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| Michael Andrew Gosciminski |
Michael Andrew Gosciminski's home is a 6-foot by 9-foot cell he calls "hotel hell."
His toilet is inches away from his smaller-than-twin-size bed. There is no air-conditioning, no cell mate. When he lies down, Gosciminski's feet almost touch the metal bars that have separated him from the outside world for seven years.
Since 2005, the former Fort Pierce resident has been on Florida's death row — or "the row" as he refers to it — at Union Correctional Institution in Starke for killing a Connecticut woman who was visiting her Fort Pierce father in September 2002.
"This is not just normal prison," Gosciminski said. "This is not (a) compound where you might have a job and a life, or somewhat of a life, and have contact with people on a regular basis. This is death row. It's dark. It's empty. It's shallow and it's — I don't even know how to explain it."
At 5 a.m. every day, a prison officer rolls an insulated food cart down the death row catwalk. It's breakfast time, or as officers call it, "feeding time."
The officer slides a plastic spork — a cross between a fork and a spoon — and the food through a small flap on the cell bars. The food is prepared by prison staff and served on a compartment food tray.
The same procedure is followed for lunch at 10:30 a.m. and dinner at 4 p.m. for each of Florida's 402 death row inmates — of which 14 were former Treasure Coast residents.
Death row inmates are allowed a television and radio in their cells, but those privileges can be suspended for bad behavior.
"Television and radio helps the inmates on death row connect with the outside world. People who are in total isolation and have sensory deprivation are more likely to be stressed and develop mental health type of problems," said Dr. Michael Riordan, a Fort Pierce psychologist.
Every other day, officers use handcuffs to escort death row inmates to the prison showers, where they have 10 minutes to bathe. They'll use the hotel-sized bar of soap they are given every Monday, along with the small tube of toothpaste they get once a month. Every 10 days, they get toilet paper.
Source: tcpalm.com, October 7, 2012
The Daily Routine of Florida Death Row Inmates
- Death Row & Death Watch cells:
A Death Row cell is 6 x 9 x 9.5 feet high. Florida State Prison also has Death Watch cells to incarcerate inmates awaiting execution after the Governor signs a death warrant for them. A Death Watch cell is 12 x 7 x 8.5 feet high.
Men on Death Row are housed at Florida State Prison in Starke, FL, and Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, FL. The women on Death Row are housed at Lowell Correctional Institution Annex in Lowell, FL.
- Meals:
Death Row inmates are served meals three times a day: at 5:00 am, from 10:30 am to 11:00 am and from 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm. Food is prepared by prison staff and transported in insulated carts to the cells. Inmates are given sporks with their meals and they eat from the provided tray. Prior to execution, an inmate may request a last meal. To avoid extravagance, the food to prepare the last meal must cost no more than $40 and must be purchased locally.
- Visitors:
All inmate visitors must be approved before visitation is allowed. Questions regarding an inmate's visiting day(s), visiting hours, and special visits should be directed to the Classification Officer responsible for the inmate at the inmate's assigned facility. Questions may be sent by letter, e-mail or by telephone. Members of the news media may request Death Row inmate interviews through the Department of Corrections Public Affairs Office at (850) 488-0420. The inmate must agree to the interview and the interview will be non-contact.
- Showers:
The inmates may shower every other day.
- Security:
Death Row inmates are counted at least once an hour. They are escorted in handcuffs and wear them everywhere except in their cells, the exercise yard and the shower. They are in their cells at all times except for medical reasons, exercise, social or legal visits or media interviews. When a death warrant is signed the inmate is put under Death Watch status and is allowed a legal and social phone call.
- Mail, Magazines & Entertainment:
Inmates may receive mail every day except holidays and weekends. They may have snacks, radios and 13" televisions in their cells. Beginning October 1, 2011, inmates were prohibited from smoking cigarettes and using any form of tobacco in prison, including on death row. They do not have cable television or air-conditioning and they are not allowed to be with each other in a common room. They can watch church services on closed circuit television. While on Death Watch, inmates may have radios and televisions positioned outside their cell bars.
- Clothing:
Death Row inmates can be distinguished from other inmates by their orange t-shirts. Their pants are the same blue colored pants worn by regular inmates.
Source: Florida Department of Corrections
"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde
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