Florida Statutes

Fla. Stat. § 985.265 (2025)

Detention transfer and release; education; adult jails.

✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session

Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section FL-LEGleg.state.fl.us JustiaFla. Statutes CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

985.265 Detention transfer and release; education; adult jails.—

(1) If a child is detained under this part, the department may transfer the child from supervised release detention care to secure detention care only if significantly changed circumstances warrant such transfer.

(2) If a child is on release status and not detained under this part, the child may be placed into detention care only pursuant to a court hearing in which the original risk assessment instrument and the newly discovered evidence or changed circumstances are introduced into evidence with a rescored risk assessment instrument.

(3)(a) When a juvenile sexual offender is placed in detention, detention staff shall provide appropriate monitoring and supervision to ensure the safety of other children in the facility.

(b) When a juvenile is released from secure detention or transferred to supervised release detention, detention staff shall immediately notify the appropriate law enforcement agency, school personnel, and victim if the juvenile is charged with committing any of the following offenses or attempting to commit any of the following offenses:

1. Murder, under s. 782.04;

2. Sexual battery, under chapter 794;

3. Stalking, under s. 784.048; or

4. Domestic violence, as defined in s. 741.28.

(4)(a) While a child who is currently enrolled in school is in supervised release detention care, the child shall continue to attend school unless otherwise ordered by the court.

(b) While a child is in secure detention care, the child shall receive education commensurate with his or her grade level and educational ability.

(5) The court shall order the delivery of a child to a jail or other facility intended or used for the detention of adults:

(a) When the child has been transferred or indicted for criminal prosecution as an adult under part X, except that the court may not order or allow a child alleged to have committed a misdemeanor who is being transferred for criminal prosecution pursuant to either s. 985.556 or s. 985.557 to be detained or held in a jail or other facility intended or used for the detention of adults; however, such child may be held temporarily in a detention facility; or

(b) When a child taken into custody in this state is wanted by another jurisdiction for prosecution as an adult.

The child shall be housed separately from adult inmates to prohibit a child from having regular contact with incarcerated adults, including trusties. “Regular contact” means sight and sound contact. Separation of children from adults shall permit no more than haphazard or accidental contact. The receiving jail or other facility shall contain a separate section for children and shall have an adequate staff to supervise and monitor the child’s activities at all times. Supervision and monitoring of children includes physical observation and documented checks by jail or receiving facility supervisory personnel at intervals not to exceed 10 minutes. This subsection does not prohibit placing two or more children in the same cell. Under no circumstances shall a child be placed in the same cell with an adult.

History.—s. 5, ch. 90-208; s. 3, ch. 93-408; ss. 29, 31, ch. 94-209; s. 1342, ch. 95-147; s. 2, ch. 95-266; s. 44, ch. 95-267; s. 5, ch. 96-398; ss. 21, 23, ch. 97-238; s. 13, ch. 98-207; s. 36, ch. 2006-120; s. 19, ch. 2014-162; s. 105, ch. 2015-2; s. 23, ch. 2016-24; s. 31, ch. 2017-37; s. 16, ch. 2017-107; s. 5, ch. 2017-164; s. 12, ch. 2018-86; s. 95, ch. 2019-167; s. 173, ch. 2020-2.

Note.—Subsections (1), (2), (3) former s. 39.044(8), (9), (11); s. 985.215(8), (9), (11). Subsection (4) former s. 39.042(3); s. 985.213(3). Subsection (5) former s. 39.044(4); s. 985.215(4).

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 2 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2013–2025 · leading case: H.D. v. Shore, 134 So. 3d 1062 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

H.D. v. Shore, 134 So. 3d 1062 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013). · cites it 4× “, however, that what is now section 985.265(1), Florida Statutes (2012), pro *1064 vides an independent basis for ordering secure detention as occurred here.”

India Comer & Shantearia Gaines v. State of Florida (Fla. 3d DCA 2025). · cites it 14× “This regular contact, as prohibited by Fla. Stat. 985.265[5](b), is not merely haphazard or accident.”

— 985.265(1) — 1 case

H.D. v. Shore, 134 So. 3d 1062 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013). “, however, that what is now section 985.265(1), Florida Statutes (2012), pro *1064 vides an independent basis for ordering secure detention as occurred here.”

— 985.265(5) — 1 case

India Comer & Shantearia Gaines v. State of Florida (Fla. 3d DCA 2025). “This regular contact, as prohibited by Fla. Stat. 985.265[5](b), is not merely haphazard or accident.”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.