Did you know that there were around 81,027 prisoners in Florida as of 2020? There are many jails in Florida, but one of the most substantial is the Miami-Dade County jail. If you have a relative that has gone to this jail, you may want to know more about it.
You may want to know more about the inmate rules, inmate life, visitation rules, and so on. But where should you start? Keep reading and learn more about it in this jail overview.
What You Need to Know About Miami-Dade County Jail
The goal of this jail, as with all jails, is to rehabilitate criminals. This ensures that they will be less likely to commit acts of crime once they get out of jail. This jail also aims to treat prisoners humanely.
There are many inmate services, rules, and regulations. There are also many rules relating to the visitation of inmates, sending inmates food or gifts, and so on. The rules of inmate visitation changed in 2020 due to the Coronavirus.
Some of these changes are still in place. The main change that was conducted involved moving inmate visitation online. This means that you can "visit" an inmate by talking to them through a video call.
You can do this from the comfort of your own home from your computer. You may also do this on your phone or another electronic device with a screen. This is known as remote video visitation technology.
This form of visitation is available to the inmate's family members and friends. Certain professionals may also use this video visitation technology. These professionals may include lawyers, psychologists, and so on.
Before it is possible to engage in a video visit, you need to complete a remote video visitation application. This application only applies to professional visitors. Attorneys have different applications compared to other professionals.
When this application is completed, it is necessary to send it to the jail's email at [email protected]. You also need to create an account with the Global Tel*Link (GTL) website.
If this process goes smoothly, the attorney or professional can conduct a video visit with the desired inmate.
Visiting an Inmate and Sending Items
If you are instead a friend or family member, you need to make sure that you're on the Inmate’s Approved Master Visitation List.
You also need to get approved for remote video visitation. If you are not on the list or are not approved, it will not be possible to visit the prisoner this way. You also need to have an account on the Global Tel*Link website.
It may take around 24 hours for your account on the website to go through. As long as your registration goes as planned, it will be possible to schedule visits using this website. You can also send an inmate mail via the United States Postal Service.
Any incoming mail needs to be written on plain, white paper. The paper may have lines, such as notebook paper. You are not allowed to send the inmate certain objects.
You cannot send hardcover books or general mail like newspaper clippings. Postcards, greeting cards, colored envelopes, and bubbled envelopes are not allowed. It is possible to send certain gifts to inmates through the iCare website.
These gifts are prepackaged by iCare and get shipped straight to the inmate after you order them. You need to specify the state you are in and the inmate's number or the inmate's last name. You can then browse for a variety of gifts.
After you pay for the gift, it will get shipped to the desired location.
Sending Money to Inmates
It is also possible to send an inmate money. The inmate will get an individual trust account once they get taken into custody.
The money in this account is needed to pay for outstanding debt from other accounts, daily subsistence fees, and so on. Money in the inmate's account can also get used to buy commissary items. Self-bonding payments are also possible with the money available in this account.
You can send money to an inmate every day, no matter what day of the week it is. You need to submit these payments through TouchPay. TouchPay has several options for sending money to inmates.
If you have cash that you want to send, you need to go to the lobby kiosk to do this. It is also possible to make deposits over the phone and online. It is necessary to have the facility's number to make sure that you're sending the money to the right inmate.
Online and phone payments go through almost instantly. Cash payments deposited at the lobby kiosk may take longer to process.
If the inmate has outstanding debt, half of whatever money you send them will go toward that debt automatically. If the inmate has leftover money, they can buy a variety of commissary items.
Commissary Items
Some of these items include certain types of food or drinks. These items may also include toothbrushes, floss, hairbrushes, shaving cream, and so on. It may also be possible for the inmate to buy certain electronics.
It may be possible for the inmate to get a tablet rental or another type of electronic device. Other items that a prisoner can buy may include clothing, religious items, and some miscellaneous items. The exact items that a prisoner is allowed to buy will depend on the rules and regulations of the prison.
Other Factors to Consider Regarding Miami-Dade County Jail
If you want to bail an inmate out, you will have to find a bondsman. The jail will not help you with this because it is not allowed to recommend bondsmen. You can instead find a bondsman in your area by looking up options online.
If you want to know how much the bond is, you'll have to call the jail and look up information on the inmate in question. Once the bond is posted, the inmate will get released. It is also possible to release the inmate if they qualify for pre-trial release.
You will have to go to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center if you want to be there when the inmate gets released. Inmates get released between 6 AM and 9 PM. If the inmate had any items, they can get collected at the Turner Guilford Knight’s Property Room.
The items will stay there for 30 days until someone picks them up. If no one comes to collect them, they will get transported to another site where you will have to collect them. If no one collects the items by this point, they will get discarded.
Life inside the Miami-Dade County jail is very routine and efficient. The jail collaborated with the ESUBA program, which has a focus on educating incarcerated individuals.
What You Need to Know
This education helps inmates improve themselves and learn about important information that they could use out in the world.
This curriculum provides inmates with work experience that can benefit them once they get released from prison. This makes it easier for them to get jobs after they're released. This curriculum also teaches inmates about the dangers of abuse, the importance of healthy relationships, and how to manage stress.
All of these factors are important for reducing criminal behavior once these prisoners get released back into society. Educating inmates in this way helps to reform them and sets them on the right path. The ESUBA program works with a variety of other correctional facilities in South Florida besides the Miami-Dade prison.
It has been doing this for several years and has had substantial results. While this curriculum might not work for all inmates, it can help a significant portion of them. It can also make it easier for inmates to make the transition from prison back into the real world.
This prison also has a variety of other opportunities. The inmates have plenty of room to exercise outside and inside. This keeps them healthy.
Exercise also reduces stress and keeps the inmates busy. This ensures that the operations inside the prison run more smoothly.
All About the Miami-Dade County Jail
The Miami-Dade County jail is a large prison in the south of Florida. If someone you know is sent there, you can interact with them in different ways. You can communicate with them through a video call, and you can send them certain items or money through the mail.
This jail also has various correctional programs that can help prisoners improve themselves. To learn more about prisons, check out our services.
