(1) No inmate shall establish or engage actively in a business or profession while incarcerated.
    (2) For the purposes of this rule, a business or profession is defined as any activity in which the inmate engages with the objective of generating revenue or profit while incarcerated. Activity so defined is prohibited due to the fact that profit or revenue potential creates the opportunity for fraud and increases inmate interest in participation in business activity, resulting in an increase in the volume of mail and telephone activity. This increased volume places an undue burden on staff to monitor the additional mail and telephone calls to ensure the security and order of the institution and the safety of staff, inmates and the general public. Engaging in a business or profession also includes individual activities with profit or revenue potential, such as submission of a manuscript for publication when one of the objectives of such publication is the generation of revenue. Inmates are prohibited from entering into marketing agreements with literary agents for the marketing of literary works in exchange for a portion of any commissions received. An inmate who wishes to submit writings for publication shall provide a written statement to mailroom staff verifying that the inmate is not seeking compensation, nor will he accept compensation for the writings.
    (3) An inmate who is engaged in a business or profession prior to commitment to the department shall assign authority for the operation of such business or profession to a person in the community within 90 days of commitment. When it is necessary to utilize the mail or telephone for this purpose, the inmate shall coordinate this activity through his classification officer.
    (4) Incoming or outgoing mail relating to the direction of an inmate’s business or profession shall be rejected.
    (5) Any inmate who attempts to conduct a business or profession through the mail, telephone, or any other avenue of communication while incarcerated shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with Rules 33-601.301-.314, F.A.C.
    (6) Inmates shall not be restricted from mail, telephone, or other non-prohibited communications necessary to enable an inmate to protect property and funds that were legitimately the inmate’s at the time of commitment.
Rulemaking Authority 944.09 FS. Law Implemented Florida Statutes § 944.09. History-New 8-10-03, Amended 2-25-08.