Why Your Visit to Miami‑Dade Juvenile Detention Might Be Denied — and how to avoid it

If you don’t have proper photo identification with you, you can be denied entry. Bring a valid, government-issued photo ID and have it ready at check-in so you’re not scrambling at the front desk.

Expect to be searched and screened - it's part of the normal entry process. Refuse the search or ignore officer instructions, and staff will deny you entrance on the spot. Stay patient, listen closely, and follow directions the first time.

How you act at check-in matters. Being disruptive or uncooperative can get you turned away. The same goes if you're under the influence - or even appear to be - of any intoxicating substance. If you're feeling upset (understandable), take a breath before walking in. Keep your tone calm and respectful with staff.

Leave personal items out of the secure area - keys, purses, packages, all of it. You'll go through an electronic search, and the facility takes unauthorized items seriously. Bringing anything unauthorized into a detention facility is a third-degree felony. Keep it simple and leave belongings behind.

What you wear can stop a visit before it starts. If staff consider your outfit inappropriate under the facility's posted rules, you'll be turned away. When in doubt, dress conservatively and skip anything that might get flagged at the entrance.

Not everyone is automatically allowed to visit. Parents, grandparents, and legal guardians are approved. Anyone else typically needs a court order or specific approval from the Superintendent (or designee). If you're not in an approved group, get clarity before you show up - don't waste the trip.

Even after you're allowed in, a visit can end early if your behavior - or the youth's - becomes disruptive or violates facility policies. If things start escalating, protect the visit: lower your voice, follow directions immediately, and keep things calm.

A terminated visit can affect your future visits too. The facility notes that ending a visit may lead to suspension of visitation privileges - that decision is up to the Superintendent. One bad moment can mean a longer gap before you're able to visit again.

Practical Steps Checklist

• ✓ Bring proper photo identification and have it ready at check-in
• ✓ Expect to be searched/electronically screened, and cooperate with the process
• ✓ Follow officer instructions right away (arguing can get you denied)
• ✓ Don’t arrive under the influence or appearing to be under the influence of any intoxicating substance
• ✓ Leave personal items out of the secure area (including keys, purses, and packages)

You'll need to sign in and sign out on the youth's Visitor's Log. Build a few extra minutes into your arrival for this step, and don't forget to complete sign-out before you leave.

If you're not a parent, grandparent, or legal guardian - or think you might need an exception - sort it out before you go. Others can visit only with a court order or approval from the Superintendent (or designee). Showing up without that approval is a common way people get turned away.

1. Stay calm and step aside - getting heated usually doesn’t change the decision, and it can make things worse.
2. Ask what the specific issue is - ID, approval status, search compliance, behavior, or items you brought in.
3. Write down the basics - date/time, what you were told, and the name/title of the staff member if you can get it politely.
4. Fix what’s fixable and try again later - for example, return with proper ID, leave personal items behind, and come back prepared.

Questions about the youth's case or charges? Contact their assigned Juvenile Probation Officer. For visiting questions, ask for the on-duty JJDO Supervisor. If your visit was terminated and you're concerned about being blocked from future visits, follow up promptly and respectfully - future visitation privileges may be suspended at the Superintendent's discretion.