The Wise County Inmate Population
The Wise County inmate population is centered at the Wise County Jail / Wise County Detention Center in Decatur. The jail is operated by the Wise County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Cary Mellema, and the staff directory identifies Joseph Thomas as Jail Administrator. The facility holds local custody for arrests made by the sheriff's office, city police departments, DPS, and other agencies that book people into Wise County custody.
The count changes as arrests, bond decisions, court orders, releases, and transfers occur. A person may be in the Wise County inmate population as a pretrial misdemeanor defendant, a pretrial felony defendant, a convicted county-jail inmate, a bench-warrant arrest, a parole violator, a state-jail-felony category, or a TDCJ-ready prisoner waiting for transport. No official source located a separate TDCJ prison, BOP prison, ICE detention center, or regional jail physically inside Wise County, so the local population is tied to the Decatur jail.
Wise County Inmate Population Statistics
The strongest population figures come from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards population reports and the live county jail list. TCJS listed Wise County at 338 rated beds and 201 inmates on June 1, 2026. The same reporting set listed a countywide population of 81,275, an average daily population of 185, and an incarceration rate of 2.28 in the June 2026 incarceration-rate workbook.
| Measure | Figure | Source / date |
|---|---|---|
| Rated capacity | 338 beds | TCJS current population workbook, June 1, 2026 |
| Total jail population | 201 | TCJS current population workbook, June 1, 2026 |
| Percent of capacity | 59.47% | TCJS current population workbook, June 1, 2026 |
| Average daily population | 185 | TCJS incarceration-rate workbook, June 1, 2026 |
| Live roster total | 206 | Wise County jail list, June 30, 2026 |
The county jail list adds a local detail that TCJS does not show in the same way: custody length. On June 30, 2026, the list showed 95 inmates over 100 days, 48 inmates under 30 days, and a median custody duration of 89 days. That makes the Wise County inmate population more than a head count. It also shows how long many people have remained in custody.
Wise County Inmate Population Trends
Recent TCJS rows reviewed for Wise County show a jail population below rated capacity across the sampled dates. The numbers moved from 213 on January 1, 2024, to 168 on May 1, 2026, then rose to 201 on June 1, 2026. The June 30, 2026 county roster total of 206 is a live list figure, not a TCJS monthly workbook figure, but it points in the same range.
| Date | Population / ADP | Capacity or rate note |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 1, 2024 | 213 current; 202 ADP | 338 capacity; 63.02% capacity; rate 2.59 |
| Sep. 1, 2025 | 189 current; 203 ADP | 338 capacity; 55.92% capacity; rate 2.50 |
| Jan. 1, 2026 | 177 current; 195 ADP | 338 capacity; 52.37% capacity; rate 2.40 |
| Mar. 1, 2026 | 174 current; 190 ADP | 338 capacity; 51.48% capacity; rate 2.34 |
| May 1, 2026 | 168 current; 187 ADP | 338 capacity; 49.70% capacity; rate 2.30 |
| June 1, 2026 | 201 current; 185 ADP | 338 capacity; 59.47% capacity; rate 2.28 |
Who Makes Up the Wise County Inmate Population
The June 1, 2026 TCJS row gives useful legal-status detail. Local pretrial felony categories made up the largest selected group, with 114 males and 16 females. Local pretrial Class A and B misdemeanor categories showed 11 males and no females. Parole-violation categories and TDCJ-sentenced transfer categories also appeared, which matters when a family is trying to understand why bond or release may not end custody.
- Local pretrial felons: 114 male and 16 female in the selected June 2026 TCJS row.
- Local pretrial Class A/B misdemeanants: 11 male and 0 female in the same row.
- Parole violators: 5 male and 2 female, plus 18 male parole violators with a new charge.
- TDCJ-sentenced categories: 23 male and 5 female convicted felons or parole violators sentenced to TDCJ divisions.
- Federal inmates: 0 male and 0 female in the selected Wise County TCJS row.
Wise County Jail Capacity
Wise County was not over rated capacity in the TCJS rows reviewed. The June 1, 2026 current population of 201 was 59.47% of the 338-bed rating. The county roster total on June 30, 2026 was 206, which was still below the rated capacity figure. No official county press release, consent decree, DOJ investigation, or major jail-construction notice was located in the official sources reviewed for the past two years.
Capacity is still worth watching because a below-capacity jail can have pressure in specific housing groups. The visitation schedule separates Special Watch Males, Females GP, MIN/MED Males, Trustee Females, Trustee Males, MAX/MED Males, and Female GP. Those local categories show that a single total population number does not explain each housing unit or classification need.
Laws Governing Wise County Inmate Data
Several Texas laws shape Wise County inmate population access. The Texas Public Information Act creates the general right to request government records, subject to exceptions. Texas Government Code Chapter 511 gives TCJS authority over minimum jail standards and reporting. Texas Local Government Code Chapter 351 covers county jail and sheriff custody duties.
Key statutes:
Texas Government Code Chapter 552 sets the public-records framework for requesting jail and law-enforcement records.
