Duval County Jail Inmates

Duval County Jail Problems
Life in jail is most often not all fun and games. Violence can be a problem for many inmates, though those who keep to themselves can avoid it. Some inmates are even going through withdrawal, which can lead to outbursts and problems. Fights cannot always be avoided but keeping quiet is often recommended. Stealing is common, especially food.

Those who stay out of trouble have the possibility of getting a portion taken off their sentences. Good behavior at Duval County includes have up to fifteen percent off a sentence removed. Conditional Release Supervision is more common. Conditional Release Supervision includes having fifteen percent of a sentence removed, but instead of being fully free, the individual will be on probation for the time period he or she would have served in jail.

Some inmates report having to serve a minimum of eighty-five percent of a sentence -- despite good behavior -- while others report being required to serve twenty days of each month. In order to achieve good behavior release simple tasks usually are incorporated, including following all set rules, doing chores, not upsetting officers, and not fighting.

Jail Life
Choosing an inmate for a cell is not allowed, even if another inmate is previously known. Duval County Jail has six floors with twelve blocks and a basement. Internal jail workers or sentenced inmates are called trustees and reside in the basement level. The other six floors house un-sentenced inmates.

All floors are divided into East and West sections. The first and third floors house only female inmates. The second, third, and fourth floors are reserved for male inmates, while the fifth and sixth floors specifically hold the more violent inmates as well as those on suicide watch and the medical unit. Each floor is normally broken into units of low, medium, and maximum security.

Some blocks have names, though most are assigned by dorm and floor numbers. Some names include Stowe, Bethune, Ross, Roosevelt, and Kiddie Halls.

Phone Access and Visitation
Inmates have regular access to telephones as two to four telephones in each dorm. Some cells have daily sign-up lists, while others simply have long lines instead. Local calls cost about two and one-half dollars per minute, and long distance calls cost nearly five dollars for the first minute and eighty-nine cents for all additional minutes. Calls to cell phones require prepaid collect call accounts. All inmate phone calls are recorded. Three-way calling is not allowed.

Visitors are allowed once per week for two hours, as assigned by last name. Check-in can last thirty minutes or more. Visitation takes place in a room of six individual stations with telephones.

Leisure Time
When there is leisure time inmates are permitted to read, sew, attend the gym area, play chess, play cards, or play checkers. TVs and radios are not allowed. Other forms of entertainment are permitted only by commissary. Inmates also may leave their blocks for an hour each day, if there is no rain. Church services are offered on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Meals
Meals are served at five in the morning, eleven in the morning, and four in the evening.