Florida State Prison
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Florida State Prison (FSP), also known as Starke Prison (because of its proximity to Starke, Florida), formerly known as the Union Correctional Institution – East Unit,[1] is a correctional facility located in Starke, Florida in Bradford County. The institution opened in 1961, even though construction was not completed until 1968. Today, the prison serves as a maximum security facility, housing Florida's most dangerous inmates. Currently housing over 1,400 inmates, FSP is one of the largest prisons in the state. FSP houses one of the state's three death row cell blocks and the state's execution chamber with Old Sparky are located at the penitentiary. Union Correctional Institution and Lowell Annex also house male and female death row inmates, respectively. Lethal injection became the standard method of execution in 2000. The electric chair is only used if the condemned person requests it.
FSP sits in the center of several other prisons. It is surrounded by New River East and West Correctional Institution, the "O" Unit, which is FSP's work camp, and sits across the river from Union Correctional Institution, another maximum security institution which also houses the worst of the worst and death row inmates. Even though Union Correctional Institution is on the same property, immediately north-west of FSP, the county line (with Union County) runs in between the two, which makes Raiford the official location of Union Correctional Institution, while Starke is the official location of FSP. There is also a juvenile facility nearby. FSP is Florida's only prison, with the other institutions being "Correctional Institutions" (or "Correctional Facility" if it is a privately contracted prison). It is also the only totally indoor institution. No inmate has to leave the indoor facility for any reason. While some work outside on the grounds or at Pride Industries garment factory, no required services are located outside the main building.
[edit] Infamous Inmates
- Ted Bundy – executed
- Paul Jennings Hill – executed
- Danny Rolling – executed
- Gerard John Schaefer – murdered by another prisoner
- John Spenkelink – executed
- Ottis Toole – died in prison
- Aileen Wuornos – executed
[edit] Trivia
Lynyrd Skynyrd's song "Four Walls of Raiford" tells the story of a convict who escapes from the Florida State Prison.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Florida State Prison. Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved on 2007-10-09.