Texas Government Code Chapter 511 supports TCJS jail standards, inspections, and population reporting.
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 17 governs bail and personal bond after arrest.
Wise County State Prison Lookup
A person sentenced from Wise County may leave the county jail and enter the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system. Once that transfer occurs, the Wise County roster is no longer the best lookup channel. Use the TDCJ inmate search by TDCJ number, SID number, or name. TDCJ custody is for sentenced state prisoners, not new Wise County arrests or people still waiting for bond in the county jail.
How to Search Wise County Inmates
Current Wise County inmate lookup starts with the county jail list. The official list is a static page titled "Inmates In The Wise County Jail - Sorted by Days Incarcerated." It is free and does not require a login. It is also not a full search portal, so the most useful tool is the browser find command.
- Open the Wise County current jail list.
- Use browser find and search for the last name first.
- Read the name and days-in-jail value next to the entry.
- Check the update time before assuming a recent arrest is missing.
- Call 940-627-5971, use VINELink, or submit an open-records request if the person is not listed.
The roster did not show charges, bond, booking number, mugshot, court date, or housing unit in the inspected output. For a fuller custody record, use the sheriff records channel or the court portal after charges are filed.
Current Wise County Roster Search
The public roster page uses a list format rather than a form. That makes the search-field inventory unusual, but useful. A user who expects a vendor roster with filters will not find one here. The Wise County inmate population list is sorted by custody length and shows page-level totals.
| Field label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| No visible search field | Static list | Not applicable | Use browser find. The page is sorted by days incarcerated. |
| Name / Days in Jail | List column | Not applicable | Names appear as last, first, middle or suffix where available. |
| Source Info Here | Link/text | Not applicable | A source-info label appeared, but no field options were visible in text inspection. |
The Wise County roster screenshot source shows why the list should be read as a population list, not as a complete booking profile.
The screenshot matches the research finding: the public list highlights current custody and days in jail, while richer booking data must be requested through official channels.
Past Wise County Inmate Records
Released or transferred inmates may not remain on the current jail list. Wise County's public roster is built for current custody, so a past booking may require the sheriff's records process. The Sheriff Open Records page accepts requests in person, by USPS mail, by email at Open_Records@sheriff.co.wise.tx.us, and through the linked Smartsheet form. The page also states that accident reports are routed through TxDOT CRIS and fire reports through the Fire Marshal.
For court results after a booking, use the PublicAccess court records portal and the clerk offices instead of the jail list. The custody record and the court case are related, but they are not the same record.
What a Wise County Inmate Record Shows
The Wise County public jail list is narrow. It shows a person's name and the number of days in jail. It also shows totals for the whole jail list. It does not show a booking photo, booking number, DOB, charges, bond, arresting agency, court date, or housing unit in the inspected output.
| Field | Wise County public list result |
|---|---|
| Name | Shown as last name, first name, and middle or suffix where available. |
| Days in jail | Shown as a count of days in custody, not a booking timestamp. |
| Charges | Not shown on the inspected roster. |
| Bond | Not shown on the inspected roster. |
| Mugshot | Not shown on the inspected roster. |
| Page-level totals | Total inmates, over-100-day count, under-30-day count, and median days. |
Wise County Jail vs State Prison
Lookup failures often come from searching the wrong system. The county jail covers current local custody before trial, short local sentences, warrants, holds, and people waiting for transfer. TDCJ covers sentenced state prisoners after transfer. BOP and ICE are separate federal systems. VINELink is a notification tool, not a full booking database.
| Custody type | Where to look | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Wise County jail custody | Wise County current jail list | Current county jail population, name and days in jail. |
| Texas state prison | TDCJ inmate search | Sentenced state prisoners and TDCJ identifiers. |
| Federal custody | BOP inmate locator | Sentenced federal and BOP-held inmates. |
| Immigration custody | ICE detainee locator | Immigration detainees, subject to ICE locator limits. |
| Notifications | VINELink | Custody status notification where Texas agency data is available. |
Wise County Detention Facilities
The facility map resolved one official local detention facility for Wise County. City police agencies may arrest people, but official custody information points to the county jail in Decatur rather than separate city-jail public rosters.
- Wise County Jail / Wise County Detention Center holds the local pretrial, short-sentence, warrant, parole-violation, state-transfer, and occasional detainer categories reported through Wise County and TCJS.
Wise County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Wise County inmate population?
TCJS listed 201 inmates on June 1, 2026, and the live Wise County jail list showed 206 inmates on June 30, 2026. The two numbers come from different sources, so they should not be treated as the same report.
How do I search the Wise County inmate population?
Use the Wise County current jail list first. Since it has no search box, use browser find and search by last name. If the person is not listed, call the jail, check VINELink, search court records, or use TDCJ, BOP, or ICE if custody may have shifted.
Does Wise County post mugshots on the roster?
The inspected public roster did not show mugshots. Booking photos may be requested through the sheriff's public-information process when releasable under Texas law.