Florida Death row advocacy group
working to maintain and improve living conditions for death row in florida
information PACKAGE
Welcome
This packet was designed by the members of FDRAG, to assist the families and friends of Death Row inmates with their transition into the rules and regulations of the Florida system. Our personal experiences of frustration and uncertainty as we were initiated into the system, have lead us to hope that the information contained within the packet, will save others from the same feelings.
If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us from the list below. We are here to help you. Take care and stay strong,
FDRAG
www.fdrag.kk5.org
Cards and information about Florida / Gina Quick, 325 Garden Lane, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233, USAMembership and information about FSP / Britta Slopianka, 4301 Confederate Point Road, CD 39, Jacksonville, FL 32210, USA,
General information / Geesje De Jong, Director, Lykourgou 21, 15231 Chalandri, Athens, Greece,
General and newsletter sending information / Janneke van Steensbergen, Maasdijk 1C, 5317 KP Nederhemert, The Netherlands
General information / Karin Elsea, PO Box 5957, 1002 Lausanne, Switzerland
General information / Charlotte Mount, 7 Griggs Meadow, Dunsfold, Godalming, Surrey, GU8 4ND, United Kingdom
Website / Guisi Branca,
Unwritten Rules for Visiting Union Correctional Institution
The parking lot at the prison is not opened till 7:00 am. The death row visiting park is limited to 26 tables, and we suggest that you arrive early to secure a place in line. Visitors line up under the canopy at the main building at approximately 7:00 and they are allowed in groups of five, to sign in. Please be sure, that you have a valid photo ID, and the tag number of your vehicle with you. If you have not registered as a visitor, you will be required to have your photo taken for the DOC records, your hand scanned and issued a visitor pin number. This number will be required at every visit. At approximately 8:30, the guards will begin calling names for passes and searches.
To visit your friend in prison:
http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/inmates/visit.html. The prisoner you wish to visit must send you an application. An application must be completed by all visitors 12 years of age or older. The application form consists of two parts: Form numbers DC6-111A and DC6-111B. You complete and submit the DC6-111A. The DC6-111B is a visitor information summary which should be reviewed and retained by the visitor. Completed applications (DC6-111A) should be mailed to the Classification Department at the prisoner's current location. It takes approximately 30 days to process an application from the date it is received.
Visiting List Approval: Request a visitation form from your friend or loved one. After returning the completed form to the Central Visitation Authority, it takes approximately 6 weeks for approval. You will be notified by mail. Normally, a person is allowed to be on only one inmate’s visitation list.
NOTE: If you are applying from outside the continental U.S or its territories, you must attach a complete criminal history check from your local law enforcement agency to the application.
Special visits: Visitors travelling over 200 miles may request a special visit, allowing them two 6 hour visits (Special visits) instead of one. You can request a special visit by contacting the institution and speaking with the inmate's Classification Officer.
Please read the visitation rules carefully. They are specific and are strictly enforced.
http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/inmates/visit.html
Traveling from overseas; A small German travel agency is specializing in good deals for travellers visiting from Europe to death row and will also arrange for inland US flights:
Andrea Kossmeier
Luhdorfer Strasse 125, 21423 Winsen/Luhe
Germany
(is it koessmeier or kossmeier)
Tel: 00-41-71-667848
Cell phone: 00-41-71-5022185
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Directions to UCI
Directions: From East: SR-16, 11 miles west of Starke on left. From North (MacClenny): SR-121 south approximately 17 miles to SR-16 (before town of Raiford). Turn left onto SR-16. Go approximately 2 miles. The Institution is on the right. From West (Lake City): SR-100 approximately 23 miles to SR-121 (Lake Butler), turn left. Go approximately 6 miles. Just outside town of Raiford turn right (east) onto SR-16. Go approximately 2 miles. The Institution is on the right.
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Directions to FSP
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Directions: From East: SR-16, 11 miles west of Starke on left. Go through archway, circle to left, Administration Building (Red Brick) behind parking lot. From South: US-301 north approximately 35 miles north of Gainesville to Starke. Turn left onto SR-16 (Raiford Road) (West), go approximately 11 miles. The Institution is on the left.
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Transportation to the prisons in Starke
There is no longer taxi service available; however staff at the Days Inn is sometimes able to provide transportation services if they are notified in advance and at the time of the booking.
