Wise County Inmate Population

The Wise County inmate population includes people held at the county jail in Wise, Virginia, as well as the two major state prisons located within the county's borders. The Sheriff's Office manages the local facility and keeps custody records on everyone booked there. You can search current Wise County jail inmates through Virginia VINE, get status by phone, or contact the Sheriff directly. This page covers how to find someone in the Wise County jail, how the state prisons here differ from the local facility, and how to request records under Virginia FOIA.

Wise County Jail and Sheriff's Office

The Wise County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and holds inmate records for the local Wise County inmate population. Under Virginia Code § 53.1-31, the Sheriff is the legal custodian of all booking sheets, charge records, and release paperwork. Call or visit the Wise office during business hours to ask about anyone in county custody.

The county jail holds people waiting for trial and those serving up to twelve months. Sentences over twelve months transfer to a VADOC state facility within sixty days of the final order. Wise County is in far southwest Virginia, near the Kentucky border. The county seat of Wise and the towns of Norton (an independent city) and Big Stone Gap are the main population centers. Note that Norton is a separate independent city and has its own city jail operated by the Norton Sheriff's Office.

Wise County is notable because it contains two of Virginia's most secure state prisons. Red Onion State Prison and Wallens Ridge State Prison are both located in Pound, Virginia, within Wise County. These are VADOC state facilities, not county jails. People held there are in state custody, not local custody. Their records are in the VADOC system, not in the Wise County Sheriff's records.

Search Wise County Inmate Population Through VINE

Virginia VINE lets you check on someone in the Wise County jail without calling the Sheriff. The Wise County Jail participates in the VINE network. Go to vavine.org or vinelink.com, pick Virginia, and select Wise County Jail. The search returns current custody status for local inmates: still in, released, transferred, or escaped. VINE is free and runs at all hours.

You can also sign up for VINE alerts. When an inmate's status changes, VINE sends a notification by phone, email, text, or TTY. Registration is anonymous. Call 1-800-467-4943 to use VINE by phone. VINE does not cover Red Onion or Wallens Ridge. Those are VADOC facilities. If someone is at Red Onion or Wallens Ridge, use the VADOC Offender Locator for their status.

The VA VINE portal is the tool for tracking the Wise County local jail population. State prisons require the VADOC system.

From this page you can select Wise County Jail, run a name search, and register for free custody alerts on local inmates.

Red Onion and Wallens Ridge State Prisons

Two VADOC state prisons are located in Wise County. Red Onion State Prison is at 10800 Division Road, Pound, VA 24279, phone (276) 796-7510. Wallens Ridge State Prison is at 288 Wallens Ridge Road, Big Stone Gap, VA 24219, phone (276) 796-0300. Both are maximum-security facilities that hold high-risk inmates from across the state of Virginia, not just from Wise County or the surrounding region.

Families of people at Red Onion or Wallens Ridge should contact those facilities directly. Visitation, mail, and phone policies are set by VADOC. To confirm someone is at either facility, use the VADOC Offender Locator. The result will show the specific prison name and the projected release date. VADOC also has a Victim Services page at vadoc.virginia.gov/victim for people who need custody alerts for state-held inmates.

The VADOC facilities map shows both Red Onion and Wallens Ridge in their proper location within the Western Region.

The map shows every state prison, work center, and probation office in the VADOC Western Region, including both Wise County facilities.

Wise County Court Records and Inmate Files

Court records and jail records come from different offices. The Clerk of the Circuit Court holds the case file with charges, verdicts, and sentencing orders. The Sheriff holds the jail record with booking data and custody changes. Pull from both for a full view of someone in the Wise County inmate population.

The Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System lets you search Circuit Court and General District Court cases by name at no cost. Fees apply only for paper copies. Wise County is in the Fortieth Judicial Circuit. The Circuit Court in Wise handles criminal and civil cases for the county. The General District Court in Wise handles lower-level matters. Cases appear in the state system after the clerk enters them.

Criminal history records are available through the Virginia State Police under § 19.2-389. The Virginia State Police records page has the request forms. Mail to P.O. Box 85076, Richmond, VA 23261-5076.

Requesting Wise County Inmate Records

Wise County inmate records are public under Virginia Code § 2.2-3700 et seq. Virginia residents can request jail logs, booking sheets, charges, and custody status without giving a reason. Agencies have five business days to respond, with up to seven more for complex requests.

For records on people held at Red Onion or Wallens Ridge, contact VADOC Central Records at 6900 Atmore Drive, Richmond, VA 23225, phone (804) 674-3000. Those are state records held by VADOC, not county records held by the Wise County Sheriff. Exempt records include active investigation files, personnel records, and attorney-client material. Inmates cannot use FOIA for their own records under § 2.2-3703(C).

If a request is denied, contact the Virginia FOIA Advisory Council at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov or (804) 698-1810, toll-free 1-866-448-4100.

Victim Notification for Wise County Inmates

Crime victims tracking local Wise County jail inmates should use VINE. Register at vavine.org or call 1-800-467-4943. VINE sends free alerts for release, transfer, escape, and death. Registration is anonymous.

For inmates at Red Onion or Wallens Ridge, VADOC's NAAVI system handles notifications. Register through the VADOC Victim Services page or call 1-804-674-3243. VADOC gives 30-day advance notice of release for qualifying cases and sends updates for parole hearings and work release. VINE and NAAVI are separate services. Sign up for both as custody moves from county to state.

Cities in Wise County

The city of Norton is an independent city within the geographic area of Wise County. Norton does not meet the qualifying population threshold for a separate city page on this site. Norton has its own city government and Sheriff's Office. If someone was arrested in Norton, contact the Norton Sheriff's Office or search the Norton City Jail through VINE. For state prison inmates at Red Onion or Wallens Ridge, use VADOC rather than the county or city Sheriff.

Nearby Counties

Wise County borders other far southwest Virginia counties. Visit their pages for inmate population records in nearby jurisdictions.