Reviewed on: May 05,2026

How Long Until Phone Access After Transfer to Florida DOC?

my husband just got on a bus 2 days ago from county jail, Broward County Florida to South Florida Reception Center in Miami. When will I receive a pin to send him money for his canteen, and when can we talk again?

Asked: October 07, 2018
Author: Lora
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The transfer from Broward County to South Florida Reception Center is a short geographic move but it is still a full transition between two separate systems with their own intake processes. Give it a few days before expecting communication to resume.

Here is what is typically happening on his end right now. When an inmate arrives at a reception center they go through a processing and orientation period that includes medical screening, classification interviews, property inventory, and housing assignment. Phone access and commissary privileges generally do not become available until that intake process is complete and he has been assigned to a permanent housing unit within the facility. For most Florida DOC reception centers that window runs about one week from arrival, sometimes a few days faster if intake moves smoothly.

On the PIN and commissary account, Florida DOC uses a separate system from Broward County Jail. His account does not automatically transfer. You will need to set up a new account through whatever platform South Florida Reception Center uses for deposits, which is typically JPay for Florida state facilities. Go to jpay.com, search for South Florida Reception Center, and set up an account using his Florida DC number. That number is assigned by the Florida Department of Corrections and should have been given to him at sentencing or during the transfer paperwork.

If you do not yet have his DC number, it can be found through the Florida DOC offender search at dc.state.fl.us. Once you have it, the deposit process is straightforward and funds typically post within one to two business days.

In the meantime, sending a letter through InmateAid is the most reliable way to get a message to him during this gap before phone access is restored.

https://www.inmateaid.com/ask-the-inmate/how-long-until-phone-access-after-transfer-to-florida-doc#answer
Accepted Answer Date Created: October 08,2018
Comments
I am 95 percent positive I need a neck surgery, have a broken foot, have a tear in my right hip, which caused my broken foot, can I call the my husband's Correctional Officer that he has been assigned and request he serve his time up here in Raiford, closer to me, as I cannot drive that far?
The correctional officer might be able to direct where that request should be made. The reception center will determine where the inmate gets placed based upon his crime, criminal history, length of sentence and if there was violence or weapons involved. The more checked boxes, the higher the security level. The state prison in Raiford is a high-security prison - we do not know anything about your inmate's case but it's a tough prison to "want to go to".
There is also Union Correctional Institution, a medium state prison in Raiford also.