Motels in Starke (low-budget) & visitor friendly:
Red Carpet Inn744 N. Temple Avenue
Starke, FL 32021
(located in downtown Starke, has a nice outdoor pool) / Days Inn
1101 N. Temple Avenue
Starke, Florida 32021
940-964-7600
(off highway 301-swimming pool is not in service as of June 2014)
Best Western
1290 N Temple Avenue
Starke, Florida, 32091-2116, US
Phone: 904/964-6744
(off highway 301, has a nice outdoor pool)
Other Lodging near Starke
If you prefer alternative accomodations, the Jacksonville beaches, Atlantic, Jacksonville and Neptune Beach are lovely and about 45 inutes driving away from Starke. One suggestion is the Sea Horse Inn in Neptune Beach, 120 Atlantic Boulevard, Neptune Beach, Florida 32266, Toll Free: 1-800-881-2330Local Area: 904-246-2175,, www.jacksonvilleoceanfronthotel.com/contact-us. Rates: a Standard Oceanfront Rooms - Sleeps 2-4
Winter Rates (12/1 - 3/15)Sunday - Thursday: $119
Friday - Saturday: $129
Weekly: 7 nights @ $109 = $763 / Summer/Fall Rates (3/15 - 12/1)
Sunday - Thursday: $129
Friday - Saturday: $139
Weekly: 7 nights @ $119 = $833
FLIGHTS TO FLORIDA
We often hear from folks who are on the lookout for places that offer good deals on flights to visit loved ones in Florida. Here are a few websites suggested by some of our members that you might like to check out for low price quotes.
Germany / USA / UK / NETHERLANDSwww.ebookers.com
www.opodo.de
www.travel-overland.de
www.getmeaway.de
www.lastminute.com / www.travelocity.com
www.expedia.com
www.orbitz.com
www.hotwire.com / www.cheapflights.co.uk
www.travelcity.co.uk
www.travelocity.co.uk
www.majortravel.co.uk / www.worldticketcenter.nl
www.easytravel.nl
www.vliegmetmemee.nl
www.lastminute.nl
www.exit-reizen.nl
How to send money
Funds need to be sent via JPay, www.jpay.com, ensuring that your prisoner will have the funds they need to get by inside. Transfers are quick and completely secure, and can be made from the convenience of your home computer, phone, or any MoneyGram agent location nationwide.
Institution Addresses
Union CI7819 NW 228th Street
Raiford, FL 32026-4000
(386) 431-2000
Diane Andrews – Warden, / Florida SP
7819 NW 228th Street
Raiford, FL 32026-1000
904) 368-2500
John Palmer - Warden,
Lowell CI (where the women on Florida’s DR are living)
11120 NW Gainesville Rd.
Ocala, Florida 34482-1479
(352) 401-5301
Gustavo Mazorra - Warden,
Florida Department of Corrections Web Site: http://www.dc.state.fl.us/
Office of Family Services:
The Office of Family Services is responsible for improving the communication between families, their incarcerated loved ones, and the department. Accordingly, the Family Ombudsman acts as a liaison between families and the department, ensuring that complaints related to transfers, medical conditions, physical abuse and other general concerns are analyzed, evaluated, and handled according to department procedures and applicable rules and statutes. The Family Ombudsman supervises the Correspondence Control Unit, coordinates with the Bureau of Legislative Affairs and Bureau of Public Affairs regarding family issues, makes recommendations to executive staff regarding family issues, and monitors institutional visitation.Sylvia Williams, Family Ombudsman(850) 410-4243, SunCom 210-4243 /
Little Things That Make a Big Difference
Computer:
Create and print your own special and personal stationary for you loved one.
Pre print envelopes - often. (It’s nice, and the canteen price of the “lopes“ is way high)
Send jokes, articles, anything of interest, that you find when surfing the “net”
Holidays
Send blank greeting cards for them to mail to family and pen pals. These cannot be purchased through canteen. If you find them on sale, send a lot so they can pass to those who have nothing. Do not send them boxed. Bookmarks are allowed as long as they are not laminated. Pretty ones can be found at many bookstores.
Send Special Art Paper (10 sheets at a time). Card Stock can be purchased at any office supply store.
Make sure they always have stamps enough. No more than 20 at a time, and not too many so they get in trouble
Photos
Home, yourself, relatives, your garden, pets, anything that make the guys feel they are still part of, and up to date with what happens in your life. Only five at a time.
