Wise County Jail Overview
Wise County Jail / Wise County Detention Center is operated by the Wise County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Cary Mellema is listed on the county sheriff page, and the staff directory identifies Joseph Thomas as Jail Administrator. The jail is the local custody point for people arrested in Wise County, people held for Wise County courts, and people waiting for bond, first appearance, case movement, or transfer.
The official facility type is county jail. The facility holds pretrial misdemeanants and felons, convicted county-jail inmates, bench-warrant arrests, parole violators, state-jail-felony categories, TDCJ-ready prisoners, and occasional detainer categories as reported to TCJS. The county pages reviewed did not identify a separate public city jail roster, state prison, BOP prison, or ICE detention center inside Wise County.
Wise County Jail Population
TCJS listed Wise County Jail at 338 rated beds in the June 1, 2026 current population workbook. The same row listed 201 inmates, or 59.47% of capacity. The live Wise County jail list showed 206 total inmates on June 30, 2026, with 95 inmates over 100 days, 48 under 30 days, and a median custody duration of 89 days.
The TCJS figure and the live roster figure have different dates and purposes. TCJS reports monthly population data for jail oversight. The county roster is a current public list and can change after new bookings, releases, bond postings, and transfers.
Lookup Wise County Jail Inmates
The correct first lookup channel for this facility is the Wise County current jail list. The list is sorted by days incarcerated. It is not a search form, and it did not show clickable profiles during inspection. For a booking number, call the jail at 940-627-5971.
- Open the Wise County current jail list.
- Use browser find to search the last name.
- Read the name and days in jail shown on the list.
- Check the update time because a new booking may not appear immediately.
- If the person is missing, call the jail, search court records, check VINELink, or use TDCJ, BOP, or ICE if custody may have moved.
The public jail list does not replace the TDCJ inmate search for sentenced state prisoners or the BOP inmate locator for federal custody. ICE detainee searches use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System.
Wise County Jail Contact
The jail and sheriff complex uses the Rook Ramsey Drive address in the sheriff page, staff directory, detention page, and jail mail instructions. Call before traveling if the question involves booking number, release timing, bond, visitor eligibility, property pickup, or a special visit request.
Wise County Jail / Wise County Detention Center
200 Rook Ramsey Drive
Decatur, TX 76234
940-627-5971
Sheriff: Cary Mellema
Jail Administrator: Joseph Thomas
Fax: 940-627-3797
The Wise County Detention page also lists inmate mail instructions, Correct Solutions Group deposit information, and the facility number used for deposits.
Visiting Wise County Jail
The Wise County visitation page states that visits are 20 minutes. Visitors from outside a 100-mile radius may receive a 40-minute extended visit under normal circumstances when they provide proof of residence. Visitors must be on the inmate's visitation card. Picture ID is required for visitors 17 and older, and visitors 16 and younger must be with an approved adult.
| Day / block | Time | Housing group |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday morning | 8 to 9 a.m. | Special Watch Males |
| Tuesday morning | 9 to 10:30 a.m. | Females GP |
| Tuesday morning | 10:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. | MIN/MED Males |
| Tuesday evening | 5 to 6 p.m. | Trustee Females |
| Tuesday evening | 6 to 8 p.m. | Trustee Males |
| Wednesday morning | 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | MAX/MED Males |
| Wednesday evening | 6 to 7 p.m. | Female GP |
| Wednesday evening | 7 to 10 p.m. | MIN/MED Males |
| Friday evening | 6 to 7 p.m. | Special Watch Males |
| Friday evening | 7 to 10 p.m. | MAX/MED Males |
| Saturday evening | 5 to 6 p.m. | Trustee Females |
| Saturday evening | 6 to 8 p.m. | Trustee Males |
Sign in at least 30 minutes before the scheduled block ends. Phones, cameras, purses, diaper bags, and packages are not allowed in the visitation room. The dress code bars short shorts above the knees, tank tops, short dresses, overly tight clothing, and revealing clothing.
Wise County Jail Mail and Money
Inmate mail should be addressed to the inmate by name at Wise County Jail, 200 Rook Ramsey Drive, Decatur, TX 76234. Newspapers and magazine subscriptions must come directly from the publisher to the inmate by name. Publications with graphic sexual content or obscene material are prohibited, and books or magazines brought by individuals are not accepted.
| Service | Provider / detail |
|---|---|
| Phone account | Correct Solutions Group, 877-618-3516 |
| Lobby kiosk | Jail lobby kiosk available 24/7 for inmate funds |
| Phone deposits | Correct Solutions Group by phone |
| Online deposits | Correct Solutions Group with debit, credit, cash, or Green Dot MoneyPak options |
| Required identifiers | Facility number 24080 and inmate booking number |
The booking number needed for deposits can be obtained by calling 940-627-5971. Remaining money is issued as a debit card at release. If an inmate is transferred, funds transfer with the inmate, and property must be picked up by the named person within 60 days.
Booking at Wise County Jail
A Wise County arrest normally leads to transport to the jail for identity confirmation, search, property inventory, medical screening, booking photo and fingerprints, booking number assignment, and classification. The public list may lag behind a new booking because the inspected roster stated it normally updated about 4.5 hours after the listed update time.
After booking, a magistrate or court reviews probable cause, bond, holds, and release conditions. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 17 governs bail and personal bond. A bond on one charge may not release the person if another warrant, parole hold, federal hold, ICE detainer, or no-bond order applies.
Wise County Jail Services
The inmate health services page says medical attention is available regardless of ability to pay. Listed services include assessment of new significant illness, emergency care, chronic-disorder monitoring, physician-ordered medications distributed by licensed medical staff, some commissary-purchased over-the-counter medication, and dental extractions.
The law library page describes recreational reading, religious library material by request when donated and available, and publisher-only publication rules. Ministry visits must go through the Jail Chaplain and cannot occur during scheduled visitation times.
Note: Confirm custody, visitation eligibility, and any booking-number requirement with the jail before sending money or traveling to Decatur.
Wise County Jail Records Requests
When the roster does not show the needed detail, use the Wise County Sheriff Open Records page. Requests may be made in person, by USPS mail, by email to Open_Records@sheriff.co.wise.tx.us, or through the Open Records Request form. Completed requests are returned to the email address provided by the requester.
The sheriff records page says traffic accident reports must be obtained through TxDOT CRIS and fire reports through the Fire Marshal. It also notes the law allows 10 working days to request an Attorney General opinion. Use the records channel for incident reports, booking details not shown online, and booking-photo requests when releasable.