Western Regional Jail and Correctional Facility

One WVDCR tool covers all ten regional jails.

1. Open the WVDCR regional jail list. Another route is the WVDCR Offender Search page, where the "Offender Search (Jails)" link lets you search by name.
2. Type the surname, then the given name, matching the spelling on their ID.
3. Compare the age or birth date, because two people can share a name.
4. Read the facility line. Someone picked up in Huntington, Milton or Barboursville should show at Western.
5. If an ID number appears, save it. That number is the OID, which letters require.

Charges, bond amounts and release timing are phone questions for Western at 304-733-6821.

A blank result is rarely a mystery:

• Booking takes a while. Staff take prints and photos and finish forms first. Give it a few hours.
• Officers still have them. Huntington police, deputies or troopers may be questioning the person or bringing them to a magistrate.
• They may be home. A magistrate can set bond or accept a written promise, and the person goes home.
• Odd spelling. Test other versions: a nickname, a hyphenated surname, a maiden name.
• A teenager. Youths under 18 never appear on the adult list. If kept in custody, they are placed at a juvenile center; otherwise a parent picks them up.

Phone Western first at 304-733-6821. Next, the magistrate clerk in Room B-113 of the courthouse, 750 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-526-8642, can tell you if bond was set or paid.

For nearly everyone, yes. Without a county lockup, adults are taken to the state-run Western Regional Jail and Correctional Facility, 304-733-6821. Its street address is One O'Hanlon Place, Barboursville, WV 25504, so it sits inside the county and families from Huntington never cross a county line to visit. It has been open since December 2003, and WVDCR calls it one of the largest jails in West Virginia. Cabell, Lincoln, Mason, Putnam and Wayne all send their adult arrests there.

• Federal and state prisoners. People with federal charges can be housed at one of West Virginia's regional jails. Some people already sentenced to state prison are kept at a regional jail until WVDCR has room for them in a prison.
• Women sentenced to prison. WVDCR houses most women who are awaiting a prison transfer at its Tygart Valley Regional Jail and Correctional Facility, near Belington at 400 Abbey Road, Belington, WV 26250, 304-637-0382.
• Picked up in Kanawha County. An arrest in Charleston or elsewhere in Kanawha goes to a different jail, South Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility, which stands at 1001 Centre Way, Charleston, WV 25309, 304-558-1336.

Because the state tool lists every regional jail, a single name search tells you where in West Virginia the person landed.

The state tool is meant for locating people. For a booking photo, reach out to whichever agency made the arrest. Often that is the Sheriff's Office, 750 5th Avenue, Suite 101, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-526-8663, or Huntington police, 675 10th Street, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-696-4470. News reporters make their requests there too.

Since 2023, a state law on mugshots (W. Va. Code §62-1-6a) has put limits on what police anywhere in the state may post to social media. For an arrest on a small charge (a misdemeanor, or a nonviolent felony that the courts could later expunge), officers may not share the booking photo on social media. That changes if the person is convicted, runs from the law, poses an urgent threat, or a judge orders the photo released. After a dismissal, a grand jury's refusal to indict, or an acquittal, the agency that posted the photo has 14 days from a request to take it down.

• For ICE photos, file a request on ICE's records request page.
• The U.S. Marshals Service sometimes releases a federal mugshot, say to help find a fugitive. Otherwise, federal booking photos generally aren't released.

This service watches every regional jail and state prison. Besides alerts for victims, VINE tells you whether the person is still held and at which site, so families lean on it as well.

• Phone 866-984-8463 (866-WV4-VINE) to hear the status or to register for automated calls.
• Register for email notices on VINELink.
• Transfers between facilities don't trigger a VINE call. If you suspect a move out of Western, search WVDCR again.

An older Western handout says staff can't give out an exact or rough release time. VINE plus the jail search is the better way to watch for it.

Under W. Va. Code §62-1-5, a magistrate hearing must happen without unnecessary delay after the arrest. Many of these first hearings run on a video screen from Western. No chart fixes amounts here, so the magistrate weighs each case. The Magistrate Court is in Room B-113 of the courthouse at 750 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-526-8642.

