Felony and misdemeanor arrests from Henry County are booked into this jail, found at:
800 Dupont Road
Martinsville, VA 24112
In Virginia, local jails are run by the sheriff, and regional jails are run by a jail authority shared by several localities. Deputies, local police officers and other agencies in the jurisdiction bring arrestees here once a magistrate has issued a commitment order or set bail. Intake staff take a booking photo and fingerprints, inventory property, look for outstanding warrants and complete a medical screening before housing anyone.
Troopers from the Virginia State Police may also commit people here. The jail can hold federal prisoners for the U.S. Marshals, and people sought by ICE may be transferred to federal custody after release.
Virginia’s approach changed in 2026. Gov. Abigail Spanberger rescinded the prior executive order that directed state agencies to work with ICE, and a law that took effect July 1, 2026 (SB 783/HB 1441) generally bars state and local officers from assisting with civil immigration enforcement. It still allows a correctional facility to transfer an adult to ICE after receiving a detainer, as well as help backed by a judicial warrant. The law also bans new 287(g) agreements. In September 2026 a federal judge blocked the state from enforcing the law against existing 287(g) agreements while a lawsuit continues, so jails that already had one may keep operating under it.
The names on the public roster are drawn from the jail’s official booking list (opens in a new tab) or an official statewide jail list. Some entries show a booking photo next to the charges and the arresting agency. For details that seem missing, call the Henry County Adult Detention Center at 276-618-7158.
Moving through intake to a housing unit, or to release, generally takes between two hours and a full day, depending on the line of new commitments ahead.
After an arrest, a person booked into the Henry County Adult Detention Center is taken before a magistrate without unnecessary delay. The magistrate decides whether to release on recognizance or an unsecured bond, set a secured bond, or hold the person until a judge reviews bail. Bail bondsmen are licensed by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and state law limits their premium to between 10 and 15 percent of the bond. Our Bail page explains how to post bond.
Phone the Henry County Adult Detention Center at 276-618-7158 to find out whether a friend or relative has been committed after an arrest.
A deputy or records clerk can check the jail’s system. Have the person’s full name ready, and be prepared to give a date of birth.
Information about a new commitment may take several hours to show up, especially if the person is still before the magistrate.
The Henry County Adult Detention Center Booking Roster is another option if you would rather search online.
Following the arrest and Miranda warnings, the officer takes the person before a magistrate in Henry County, who decides on bail. If the person is not released, they are committed to the Henry County Adult Detention Center and booked.
There are several steps along the way. Defense attorneys typically warn clients not to talk about the case, because anything said to officers, magistrates or cellmates can be repeated in court.
Jail staff take a mugshot and fingerprints and ask about background and health. Under Virginia law, anyone arrested for a violent felony or for burglary must give a DNA sample once a magistrate or grand jury finds probable cause, before being released from custody. Warrant checks cover Henry County, other Virginia localities and national databases.
For DUI arrests, unreasonably refusing a breath test is a separate civil offense that brings a license suspension. A blood test generally requires consent or a search warrant.
Before entering general population, the person may be strip-searched and asked to squat and cough, and may be scanned with a metal detector or body scanner.
The screening covers medical history, prescriptions, allergies, drug and alcohol use, suicide risk, tattoos and gang associations. Staff use these answers to set housing and identify anyone needing medical or mental health care.
Property is taken, recorded and kept in storage until the person is released. With their signed permission, some of it can be released to a family member or friend.
That includes clothing, cash, wallets and purses, phones, jewelry, piercings and watches. Glasses can be held if they pose a safety concern, and laces are pulled from any shoes the person keeps.
Once booking is complete, the person is typically allowed a phone call to tell someone about the arrest or to begin arranging bond.
If they will be held until arraignment, the Henry County Adult Detention Center supplies a uniform and shoes, a blanket and sheets, a towel, soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Many jails require a shower, and sometimes a lice or scabies treatment, before the person dresses in jail clothing and goes to a housing unit.
Booking may be over in an hour or may take a day or more, depending on how many people are waiting, how many staff are on duty and how the person behaves.
A person who is very intoxicated or aggressive may wait in a holding cell for several hours before booking can be finished.