Central Florida Reception Center

Central Florida Reception Center is a Florida state prison for adult men and youth male offenders located in Orlando, Florida. It has a maximum capacity of 1,659, and it houses all custody levels, from minimum to maximum.

This is an intake and processing center for inmates who are entering the Florida Department of Corrections, so the offenders are only in this facility for a short period of time before being assigned to another location to serve their sentence. This means that there are limited inmate programs and the offenders are not able to make phone calls when they first arrive.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

If you wish to visit an inmate at Central Florida Reception Center, you must first fill out a visitor application and be approved by the Florida Department of Corrections.

Visiting hours are on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. and visitors will not be processed after 2:00 p.m. The visiting park is also open on holidays, including New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday (the third Monday in January), Memorial Day, 4th of July, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

If any of the holidays fall on a Saturday, the Friday before will be observed as a holiday. If any of these holidays fall on Sunday, then the following Monday will be observed as the holiday.

Any minor, 17 years of age or younger, must be accompanied by an approved adult on the inmate's visiting list. 

Visit procedures

When you first arrive at the Central Florida Reception Center, the officers will ask you a few questions. You will then go through a metal detector and you must submit to a pat search and barrier search.

The officers’ questions will pertain to any possible contraband that you have with you. This means that you can’t have any cell phones or electronic devices on you and you can’t bring anything to give to an inmate. You are also not allowed to bring in tobacco, drugs of any type, or weapons.

They don’t just take your word for it. All visitors will be searched, and they will arrest you if you try to bring in contraband. 

After a staff member searches your property, you will go through a metal detector. FDC uses both a walk-through metal detector and a hand-held metal detector. Then, you will go through the Magneto Static Detector which can detect cell phones.

Next, you will enter another room for a pat search where you must remove all exterior clothing such as jackets, sweaters, scarves, shoes, etc.

Finally, there is the barrier search. This is where a canine handler will use a dog to determine if you have drugs or cell phones. If the canine alerts that contraband may be present, you could be subject to a strip search and a search of your vehicle. 

Once you have cleared all of these steps, you will be allowed to enter the visiting park. 

What you can bring to a visit

Each visitor is allowed to bring up to $50.00 (in $1.00, $5.00, $10.00, and $20.00 denominations only or silver change) for the vending machines. You can also bring a small wallet or pouch to hold your money.

You are also permitted to bring a car key. So, take the car key off of your keychain because you can’t bring in any other keys or a keyless entry device.

When it comes to any necessary medication, you may need during the visit, you are allowed to bring in the necessary dosage. All medicine must be in the original prescribed container and must be clearly marked. 

If you have a medical condition, such as diabetes, which requires injections, you will be permitted to leave the visiting park and take the necessary medications, but you can’t bring in any needles or syringes.

The following items are allowed if you are bringing an infant to the visit:

A maximum of five diapers, three clear plastic baby bottles, or two sipper cups for toddlers, one clear plastic baby pacifier, three clear plastic jars of baby food with the original seal intact, and baby wipes or towelettes (in a clear plastic bag). Also, you may bring in an infant baby carrier (subject to search), one set of infant clothing, and one non-quilted baby blanket to keep the infant warm.

Dress Code

When you visit an inmate at Central Florida Reception Center, remember to dress modestly. If you wear any of the following items you will be denied entry to the visiting park: 

• Halter tops or bra-less attire
• Underwear-type t-shirts or tank tops
• Fishnet clothing
• Skin tight clothing
• Shoes with removable parts
• See-through fabric without an undergarment
• Dresses, skirts, or shorts more than three inches above the knee
• Clothing with a threatening picture or language
• Camouflage
• Any clothing with metal

Video Visitation

Always use the inmate’s committed name, DC number, and institutional address when addressing your letters. You can send written correspondence with a maximum of 15 pages, but do not glue, tape, or staple anything to the pages.

You can also send greeting cards, but they can’t have any electronic or non-paper parts. Pictures are allowed, but you can’t send nude photographs, Polaroids, or anything larger than 8”x10.” 

The Central Florida Reception Center does allow you to send a maximum of ten blank greeting cards, stationery, blank paper, or envelopes. You can also send up to twenty first class stamps.

How to Call an Inmate

You can’t call an inmate who is incarcerated at Central Florida Reception Center. However, they are eventually allowed to make outgoing calls once they have been processed through intake. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Florida, please click here.

How to Send Money

The only way to send money to an inmate at Central Florida Reception Center is through JPay or MoneyGram.

• You can send money online with your credit or debit card at JPay.com or with the JPay Mobile App that is available at the Apple App Store (for iPhones) and Google Play (for Android phones).
• To send money by phone, call (800) 574-5729 to talk with a live JPay call center agent.
• If you need to use cash, visit a MoneyGram location (including all Walmarts and CVS Pharmacies) and use receive code 5188.
• Or, you can send a money orderㅡmade payable to JPayㅡwith a deposit slip to:

JPay
P.O. Box 260010
Hollywood, FL 33026

Money order deposit slip available in English here.

Programs For Inmates

Academic Programs

• Special Education Screening (Child Find)

Substance Abuse Programs

• Screening Assessments

Chaplaincy Services

• Chapel Library Program
• Religious Education
• TBN Satellite
• Worship Services

Institutional Betterment Programs

• 100-hour Transition Program
• Active and Passive Sports
• Anger Management
• Christian Encounter
• Gavel Club
• HIV/AIDS/STD Basic Awareness
• Law Library Program
• Library Program
• Weight Loss Program
• Wellness Education

Pictures of Central Florida Reception Center

Careers at Central Florida Reception Center

The Department of Corrections is Florida's largest state agency, and the third largest prison system in the country. If you are interested in a career at Central Florida Reception Center, click here.