• Misdemeanors. The law starts from release on a personal recognizance, which is a signed promise to return (§62-1C-1a). The magistrate can hold them only for good cause. The rule leaves out cases with drugs, DUI, a deadly weapon, violence, sexual abuse or a child victim, plus thefts above $250. Cash bail can't pass three times the top fine. Anyone stuck behind bars solely over an unaffordable secured bond must get a hearing in five days or less.
• Serious felonies. For some charges, a magistrate has no power to grant release on a promise. Among them are violent felonies against a person, any felony with a child as the victim, felony drug crimes, and arson or burglary charged as a felony. When a charge is punishable by life, bail goes to the circuit court instead (§62-1C-1).
• Who may post. Family and friends are allowed to post. Some cash bonds accept a 10 percent cash payment, with a surety or a promise covering the balance. A property bond (§62-1C-4) works if your equity is half the bail or more.
• Bondsmen. Every bondsman working here must be licensed by the state Insurance Commissioner (§51-10-8). Bondsman fees begin at a tenth of the bail. The fee is due in full when the bond is written, or as a 3 percent deposit with the balance cleared inside a year (§51-10-5a). To verify a license, call 304-558-0610 or use the state bondsman license page.

The county also lists a Home Confinement office at 304-526-9709; ask the magistrate clerk whether it plays a part in a release. Missing a court date counts as its own crime. A felony case can bring a prison term of 1 to 5 years plus a fine up to $5,000. In a misdemeanor case, the penalty can reach a year and $1,000 (§62-1C-17b). Payment steps are on our Huntington bail page, while our statewide bail law summary covers the rest.

Staff at Western can often name the charge if you call 304-733-6821. To see the court's own record, try these:

• The free Magistrate Court Record Search. Type a name or case number.
• The magistrate clerk in Room B-113, 750 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-526-8642.
• For felonies sent up to Circuit Court, the Circuit Clerk at 750 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-526-8622. Those records open through the state's Court Record Access page.

Lawyers for the state work out of the Prosecuting Attorney's Office, 750 5th Avenue, Suite 350, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-526-8653.

When they first see the magistrate, the person can ask for form SCA-C&M-101, an affidavit used to decide if they qualify for an appointed lawyer. Magistrate court passes it to a circuit judge, and the judge decides whether to appoint someone. That lawyer may work for the public defender office or have a private practice.

• The public defender office serving this county sits at 734 Fourth Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-522-1265.
• State Public Defender Services hopes the appointed lawyer makes contact within about a week.
• A person turned down can appeal in a letter to the presiding judge.

A family can also hire its own Huntington defense lawyer. Western at 304-733-6821 can explain how attorneys schedule time with a client.

Every visit here is non-contact (no touching), and each slot is booked ahead. Western turns away walk-ins.

• Reserve by calling the visit line, 304-733-6850, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Western's visiting days: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday.
• On that call, ask how long the visit lasts, which ID works, how many guests are allowed and what children need.

WVDCR also offers GettingOut video visits that you can join from a home computer. Check with Western whether they run there. More pointers sit in our visiting guide.

Deposits for WVDCR inmates run through ConnectNetwork. Choose one:

• The ConnectNetwork site or phone app.
• Its automated deposit line, 888-988-4768.
• A lobby kiosk, if Western has one. Ask Western at 304-733-6821 about a kiosk and the lobby hours.

Keep the full name and facility name handy. Account money covers snacks and hygiene items. Never tuck cash into a letter. Our deposit guide covers methods, and the commissary explainer shows what the money buys.

GettingOut handles calls and video visits for WVDCR. Families sign up on the GettingOut website (gettingout.com) or its app. The service also lists voicemail, messages and photo sharing. Account trouble goes to 866-516-0115.

Phone time is prepaid through ConnectNetwork or by calling 800-483-8314. An older Western handout says officers will not relay messages to people inside, so lean on these services. Keep what happened out of jail calls and tell the defense lawyer instead. Our calling guide and guide to inmate messages go further.

WVDCR's mail rules route letters to a Maryland center that scans them. Address the envelope in four lines:

• Top line: their full first and last name, then their OID number
• Second line: Western Regional Jail and Correctional Facility
• Third line: PO Box 336
• Bottom line: Phoenix, MD 21131

Spell out the facility name with no short forms. Mail plain letters only, since a photo, attachment or extra item sends everything back. Use a separate envelope for each person. Write the return address using your complete first and last name, because initials alone won't do.

That rule page speaks for all of WVDCR, so check the address with Western at 304-733-6821 before mailing. Legal mail and books are good questions for that call. Our letter-writing guide adds tips.

Phone Western at 304-733-6821 before making the trip. Ask which items you can take home and what paperwork the person has to sign. An older Western handout lists property pickup on weekdays, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ask what ID to bring when you come to the jail.

Ring Western at 304-733-6821 and ask to reach the medical unit. Describe the health problem. Name each medicine and dose. Give the doctor's phone number too. Privacy rules may stop staff from telling you much, but they can still note what you say.

