When a person in federal custody dies under murky circumstances, the public deserves clarity.
Last week, a 31 year old man convicted of child exploitation in Michigan — was found “unresponsive” at USP Coleman II, the same Florida prison where Larry Nassar was stabbed multiple times in 2023. The Bureau of Prisons issued a short statement: he was taken to a hospital, pronounced dead, and the FBI was notified. No cause of death was given.
For some, these men were monsters who “got what they deserved.” But here’s the problem: opaque deaths inside prisons don’t stop at prison walls. They normalize vigilante violence. And when the government itself is vague, it sends a dangerous message that extrajudicial punishment is acceptable.
This culture of silence bleeds directly into our communities through the sex offender registry. Florida’s public registry doesn’t just list names; it publishes home addresses, workplaces, and sometimes even photographs. For vigilantes, it functions as a ready-made target list.
Research has documented hundreds of assaults, property damage cases, and even murders tied to information pulled straight from registries. Families of registrants — spouses, children, parents — are often caught in the crossfire.
Does this make anyone safer?
Studies show little evidence that public registries prevent new crimes. Instead, they drive unemployment, homelessness, and isolation — the very factors linked to reoffending. If the goal is safety, stigmatizing people for life while broadcasting their addresses is a proven failure.
So what should Florida do?
First, we must demand transparency inside prisons. Every in-custody death should be independently investigated and reported in detail, not hidden behind a one-line “unresponsive.”
Second, we must push back against registry expansion. Notification should be risk-based and evidence-driven, not a public wall of shame that fuels vigilante violence.
Finally, we need community safety measures that work: treatment programs, stable housing, and employment pathways that reduce recidivism rather than inflame public panic.
The outrage these crimes provoke is real. The pain of survivors is real. Safety cannot be built on secrecy and vengeance. If prison walls become black sites where justice is quietly outsourced, we all lose faith in the rule of law.
And if public registries continue to act as roadmaps for vigilantes, we all become less safe.
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It’s a part of being locked up and unfortunately some people who are locked up on a boldface lie are the ones I really feel for. The rest who are legitimately there for sexual predator crimes or a no-good ass cop I have no sympathy for.
The prison I did most of my time was out west in a small rural town. Part of the inmate population grew up with and went to High School with some of the Correctional Officers. They knew each other, had family connections, social connections, and financial connections. Gangs pretty much set the rules, within what was possible. If you are a CO, you don’t want the wrath of the gangs messing with your families at home.
A young RSO, healthy, no medical issues, mid to late 20’s maybe, a local, took his medicine at night pill call and went to sleep. He was dead when the wake up call was announced in the dorm the next morning. I was a clerk, and was one of the first to hear and had to type an incident report.
A few of the COs laughed, I suppose they knew the victim maybe. They knew him for sure. The word on the yard was quick to spread that it was a hit by both the gangs and the cops. Last I heard his body was ashes before anybody could answer a question. But that is reality inside the walls.
That was not the first hit we talked about on the yard. The first was a cop killer doing life. Took his night pills, woke up dead. He was fine walking the yard the day before.
What I’m curious about, is why the person was in the penitentiary there in the first place. Coleman is a huge complex, has 2 penitentiary, 1 medium and 1 low as well as a female camp.
I cant imagine that if no other crimes are in his history that his security points would be that high. I had served my time at Coleman low.
Background
United States Penitentiary Coleman 2 is a high-security federal prison in Coleman, Florida, which houses male inmates. It is part of the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, which houses the only federal maximum-security prisons in Florida.
According to writings from former prisoner Nate A. Lindell, USP Coleman 2 is “a so-called ‘special-needs’ prison — a ‘safe’ facility where informants, former cops, ex-gang members, check-ins (prisoners who intentionally put themselves in solitary confinement to be safe), homosexuals, and sex offenders can all, supposedly, walk the Yard freely.”
Media reports indicate that one guard was indicted for lying to federal investigators about sexually assaulting an inmate. Additionally, two inmates have been murdered at the prison.
Note that Coleman II USP is a federal correctional institution under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Justice. It is not a Florida state prison.
https://federalcriminaldefenseattorney.com/federal-bureau-prisons/usp-coleman-2/
Since this is a Fed location, the FLA Sens and Reps for the district this location is in need to start asking questions about their facility. Nationally, people need to start questioning the safety of the population of BOP and DOJ.
U.S. Senator Ashley Moody, of Florida, also sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, charged with oversight of the Bureau of Prisons.
Sen. Moody’s contact information may be found on her Senate website.
You might also contact your U.S. House member.
I agree, I know I for one have lost all faith in our government. They are not listening and only care about the kudos they get from the majority of the population that still thinks they are doing wonderful things…at least until one of their loved ones get ensnared. Then they learn the truth… That the public is bamboozled about the majority of the people that are designated as an SO.
They only listen to those who have the power to vote them in, not the stats and fact because it does not fit their narrative.
The Registry is wrong. Why aren’t Drug Dealers who sell drugs to children, and violent murders on a list. How about Drunk/high drivers on a list. In my years driving truck I have seen four families killed by drunk drivers. When I was 14. I witnessed a head on collision by the Alford Pond in New Milford, Pennsylvania. It was a B61 Mack truck and a Chevy Corvair. the Truck driver survived. and all four in the Corvair perished. One of the passengers was an innocent Sailer home on leave that was hitch hiking and sober. He was decapitated in the wreck. That Corvair was actually folded in half. I do know that they were flying when they ran into the Mack. Just one example of drunk driving. I saw an accident involving an Oldsmobile Cutlass and a pickup truck where the driver of the truck was drunk. (HE SURVIVED) out of the seven in the car one survived. (The Grandmother) 3 children, (two boys and a girl) The Grandfather, Mother, and Father were all killed. The Grandmother was begging the Police to shoot her because she had nothing left. Just two examples of drunk drivers killing people. A good reason for having them on a registry.
There is a DUI/OUI registry in Ohio but it takes a lot to be placed on it and get the coveted colored license plates that come with it.