New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center Recent Bookings And Arrests
The Arrest and The Booking Process in Delaware
Situated at:
963 Centre Rd., Bldg. #14
Wilmington, DE 19805
the New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center receives adults from New Castle County who are held on felony or misdemeanor charges.
Delaware runs a unified correctional system: there are no county jails, and the state Department of Correction operates every detention facility, holding both people awaiting trial and those serving sentences. After an arrest, police take the person before the Justice of the Peace Court, which handles initial hearings around the clock. If the person is ordered held, they are committed to a Department of Correction facility. Intake staff take fingerprints and a photo, inventory property, verify warrants and complete medical and mental-health screening before housing.
People arrested by the Delaware State Police, municipal police and federal agencies, including the U.S. Marshals, may be held here.
Immigration Enforcement in Delaware
A 2025 state law, House Bill 182, bars Delaware law enforcement agencies from entering agreements with ICE to enforce immigration law, including 287(g) partnerships, and from sharing immigration-related information with ICE for that purpose. Federal agents can still make their own arrests with proper legal authority.
The official booking list (opens in a new tab) is the source for public custody information and may show charges, the arresting agency and, where allowed, a photo. For clarification, call the New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center at 302-633-3100.
Admission, from arrival until the person is housed or released, can last from roughly two hours to most of a day, depending on the number of people being processed.
Bail and Pretrial Release
Since 2018 reforms, Delaware judges use a risk assessment and are directed to favor the least restrictive release conditions that will ensure a return to court, so many people are released on their own recognizance or unsecured bail. Where cash or secured bail is set, licensed bail bond agents may post it; they are regulated by the Delaware Department of Insurance. See our Bail page for release steps.
New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center Booking FAQ
- How do I find out if someone has been arrested and booked into the New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center?
- What happens during booking in New Castle County?
- What is the booking process like at the New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center?
- What kind of questions are asked during booking?
- What happens to an offender’s personal property during booking?
- What happens after booking?
- How long does the New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center booking process take?
How do I find out if someone has been arrested and booked into the New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center?
Dial the New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center at 302-633-3100 to learn whether a person has been committed there.
If the arrest was very recent, the person may still be at a police station or awaiting a hearing at the Justice of the Peace Court. Staff may ask for the person’s date of birth.
Custody records may not update for several hours after an arrest.
The New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center Booking Roster offers an online search as well.
What happens during booking in New Castle County?
Someone arrested in New Castle County is first processed by the arresting police agency, receives Miranda warnings before custodial questioning, and is brought before a Justice of the Peace Court judge for an initial hearing.
If release is not granted, the person is transported to a Department of Correction facility. Attorneys typically advise staying silent about the case, because recorded calls and statements can be used later.
What is the booking process like at the New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center?
The person is fingerprinted and photographed and answers questions about their background and health. In a serious felony case, a DNA sample may be collected. Warrant checks cover Delaware and other jurisdictions.
A DUI suspect who refuses chemical testing faces license revocation in Delaware. Blood is drawn only with consent or a warrant, by trained medical staff.
Admission usually includes a thorough search, which may be a strip search, along with a metal detector or body scanner.
What kind of questions are asked during booking?
Staff ask about medical conditions, medications, allergies, drug and alcohol use, suicidal thoughts, mental health history, tattoos and gang ties. These answers help determine housing, classification and any medical or mental-health follow-up.
What happens to an offender’s personal property during booking?
Belongings are collected and inventoried at admission and stored until release. With the person’s written permission, some items can be given to a relative or friend.
Property includes clothing, money, wallets, purses, phones, jewelry, piercings and watches. Glasses may be withheld if they are a security risk, and laces come out of any shoes.
What happens after booking?
The person can make a phone call to tell someone about the arrest or to start arranging bail or a bond.
People held pending trial are issued a uniform, shoes, bedding, a towel and toiletries by the New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center.
A shower, and possibly a lice or scabies treatment, is often required before housing.
How long does the New Castle County Juvenile Detention Center booking process take?
Admission may be finished in an hour or take more than a day. Volume, staffing and the person’s cooperation all matter.
A person who is highly intoxicated or combative may be kept in a holding cell until they calm down.