Books and Subscriptions
You can order books on the net or have the books sent directly from a bookstore. Remember you are not allowed to send books yourself. www.Booksamillion.com is a great place to go to. Or you can use www.Amazon.com that also has used books that are allowed at the prison. Just make sure you chose a seller whose email has to do with books. If the email is a private name they won’t get the book. Also remember that hard cover books are allowed but will be ripped and stripped, so no need to buy that if you can get a cheaper paperback.
A real hit is to get a newspaper subscription from their hometown. Even just a weekend subscription is great.
INNOCENCE PROJECTS
Innocence Project
40 Worth St., Suite 701
New York, NY 10013
212.364.5340
Innocence Project of Florida, Inc.
1100 East Park Avenue
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone (850) 561-6767
www.floridainnocence.org
To submit a case to the Innocence Project
The Innocence Project is not equipped to handle case applications or inquiries by email or over the phone. All case submissions and follow-up correspondence will be handled by mail or overnight delivery services only. If you are seeking legal assistance, please read the following guidelines for submitting your case.The Innocence Project ONLY considers cases that are:
1. Postconviction—the trial and direct appeal are over and final.
2. There is physical evidence that, if subjected to DNA testing, will prove that the defendant is actually innocent. This means that physical evidence was collected – for example blood, bodily fluids, clothing, hair – and if that evidence can be found and tested, the test will prove that the defendant could not have committed the crime. Examples of crimes where biological evidence can prove innocence include sexual assaults, homicides, assaults with close physical contact or a struggle and some robberies—where physical evidence was collected that was worn by or in contact with the actual perpetrator.
3. The defendant must have been convicted of a crime. We do not review claims where the defendant was wrongfully suspected, arrested or charged, but not actually convicted.
4. The crime occurred in the United States, but not: California, Ohio, Washington, or Wisconsin. Our intake is currently closed to these 4 states. Please see www.innocencenetwork.org for a list of innocence projects in those states.
5. The Innocence Project does NOT review claims where DNA testing cannot prove innocence.
Centurion Ministries
32 Nassau Street 3rd floor
Princeton New Jersey 08542
tel: 609.921.0334
www.centurionministries.org
NAACP legal Defense and education fund
Capital Defense project
99 Hudson Street, 16th floor
New York NY. 10013
www.naacp.org
Center on Wrongful Convictions **
Northwestern University School of Law
357 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-503-2391
ttp://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/wrongfulconvictions/
Once you have been convicted, your direct appeal begins. Errors in court proceedings, poor jury instructions, inadmissible evidence, violations of civil rights, and jury misconduct are all grounds for appeal. The first step is the filing of a notice of appeal-30 days after the written sentence has been submitted- with the clerk of the lower court where your trial was held. Within 30 days of filing your documents you must file an initial brief in which you list the legal arguments of the appeal, basically stating why the trial judge’s judgment is wrong. Once all the documents are received and the arguments are heard, the judges will come to a decision in which they will either agree or disagree with the trial court’s decision. This marks the end of your direct appeals. It also marks the start of your state post-conviction remedies as well as the start of your federal habeas review process.
Under the Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850 you have the right to file a motion for post-conviction relief with two years of the date that your conviction became final. Basically, you have two years before filing your post-conviction motions in state court. You also have the right to file a motion to reduce your sentence.
At the same time, you also have to be aware that you have one year to file your federal habeas corpus review even though your state post-conviction remedies are not completed. This one year deadline went into effect in 1996 when President Clinton signed into law The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) which, among other things, established a one-year limitation for defendants wishing to attack their sentences or convictions through a motion under 28 U.S.C. §2255.
This is very important for should you be time-barred by AEDPA, you will not be able to present your valid and substantial constitutional violations such as challenging your attorney’s ineffective assistance, sentencing errors or your counsel’s failure to file a timely notice of appeal.[1]
This one year period runs from when the judgment becomes final or after the direct appeal is completed[2].
While President Clinton might have assumed that the goal of the Act was to confront terrorism and reduce the time death row prisoners have to challenge their conviction and sentences, in reality arguments such as why would prisoners need another appeal or more time to file, assume that lawyers do not make mistakes, because only claims raised during the trial and subsequently appealed are subject to review. Shon Hopwood, a J.D. candidate at the Univ. of Washington School of law – and a former federal prisoner (Mr. Hopwood was sentenced to 12 years for his role in five armed robberies) – points out that: