Hardee Correctional Institution

Hardee Correctional Institution

Location	6901 FL-62 Bowling Green, Florida postal address
Status	mixed
Capacity	1541
Opened	1991
Managed by	Florida Department of Corrections

The Hardee Correctional Institution is a state prison for men located in unincorporated Hardee County, Florida, ^[1] with a Bowling Green postal address. It is owned and operated by the Florida Department of Corrections. ^[2] This facility has a mix of security levels, including minimum, medium, and close, and houses adult male offenders.

History

Hardee first opened in 1991 and has a maximum capacity of 1541 prisoners.

In 2015, a campus of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary was established in the penitentiary. ^[3]

Notable inmates

• Alfonza Smalls (born 1978) - Accomplice of double murderer Richard Henyard ^[4]
• Fred Waterfield (born 1952) - Cousin and accomplice of serial killer David Alan Gore ^{[5] [6]}
• James Winkles (1940–2010) - Murderer and alleged serial killer; was transferred to and died at Union Correctional Institution ^{[7] [8]}

References

1. Geography Division (April 13, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Hardee County, FL (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. p. 1 (PDF p. 2/33). Retrieved 2025-04-10. Hardee Correctional Instn
2. "Hardee Correctional Institution". Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
3. Nicole Kalil, Seminary Graduation For Inmates At Hardee Correctional, flbaptist.org, USA, March 25, 2019
4. "Inmate Population Information Detail". fdc.myflorida.com. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
5. "Convicted killer, Gore accomplice Waterfield transferred to Hardee County prison". www.tcpalm.com. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
6. "Family of 'Killing Cousin' tries to get him out". Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
7. "James Winkles". The Tampa Tribune. 1983-09-23. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
8. "INMATE DIES AWAITING EXECUTION". 2022-09-20. Archived from the original on 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2024-02-16.

27°35′28″N82°00′42″W / 27.591173°N 82.011758°W / 27.591173; -82.011758