Close and maximum custody (men) — holds male death-row housing · State Prison · FDC

Union Correctional Institution

Raiford, Union County, Florida

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (386) 431-2000 Info last verified: June 2026

A large close- and maximum-custody prison for men near Raiford — it holds much of Florida's male death-row population.

Plan your visit

A quick checklist for visiting Union Correctional Institution. Confirm the details with the facility before you travel.

Confirm the person is still held here.
Make sure you are on the approved visitor list. Approval can take time, so start early.
Schedule your visit if the facility requires it.
Bring a government-issued photo ID.
Follow the dress code, and bring only what the facility allows — leave everything else in your vehicle.

Days & hours: Set by the institution; many institutions require an advance reservation after the visitor is approved · Confirm the institution's current visiting schedule
Address: 25636 NE State Road 16, P.O. Box 1000, Raiford, FL 32083 — Get directions
Phone: (386) 431-2000

Full visiting rules for this state · Find someone (inmate locator)

Statewide rules that apply at every FDC prison

These rules are set by FDC and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in Florida.

Dress code

No blue or orange clothing (those are inmate colors); nothing tight, short, sheer, or revealing; no spandex, leggings, or tank tops; closed-toe shoes with backs.
Each institution enforces its own visiting dress code and may turn away a visitor who is dressed out of code, so confirm the specific institution's rules before traveling.

ID: Every visitor must be approved on the incarcerated person's visitor list before visiting. The incarcerated person requests the application (Form DC6-111A) at their permanent institution and mails it out; approval can take roughly 30 to 90 days, and the visitor is not notified directly — the incarcerated person relays the result. Adult visitors show a valid government-issued photo ID.
What to bring: Bring only what the institution allows — phones, bags, and most personal items are not permitted in the visiting room. Money for the person's account is sent through the FDC money vendor, never handed over at a visit.
Scheduling: Many institutions require an advance visit reservation, and days and hours (usually weekends and holidays) are set by each institution — confirm with the specific prison before traveling. A newly committed person is processed at a reception center first — for men, the Reception and Medical Center (Lake Butler), Central Florida Reception Center (Orlando), South Florida Reception Center (Doral), or Northwest Florida Reception Center; for women, Lowell — before transfer.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Florida

Overview

Union Correctional Institution, near Raiford in Union County, is one of Florida’s largest prisons, a close- and maximum-custody facility for men. It holds much of the state’s male death-row population. It sits across the area from Florida State Prison, in the same Raiford prison cluster.

What Makes Union Different

It is one of Florida’s largest prisons, a close- and maximum-custody facility for men.
It holds much of the male death row, so part of the population is in higher-custody housing.
Some housing is non-contact, and visiting rules differ by unit, so confirm the person’s unit before traveling.
The institution shown in the offender search can change if the person is transferred, so confirm it before traveling.

Visiting

The statewide FDC rules above — the approved visitor list, the dress code, ID, and item limits — apply at Union Correctional Institution. The institution’s own arrangements:

The full visitor process is in Visiting in Florida.

Getting There and Parking

The institution is near Raiford, reached via State Road 16 in north-central Florida, in the Raiford prison cluster.

Distances are approximate, based on map routing. Visitor parking is on site.

Nearby Services

The Raiford area has limited services; the Lake Butler, Lake City, and Gainesville areas, each within driving distance, have the full range of gas, food, and lodging. The nearest 24-hour emergency rooms are in the Lake Butler, Lake City, and Gainesville areas.

Mail

Florida does not deliver original personal mail to the prison. Routine personal letters and photos go to an off-site Smart Communications processing center, where they are opened and scanned and delivered electronically — the person reads them on a tablet or kiosk, and the mailroom may print copies. Address routine mail with the person’s full name and DC number, to: Smart Communications, P.O. Box 23608, Tampa, FL 33623. Confirm the current address and format on FDC’s website before sending. Legal mail and privileged correspondence go directly to the institution, not to the scanning center. Publications must come from an approved publisher or retailer. Full rules are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone in a Florida state prison:

Visiting in Florida — the approved visitor list (Form DC6-111A), dress code, and reservations
Mail & Packages — the off-site mail scanning and what still goes to the institution
Phone & Video Calls — ViaPath calls and JPay tablets, messaging, and video
Sending Money — depositing money to the account
Medical & Mental Health — sick call, the co-pay, and care
Transfers & Finding Someone — reception, finding someone, and the offender search

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.