Special/Yard Events

Would you like to have an event outside on the Rec Field?
Are you just coming to volunteer for a special program and want to hold your event in the chapel or visitation park?
If so, then holding a Special/Yard Event is for you!
Learn more about Special/Yard Events below.
Contact: [email protected]

What is a Special/Yard Event?

A "Special/Yard Event" is any event that is a religious or non-religious service or event that requires additional staff or resources, that takes place once or twice per year, within the confines of the institution. Special events should have some degree of measurable outcome; meaning there must be positive value to the inmate that can be measured either short or long term. Special Events are events that are not weekly or bi-weekly programs, classes, or religious studies held within the institution.

Why a Special/Yard Event?

The Florida Department of Corrections is often approached with offers and requests from outside organizations and Community Collaborators who want to be a part of programming and reentry preparation. However, before a program or presentation is authorized to be given, an evaluation must be completed to ensure it meets the needs of the audience it’s being given to and be sure the results of the program can be measured and assessed.

Our Mission:
“Provide a continuum of services to meet the needs of those entrusted to our care, creating a safe and professional environment with the outcome of reduced victimization, safer communities and an emphasis on the premium of life.”

Two important points are made in our Mission.

We must meet the needs of those in our care, and
What we do must create an outcome for those we serve.

So, we must have a way to assess the needs of the inmates and offenders and have the ability to measure the outcome. Otherwise, we are setting the inmates up for the likelihood of reoffending and re-entering the corrections system.

What are we looking for in programs/events?

A lot of research in the past twenty years has amply demonstrated that certain types of correctional programs have been clearly shown to be more effective in reducing recidivism. The criminogenic needs of each inmate/offender must be addressed to reduce recidivism.

Criminogenic needs (risk factors) are predictive factors that influence an inmate/offender’s current behavior, values, and attitudes. These are areas which: a) have been shown to be associated with recidivism and b) can be changed.

Addressing these functioning variables sometimes referred to as dynamic risk factors, it is possible to change the probability of recidivism. Assessing and knowing these risk factors provides the foundation for creating a treatment plan which will result in a change of outcome. Accurate assessment and intervention provide the appropriate type of evidence-based treatment which focuses on the assessed criminogenic needs.

Your proposed program and/or special event must meet the needs of our inmates/offenders.

What are Criminogenic Needs?

There are characteristics or circumstances (such as antisocial attitudes, beliefs, thinking patterns, and friends) that research has shown are associated with criminal behavior, but are things a person can change. The risk of recidivism can be lowered when these needs are adequately addressed. While a person may have many needs, not all of their needs are directly associated with their likelihood of committing a crime.

Research indicates that there are eight criminogenic needs which contribute to an individual’s risk of recidivating:

Anti-social personality (social awareness);
Criminal associates;
Substance use;
Family/marital;
Leisure/recreation;
Criminal thinking/attitude;
Employment/school.

These criminogenic factors are the biggest obstacles for inmates/offenders in reducing recidivism.
Their criminogenic needs stand as impediments to successful transition into the community. They are at risk of re-offending, unless our risk assessment of their needs is accurate and appropriately addressed in a case plan that targets their interventions. As we work together and build strong working collaborations to find ways to drive down these barriers, we continuously seek ways to assess and treat inmates/offenders using programs and services that determine:

Risk: Is their risk of reoffending low? Moderate? High?
Need: What is the most important criminogenic need(s)? Use that to target intervention(s).
Responsivity: Match correctional programs to temperament, learning style, culture, gender, motivation, etc.
Dosage: How much of the inmate/offender’s time should be structured to meet criminogenic needs or static factors? Structure 40% to 70% of high-risk offenders’ time for 3 to 9 months.
Treatment: Using criminogenic needs to provide the right level of programs and services to higher risk inmates. Integrate treatment into the full sentence/sanction requirements.

What programs do and don't work?

What Are Some Examples of Programs that Don’t Work In Correctional Settings?

Boot camps
Punishment-oriented programs
Control-oriented programs
Non-directive psychological interventions
Self-esteem programs

What Are Some Examples of Programs that Do Work In Correctional Settings?

Thinking for a Change (T4C)
Adult Basic Education (ABE)
GED
Alcoholics Anonymous
Financial Peace University
Money SMART
Career and/or Vocational Training

Want to help inmates/offenders through programming that helps with lowering recidivism rates?

Facilities and Sports Capabilities

Want to host a sport’s event/game in one of our facilities and need to know what facilities can host what type of sports event?

