How to Find Someone at Metrowest Detention Center (Miami‑Dade): Step-by-Step Inmate Search Guide
Trying to confirm whether someone is at Metrowest Detention Center? Miami‑Dade County's online Inmate In‑Custody Search is your starting point. The trick is entering the name exactly how the system expects it—and knowing what the results actually tell you.
Name format matters here. Miami‑Dade's Inmate In‑Custody Search expects you to enter the last name first, followed by either a first initial or the full first name. Get the order wrong or skip part of it, and you'll get
- ✓ Last name (as it would appear on official records)
- ✓ First initial (if you’re doing an initial-based search)
- ✓ Full first name (for a full-name search)
- ✓ Date of birth (helpful for confirming you have the right person)
- ✓ Alternate spellings (common misspellings, hyphenations, spacing)
- ✓ Any known aliases or nicknames used as legal names
When you use Miami‑Dade’s Inmate In‑Custody Search, enter the person’s last name first, then add either their first initial or their full first name. That “last name + first initial/first name” pattern is what the search tool is built around, and it’s the quickest way to get a match if the person is currently listed.
- Search with a first initial - Enter: LASTNAME, F (last name followed by the first initial).
- Search with the full first name - Enter: LASTNAME, FIRSTNAME (last name followed by the full first name).
Step2 Read Results
- ✓ Name - the person’s name as listed in the in‑custody database.
- ✓ Date of birth (DOB) - helps you confirm you’ve found the right person when names are similar.
- ✓ Race - a descriptive field used in the booking record.
- ✓ Sex - another descriptive field from the booking record.
- ✓ Location - where the person is being held within the Miami‑Dade system (useful for confirming custody and next steps).
- ✓ Charges - what the person was booked on, as listed at the time of booking.
- ✓ Bond amount - the bond shown for the listed charges.
- ✓ Jail number - the person’s jail ID number, which is useful when you call or need to reference their record.
- ✓ Booking date and time - when the person was booked into custody.
- ✓ Mugshot - the booking photo shown with the record.
Note: A mugshot and charges in the search results reflect booking information. They don’t tell you how a case will turn out.
Troubleshoot
- ✓ Try the two accepted formats: last name + first initial, then last name + full first name.
- ✓ Double-check spelling and try common variations (hyphens, spaces, swapped letters).
- ✓ Remove suffixes and punctuation (like Jr., Sr., apostrophes, or periods) and try again.
- ✓ If you’re unsure about the first name, start with the first-initial format to broaden the search.
If you still can’t find them, slow down and confirm you’re using the correct last name spelling, then retry using both the first-initial and full-first-name formats. If you’re not getting any matches after trying a few variations, your next step is to contact Miami‑Dade’s official channels for help confirming custody and location.
Quick Checklist
- ✓ Enter the name as: last name + first initial, or last name + full first name
- ✓ Confirm you have the right person using: name + date of birth
- ✓ Scan the record for: location, charges, bond amount, jail number, booking date/time, mugshot
- ✓ If no results: retry using the other accepted name format and common spelling variations
This guide focuses on the name-entry format Miami‑Dade’s search tool uses and the fields you’ll see in the results. It doesn’t cover how often the database updates, whether there are other search options besides name, or the official step-by-step process Miami‑Dade wants you to follow if someone isn’t listed. For anything time-sensitive - especially if you believe someone was just arrested - verify details through Miami‑Dade’s official resources and rely on the official site for the most current information.
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