Ask them to send in a medical request form from inside too. Is there a risk of self-harm or a breakdown? Lead with that when staff answer. Call 911 for any emergency.

Wondering about a Cabell County warrant? Phone the Sheriff's Office to find out if one is pending: 304-526-8663, or stop by 750 5th Avenue, Suite 101, Huntington, WV 25701. For statewide fugitives, the State Police (WVSP) Most Wanted page points to several wanted lists. Open cases can also be looked up by name on the free Magistrate Court Record Search. That site tracks cases, not warrants, so confirm with the clerk. Before trying to clear one, get advice from a defense lawyer. Next, get in touch with the magistrate court where it was issued. Magistrate Court: Room B-113, 750 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-526-8642.

Cases begin in Magistrate Court, Room B-113, 750 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-526-8642. Find dates on the Magistrate Court Record Search or by calling the clerk.

• Preliminary hearing. On a felony, a person kept in custody is owed this hearing inside 10 days.
• Grand jury. An indictment moves the case up to Circuit Court, the Sixth Judicial Circuit in this county.
• Circuit Court hearings. The Circuit Clerk at 750 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-526-8622, has those dates.

Notices also reach the defense lawyer, so keep in contact with that office. Our Huntington court page explains every stage, from the first hearing to trial.

Federal cases from Huntington, Milton and Barboursville land in the Southern District of West Virginia, and its Huntington courthouse is the Sidney L. Christie U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building, 845 Fifth Avenue, Room 101, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-529-5588.

1. Soon after the arrest, a detention hearing (18 U.S.C. 3142) decides whether the person stays jailed before trial.
2. If the judge rules for detention, custody belongs to the U.S. Marshals Service until trial, and one of the state's regional jails may house the person. The Marshals' Huntington office shares the courthouse, at 845 5th Avenue, Suite 201, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-529-5560.
3. After sentencing, the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator tells you which federal prison now holds the person.

Immigration holds follow these steps:

1. ICE sends Western its detainer request (Form I-247A).
2. Under federal rules (8 CFR 287.7(d)), Western may hold the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, giving ICE time to collect them.
3. Under §15-16-2 of the state code, no West Virginia agency may keep a policy that limits its help with immigration enforcement. An agency with a detainer on someone it holds has three duties (§15-16-3). It must tell the court that sets bail. It must note the detainer in the file. It must carry it out to the extent required by law.
4. Western's operator, WVDCR, signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE, according to an August 13, 2025 announcement from the Governor. So did the State Police and National Guard.
5. ICE's Philadelphia field office is responsible for West Virginia: 114 North 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-656-7164.
6. The ICE Online Detainee Locator finds people held by ICE.

A prison sentence sends the person through WVDCR intake and classification first. WVDCR then matches the person with a suitable prison. Until a bed frees up, some people stay on at a regional jail.

• Visit WVDCR's Offender Search page, then pick the prisons search, "Offender Search (Prisons)", to see the current prison.
• Our West Virginia state prisons guide has visit and mail details for every prison.
• VINE keeps tracking after the move to prison.

A youth who had not turned 18 at the time of the alleged act is a juvenile court matter, not an adult one. Police must call a parent or guardian at once. A detention hearing must follow no later than the next day. No adult jail may hold them.

• Next door to Western, at Two O'Hanlon Place, Barboursville, WV 25504, WVDCR runs the Robert L. Shell Juvenile Diagnostic and Intake Center, 304-948-2190. This WVDCR site assesses boys and girls from all 55 counties and keeps a handful of short-term detention beds.
• A teen ordered held could be placed at another WVDCR center, for example the James H. "Tiger" Morton Juvenile Center, 60 Manfred Holland Way, Dunbar, WV 25064, 304-766-2616.
• Juvenile and adult probation work from one office, Suite B-15, 750 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-526-8615.

Under W. Va. Code §49-4-710, transfer of a teen's case to the adult system happens only on narrow grounds.

Western's booking staff can say which agency brought someone in. Here are the departments working here:

• Cabell County Sheriff's Office, 750 5th Avenue, Suite 101, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-526-8663. Deputies patrol outside town limits.
• Huntington Police Department, 675 10th Street, Huntington, WV 25701, 304-696-4470. Ask for Records about a report.
• Milton Police Department, 1139 Smith Street, Milton, WV 25541, 304-743-9211, answered during weekday business hours.
• Barboursville police: phone the Village of Barboursville office at 304-736-8994 and ask for the department.
• West Virginia State Police, Huntington detachment, 3339 U.S. Route 60 East, Huntington, WV 25705, 304-528-5555.

In any emergency, call 911.