Please see the chart below, stating the sport capabilities of all our institutional facility:

Region 1

Facility	Unit (Main unit, annex, etc.)	Sport Capability (softball, kickball, basketball, etc.)
ACI E	East unit	Basketball, tennis, kickball, tennis, softball, basketball, football
ACI W	West unit	Football, soccer, kickball, tennis, softball, basketball
Bay CF	N/A	N/A
Blackwater CF	Main unit	Basketball, volleyball
Calhoun	N/A	Basketball, kickball
Century	Main unit	Basketball, kickball
Franklin CI	Main unit	Basketball, kickball
Gadsden CF	Main unit	Basketball, softball, kickball, tennis, running track, spin cycling
Gadsden Re-Entry	N/A	Volleyball
Graceville CF	Main Unit	Basketball, volleyball, soccer, handball
Gulf	Main unit	Basketball, kickball, tennis and volleyball, without the net
Holmes	Main unit	Basketball, kickball, tennis and volleyball, without the net
Jackson (AMU)	Main unit	Basketball, flag football, soccer, kickball, shuffleboard, handball, circuit training, ping pong, volleyball, cornhole, ultimate frisbee and badminton
Jefferson	N/A	N/A
Liberty	Main unit	Basketball, volleyball, soccer, kickball and cornhole
NWFRC	Main unit	Basketball, softball, volleyball, handball, kickball, track, ping pong, shuffleboard
NWFRC AX	Annex	Basketball, volleyball, handball, kickball, track, ping pong, shuffleboard
Okaloosa MU/WC	Main unit	Basketball, kickball, soccer, softball
Quincy Annex	Annex	Basketball, volleyball, and cornhole
Santa Rosa Main	Main unit	Basketball, soccer, volleyball, flag football (if allowed), bean bag toss, running
Wakulla AX	Annex	Basketball, kickball, soccer
Wakulla MU/WC	Main unit/work camp	Basketball, kickball, softball, soccer / work camp: Basketball, kickball, soccer, volleyball
Walton	Main unit	Basketball, kickball

Region 2

Facility	Unit (Main unit, annex, etc.)	Sport Capability (softball, kickball, basketball, etc.)
Baker C.I.	Main unit	Basketball, softball, kickball
Columbia Annex	Annex	Basketball, football, soccer, kickball, cornhole, handbal, pull
Columbia Main	Main unit	Basketball, football, soccer, kickball, cornhole, handball, pull
FSP	Main unit	Basketball
FSP West	West unit	Basketball, softball, kickball
Hamilton Annex	Annex	Basketball, softball, kickball
Hamilton Main	Main unit	Basketball, softball, kickball
Lake City C.F.	N/A	N/A
Lancaster	Main unit	Basketball, kickball, track, football, volleyball, corn hole, ultimate frisbee, handball, and soccer
Lawtey	Main unit	Basketball, softball, kickball, basketball, volleyball
Gainesville W.C.	N/A	N/A
Madison	Main unit	Basketball, softball, soccer, flag football, handball
Mayo Annex	Annex	Basketball, volleyball, corn hole
New River	Main unit	Basketball, softball, handball, kickball, flag football, soccer/ volleyball and basketball (work camp)
Putnam	Main unit	Basketball, softball, flag football, volleyball, bocce ball, racquetball, and cornhole
RMC Main	Main unit	Basketball, softball, kickball
RMC West	West unit	Basketball, softball, kickball
RMC W.C.	Work camp	Basketball
Suwannee Annex	Annex	Basketball, kickball
Suwannee Main	Main unit	Basketball, kickball
Taylor	Main unit	Basketball, soccer, football, volleyball, kickball
Tomoka	Main unit and work camp	Basketball, soccer, kickball, volleyball
Union	Main unit	Basketball, handball, volleyball, bean bag toss, shuffleboard

Region 3

Facility	Unit (Main unit, annex, etc.)	Sport Capability (softball, kickball, basketball, etc.)
Avon Park	Main unit Work Camp	Basketball, kickball, soccer, flag football, handball, volleyball, badminton, bocce ball
CFRC	Main unit	Basketball, football, soccer, cornhole, ping pong
	East unit	Basketball, football, soccer, cornhole
	South unit	Basketball, cornhole, ping pong
DeSoto*	Annex	Basketball, softball, fla football, kickball, handball, volleyball, ping pong, card games, board games, weights, cornhole, yoga/exercise classes
	Workcamp	Basketball, softball (modified), football (flag-modified), kickball (modified), volleyball, card games, board games, weights, cornhole, yoga/exercise classes
FWRC	Main unit	Basketball, volleyball, kickball, football, zumba, yoga, fitness and cardio.
Hardee	Main unit/work camp	basketball, softball, kickball, walking track, soccer, cornhole, volleyball M/U only: ping-pong, badminton,
Hernando	Main unit	Basketball, softball, kickball, volleyball
Lake	Main unit	Basketball, soccer, flag football, volleyball, corn hole, tennis, badminton
Lake	Mental Health Unit	Basketball, badminton
Lowell	Main unit	Kickball, volleyball, football
	Annex	Basketball, kickball, volleyball, football, pickleball/badminton(soon)
Marion	Main unit	Basketball, softball, football, kickball, volleyball
Polk	Main unit	Basketball, softball, kickball, volleyball, badminton, hand tennis. We have a large open field that could be used for football.
	Work camp	Basketball
Sumter	Main unit	Basketball, kickball, football, soccer, pickle ball, volleyball
	Work camp	Basketball, volleyball, corn hole, football (partial)
Zephyrhills	Main	Basketball, softball, football, handball, volleyball, shuffleboard, soccer

