Miami-Dade County Jails: A Guide for Families

Step 1. How do I find someone in Miami-Dade jail?

Use the county’s Inmate Search.
Type the last name, then the first name or first initial.

The results show:

• Name and date of birth
• Where they are held
• Charges
• Bond amount
• Jail number (you will need this for everything else)
• Booking date and time

Our own search page lists Miami-Dade first:
Florida Inmate Search

Not in the system yet?
New arrests can take time to show up.
The county’s search only lists people who are in custody now.
You can also call the county’s inmate information line at 786-263-7000.

Held by federal agents instead?
That is a different system.
Read our federal custody guide.

Step 2. Which jail is it: TGK, Metro West or Pre-Trial?

The county’s jail department (Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation) runs three jails.

After an arrest, start with TGK.
Turner Guilford Knight is central booking.
Everyone taken to jail is booked at TGK and released from TGK.
TGK address: 7000 NW 41st Street, Miami, FL 33166. Booking line: 786-263-5312.

Not coming home soon? Look at Metro West.
People who aren’t going to get out on bond right away are typically moved to Metro West and stay there.
If your loved one isn’t released soon, look for them at Metro West.

The Inmate Search shows where they are held right now.

The old Training and Treatment building is gone.
The county’s budget says it was torn down in December 2025.

Step 3. Who runs the jails

The county’s jail department runs them.
The county budget lists the Sheriff’s Office as a separate agency the jail department works with.
Questions go to the jail department at 786-263-7000.

Step 4. How do I call someone in Metro West or TGK?

Phone calls

• Your loved one cannot receive calls.
  They call you.
• You set up a prepaid account so their calls can reach your phone.
  The county names Securus as the company.
  Use the county’s link: Set up Prepaid Calling.
• Securus customer service: 972-734-1111 or 1-800-844-6591.
• The county’s 2024 policy memo says inmates can use the phones 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
  Friday, Saturday, and the day before a holiday run until midnight.
  Times can change.

Treat every jail call as recorded.

The county says all phone calls are subject to monitoring or recording.
Calls with an attorney whose number is on the county’s “Do Not Record” list are the exception.

Do not talk about the case on the phone.
Not the facts. Not the witnesses. Not what happened.
A recorded call can be used against your loved one in court.

The same goes for video visits and messages.

Talk about family, food, court dates, and how they are doing.
Save the case for their lawyer.

Video visits

• The county says remote video visits are its standard service.
• Since October 1, 2026, the only video system is Securus Video Connect.
  The old system (ViaPath/GTL) ended September 30, 2026.
• Old accounts did not carry over.
  You must make a new Securus Video Connect account:
  Sign up for Video Connect.
• Help line: 786-263-4118 or 786-263-4119 (county Video Visitation Monitoring Center).
• Securus Video Connect hotline: 1-877-578-3658.
• Cost: Securus’s flyer says calls are billed per minute.
  Check the Securus site for the price before you add money.

Mail

• Mail must come through the U.S. Postal Service.
• Use the county’s mail center address:

Full name and jail number
Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department
PO BOX 20527
TAMPA FL 33622

• Put your name and full return address on the envelope and the letter.
• Use plain white lined paper.

Do not send:

• Greeting cards or postcards
• Books, magazines, or newspapers
• Colored paper or colored envelopes
• Padded or bubble envelopes
• Polaroids
• Cash, checks, or money orders
• Food, clothing, flowers, or candy
• Anything glued, taped, or stapled

The county’s full “do not send” list is here:
MDCR Unauthorized Mail (PDF)

Rejected mail may be copied and sent back.

Electronic messages

• The county uses Securus eMessaging.
• You buy “stamps” to send a message.
  You can attach up to 5 photos.
• The county reviews messages and photos.
  Stamps are not refunded if a message is rejected.

Step 5. TGK inmate visitation and video visits

The jail provides family visitation by video.
See “Video visits” in Step 4 to set up your account.

Attorney and professional visits

Lawyers can visit in person or by video.
The county’s policy memo (July 2024) says:

• The lawyer must be in good standing with The Florida Bar.
  The lawyer shows a government photo ID and a Bar card.
• A lawyer who is not the lawyer of record gets a one-time, one-hour in-person visit.
  The facility supervisor may approve more.
• Attorneys have access 24 hours a day.
  Visits after 10 p.m. are kept to a minimum, unless they are for a newly booked client or trial preparation.
• No cell phones. No exchange of papers during the visit.
• Investigators, interpreters, and paralegals need a notarized letter of introduction from the lawyer of record before they can visit.

Step 6. How do I put money on an inmate’s account?

Putting money on their account

• Use TouchPay. You can pay online, by phone, or at a kiosk in the lobby.
• Phone: 1-866-232-1899.
• You need: the facility number 233101, their name, and their jail number.
• Deposits are open every day, seven days a week.
• Cash only works at the lobby kiosk.
  Kiosks are at TGK, Metro West, and the Pre-Trial Detention Center.
• The money pays for commissary and for self-bonding.
• Ask TouchPay about fees and limits before you pay.

Commissary gifts

Pre-packaged gifts go through iCare.
Questions: (888) 439-5020.

Property

• Property taken at booking is usually held at TGK’s property room for up to 30 days.
• Property line: 786-263-5311.
• The property room is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• While in custody, your loved one can authorize someone to pick up their property.
• After 30 days it is stored offsite. To arrange pickup, call 786-263-5355.
• Property left unclaimed for 30 days or more after release is scheduled for destruction.
• Call before you bring clothing to any jail.

How does bond work after an arrest?

• The county says a person with bondable charges can bond out at any time.
• Not everyone can bond out right away.
  Florida law holds some people until a judge decides bail.
  That includes domestic violence arrests, injunction violations, many serious charges, and people on probation or pretrial release when arrested for a felony.
• Every arrested person who has not been released must go before a judge within 24 hours of arrest.
  This is called first appearance.
• The county cannot recommend a bondsman.
• To find the bond amount, check the inmate search or call 786-263-7000.
• Before paying anyone, call us.
  A bond is not the same as a case ending.