TRF Second Chances Program at Lowell Correctional Institution (Ocala, FL)
Ocala, FL
Located in the “horse capital” of Florida, the TRF farm at the Lowell Correctional Facility in Ocala opened in 2001 and is the home to 50 horses.
“We are providing good character-building inmate training, and a haven to these once heroes of the track,” said Florida Secretary of Corrections Michael W. Moore when announcing the opening of facility.
He could not have been more right. The horses bask in the warmth of Florida’s perpetual sunshine and the inmates are learning skills that can be put to use upon their release.
In five months, an inmate, J.T. says she has learned “more about horses than I thought there was to know. I really like them.” Caring for the horses has changed her life’s direction, and J.T. hopes to work at a track or a horse farm.
Recent Media Coverage of the TRF Second Chances Program at Lowell Correctional Institution:
January 28 2022: The Horse Talk Show, Louisa Barton, January 28: Featuring Kim Weir
March 13 2021: As Anniversary Nears Lowell Evans Still Make a Difference, Fran LaBelle, TRF Staff Writer
April 2018: Ladies of Lowell, Horse Capital Digest, George Weir