Region 4

Facility	Unit (Main unit, annex, etc.)	Sport Capability (softball, kickball, basketball, etc.)
Charlotte CI	Main unit	Basketball, softball, kickball, handball, football, soccer
Charlotte CI	Work camp	Basketball, volleyball
Dade CI	Main unit	Basketball, kickball, table tennis, flag football, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, soccer, badminton
Everglades CI	Main unit	Basketball, softball, kickball, soccer, handball,4-Square, football, volleyball, racquet ball, frisbee and run on track
Everglades CI	Re-Reentry	Basketball
Homestead CI	Main unit	Basketball, softball, kickball, tennis, volleyball
Martin CI	Main unit	Basketball, softball, kickball, soccer, flag football
	Work camp	Basketball, kickball, soccer, flag football
	Loxahatchee Road Prison	Basketball
Okeechobee CI	Main unit	Basketball, softball, kickball, soccer
South Florida Reception Center	Main unit	Basketball, softball, tennis

How are you approved for a Special/Yard Event?

If order to conduct a Special/Yard Event at an institution, please see the guidelines below:

Make sure that you and all your volunteer team members are current approved volunteers:
1. Have you completed an online volunteer application and have been approved?
Figure out what kind of special/yard event you would like to have:

Examples:

Would you like to play a sports game on the Rec field?
Would you like to hold a music event on the rec field or in the chapel?

Research on the public website (Institutions -- Florida Department of Corrections (state.fl.us) ) each facility to see where you would like to hold your event. Pick a facility, date and time that you would like to hold your special/yard event.
Contact the facilities Chaplain and/or the Assistant Warden of Programs, to see if your event, date and time is available at your requested location.
Once you have confirmed the location, date and time with someone at the facility, fill out and complete a Special Event Application.

Please print or type ALL information requested on application.
The application must be completed by the event leader only.
The special event application MUST be turned into Central Office to the email below, NO LATER THAN 60 days prior to the earliest purposed scheduled event date.
Partial applications and/or submissions after the 60 days will not be accepted, due to processing and scheduling constraints.
All special events on the yard, in the chapel, in the visitation park etc. (events that are not weekly or bi-weekly programs, classes, or religious studies held within the institution), REQUIRE an application to be submitted.
All special event applications must be submitted to [email protected]

Once you have submitted your special event application, you will be contacted wen a decision has been made for your event.

Are photos and/or videos allowed to be taken at the event?

If your volunteer group is requesting to utilize videography and/or photography during your special event, you MUST COMPLETE IN FULL the Videography and Photography Requests from Non-Media Volunteer Visitors Form. This form MUST BE TURNED IN WITH THE SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATION to Central Office at [email protected].

If final approval is granted, the Warden or Duty Warden designee will personally accompany the person conducting the videography or photography to ensure the following conditions are adhered to:

Every outside visitor, film producer, or volunteer who enters the facility must undergo the standard background check required for media/family member visitors prior to entering the facility. This must be done in advance of the visit.
Videography or photography shall not take place anywhere outside of the locations specified in the initial request approved by the Warden and Regional Director.
All efforts should be made to conduct filming in program areas such as the chapel, education building or visitor park.
Staff who agree to be photographed or video recorded shall have signed (in advance and not during the visit) Form DC1-402A, Visitor/Employee Communications Release. Each employee’s participation must be pre-approved by the Warden. Additionally, participating employees must be discipline free for two years and not under any pending OIG investigation.
Inmates who agree to be filmed shall have signed (in advance and not during the visit) Form DC1-402, Inmate Communications Release indicating specific consent to be photographed or video recorded.
Inmates who do not want to be photographed or video recorded must be afforded an opportunity to attend the program and such inmates may not be photographed or video recorded during the visit. Inmates who decline to provide written consent shall be grouped together during the program visit, and volunteers shall be advised not to photograph, or video record this group during the visit. The Duty Warden shall immediately stop any interview or program visit if it is discovered that a volunteer is disregarding the wishes of an inmate who has not consented to being on camera.

How can I measure the benefits of my event afterwards?

An evaluation will be utilized for Special Events.

If final approval is granted, the Warden or Duty Warden designee will personally accompany the person conducting the videography or photography to ensure the following conditions are adhered to:

Make sure that you and all your volunteer team members are current approved volunteers:
1. How did the Special Event affect morale at the institution?
2. Did the event provide pro-social activities and messages?
3. Did the event benefit the facility as far as reducing inmate idleness?
4. Did the inmates find the information applicable in their daily tasks?
Feedback from the volunteer(s) will be provided to the Central Office Special Events Coordinator at [email protected] via a supplied questionnaire to such issues as:

Was the facility prepared to receive your organization on the scheduled date of the event?
Was additional security provided to your group?
Was the additional staff assigned to your group respectful and professional?
Were you processed through security efficiently or did it take a long time?
Did the inmates receive your program well?

Feedback from (a) and (b) above will be used to evaluate measurable outcomes, as stated in item 7 above, in order to rate the effectiveness of the program/event.

Pictures from Special/Yard Events:

Questions?

For any question s regarding special/yard events, please email the Volunteer Services Department at [email protected].

We look forward to hosting your special/yard event at a facility soon!

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