inmates want to be. Sorry to have to share this news with you. Zelda

[kintml2u]

Opps...working on them now!

Will have new post shortly!

Diane

[kintml2u]

Institution
USP Florence-ADX


Inmate Mailing Address
USP Florence ADX
P.O. Box 8500
Florence, CO, 81226

Educational Programs
ACE over the television and other such tapes.

Work Details
Orderly jobs on each tier. Factory work when you get close to leaving (UNICOR).

Recreational Activities
Outside and inside recreation. Basketball, handball and work-out bars.

Medical
Fair to good. Eye care and dental are good. They have a “chronicare program” which I was on.

Visitation
Wednesday through Sunday behind glass and over a telephone.

Food Services
Fair to good. They offer 4 diet trays: regular, no meat, heart healthy, and common fare. Also, they address health needs.

Commissary
Wide variety at reasonable prices.

Library
Legal library is fair. Leisure library is excellent.

RDAP


Living Conditions
Living conditions are adequate. Approximately 64 cells to a unit. Televisions and showers in cells.

Racial/Age make up
Mixed racially. Age about 30 to 65.

Typewriters
No typewriters

Telephones
One telephone for the whole unit. (64 people)

Furloughs
No

Items issued by BOP
Television, clothing, cleaning supplies, hygiene supplies.

Items that can be sent in
Money, magazines and books.

Parole Hearings
Yes

Religious Groups
Two chaplains. Rabbi and Islamic leaders come to the institution.

Parenting Programs
Yes, but does not include a visiting program.


Marriage Workshops
No

[kintml2u]

Institution
USP Florence-ADX


Inmate Mailing Address
USP Florence-ADX
P.O. Box 8500, Florence
CO, 81226-8500

Educational Programs
Educational programs are offered on the closed circuit TV channel. There are about 12 –18 programs a year and the subject matter varies. Basically, after an inmate signs up for a class, a test form is sent to him and he writes down the answer when it is given during the video lecture. The system is set up at a grade school level; there is nothing to confuse the inmate such as interpretation. A sample of a test question would be, “How many colors are in the rainbow?” and the lecturer always gives the answer in a very straight forward manner. “There are seven colors in the rainbow.” Honestly, all the questions are like this. Officially, it’s not required to be in the educational programs. Unofficially, it is. I have been in the hole three times over the last four years for not “programming.”

Work Details
90% of the prisoners have access to only one job: orderly. One orderly per tier (or one job for about every 10 inmates). There are other jobs for the few inmates in the unit that holds them before they are released back to a USP.


Recreational Activities
Basketball and handball

Medical
Medical care is provided by Physician’s Assistants who are extremely considerate of budget concerns and very proud of their Caribbean medical certificates. An example of care here: I was diagnosed as having “athlete’s foot” by three different P.A.’s and (because I’m indigent) was prescribed a cream (clotrimazole). When a fourth PA took the “no blood, no problem” approach to medical care, I complained to no avail. When I pointed out that they were tacitly saying the other 3 PA’s were incompetent, they stopped all communication with me

Visitation
I have no knowledge of the visiting system.

Food Services
Poor. Food service believes that bananas can be folded to fit in the trays. Food service knows that scrambled eggs are just that, regardless of whether the amount is a tablespoon or two cups. They know that a pancake is just that, regardless of whether it’s the size of a bread plate, a silver dollar, or a quarter. Food service knows that it can honestly claim that they gave us spaghetti and meatballs, when the meatballs are actually an imitation meat-like substance in the form of aspirin-sized pellets. Meat pellets are also used for beef stroganoff, creamed beef on toast, soups, lasagna, etc. Meat pellets are very versatile. The key to impressing people who don’t actually eat what they serve, is the menu. For example: Roast Beef, BBQ Beef, Beef Stew, French Dip, Big Montana Sandwich, and Beef & Broccoli – are six different ways to describe meat sliced from a roast beef “loaf.” Their motto is: No Malnutrition, No Food Poisoning, No Problem.

Commissary
Varied items. Food, cigarettes, writing utensils, sweatshirt, sweatpants, hygiene items, etc. Can spend max $215/mo. $53.75/week.

Library
Legal library is adequate. Leisure library is adequate.

RDAP


Living Conditions
One inmate per cell, 12 cells per tier (usually), 6 tiers per unit, nine units per institution.

Racial/Age make up
50% black. 50% other (white, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, etc.)

Typewriters
None.

Telephones
Two telephones per unit (64 inmates)

Furloughs
No

Items issued by BOP
Soap, toothpaste, mini-toothbrush, comb, pencil, writing paper, envelopes, toilet paper.

Items that can be sent in
Books from a bookstore.

Parole Hearings
Yes

Religious Groups
Religious videos are shown on the closed circuit TV channel, including thinly disguised hate groups (i.e., Farrakhan and Moorish Science).

Parenting Programs
Parenting videos have been shown on TV.

Marriage Workshops
No

[jackdaniels]

Wow, that about sums up everything I guess. Do you have all of this stuff kept somewhere Kintml2u? Your answers are great.