The sheriff’s detention center at:
100 East Green Street
Wilson, NC 27893
receives adults arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges in Wilson County.
Sheriff’s deputies, municipal police, campus and other local officers, and troopers with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol all bring arrestees here. During intake, detention officers fingerprint and photograph each person, inventory their belongings, run warrant checks and screen for medical and mental health needs before assigning housing.
Federal agencies, including the U.S. Marshals and ICE, may also hold people at this facility.
The arrest information shown here is drawn from the sheriff’s official booking list (opens in a new tab) or an official statewide jail list. Depending on the county, entries can include a booking photo, each charge and the agency that made the arrest. For anything missing or unclear, the Wilson County Detention Center can be reached at 252-237-2522.
Processing someone from arrival to a housing assignment or release usually takes a few hours, though a busy night at the Wilson County Detention Center can stretch it to a full day.
North Carolina law requires that an arrested person be brought before a magistrate without unnecessary delay. The magistrate, often working at or near the Wilson County Detention Center, reviews probable cause and sets conditions of release. People charged with a felony who remain in custody must see a district court judge for a first appearance within 96 hours or at the next session of court, whichever comes first.
Release can be on a written promise, an unsecured bond, a secured bond or house arrest with electronic monitoring. Iryna’s Law, in effect since December 1, 2025, ended release on a written promise or unsecured bond for many violent and repeat offenders and requires judicial officials to review full criminal history before setting conditions. Bail bondsmen operate in North Carolina and are licensed by the North Carolina Department of Insurance, which caps the premium at 15 percent of the bond. Step-by-step release instructions are on our Bail page.
North Carolina requires sheriffs to cooperate with ICE. Under laws passed in 2024 and 2025, jails must check the immigration status of people charged with certain crimes, honor ICE detainers, notify ICE before releasing someone it is seeking, and hold that person up to 48 hours past their release time so ICE can take custody. Many North Carolina sheriff’s offices also have 287(g) agreements with ICE.
Phone the detention center at 252-237-2522 and ask whether the person is in custody. Staff can usually tell you the charges and whether the magistrate has set a bond.
Depending on the county, you may hear a recorded menu first or be transferred to a detention officer. Be ready to give a date of birth so staff can make sure they have the right person.
Records for a fresh arrest may take a few hours to appear while the person is still with the magistrate or in intake.
For an online check, try the Wilson County Detention Center Booking Roster.
Following the arrest and any Miranda warnings, the arresting officer takes the person before a magistrate and then to the sheriff’s detention center in Wilson County for intake if they are not released.
Intake has several steps. Attorneys almost always recommend staying quiet about the charges during this time, since statements to officers, phone calls and conversations in holding can be recorded and used later in court.
Officers take a mugshot and fingerprints and ask about personal history and health. North Carolina law also requires a DNA cheek swab at arrest for certain serious offenses, such as murder, rape and other sex offenses, kidnapping, burglary and arson. Warrant checks cover Wilson County, the rest of North Carolina and other states.
In an impaired-driving arrest, refusing a chemical analysis triggers a one-year license revocation. Officers generally need a search warrant to draw blood without consent.
People may be pat-searched, scanned with a metal detector or body scanner, and in some cases strip searched before they enter a housing unit.
Detention staff ask about health problems, prescriptions, substance use and withdrawal risk, allergies, past suicide attempts or current thoughts of self-harm, tattoos, and gang membership. This screening shapes where the person is housed and whether medical or mental health staff need to see them.
Everything the person brings in is inventoried and kept in storage until release. With the person’s written permission, a family member or friend can usually collect some items sooner.
That covers clothing, cash, wallets and bags, phones, jewelry, piercings and watches. Laces are pulled from shoes, and glasses may be held if they are viewed as a safety concern.
North Carolina law requires officers to tell the arrested person, without unnecessary delay, that they may contact a lawyer and friends, and to give them a reasonable opportunity to do so. That call is often used to arrange bond or bail.
A person who stays in custody is issued a jail uniform, sandals or slip-on shoes, bedding, a towel and hygiene supplies by the Wilson County Detention Center.
A shower is normally required before housing, and some jails also use a delousing treatment.
Intake can be done in about an hour or drag past 24 hours. Wait times depend on the magistrate’s queue, the number of arrests, available staff and how the person behaves.
An intoxicated or aggressive arrestee may spend several hours in a holding cell before officers finish the process.