Wake County Detention Center
Find messaging, video, and phone options for Wake County Detention Center. Compare providers and discover what communication services are available. Free, no account required.
- Facility Type
- County Facility
- Security Level
- Pretrial
- Inmate Capacity
- 1,000 approx.
- Established
- 1994
- Operated By
- Wake County Sheriff's Office
Wake County Detention Center Inmate Communication Overview
Wake County Detention Center is the pretrial detention facility operated by the Wake County Sheriff's Office in Raleigh, North Carolina. Located on Hammond Road in southern Raleigh, the facility serves as the primary jail for the Wake County criminal court system. Raleigh is the state capital of North Carolina and the second-largest city in the state, and it sits at the center of the Research Triangle region. The detention center holds several hundred to over a thousand people on any given day, most of them awaiting court proceedings in Wake County courts.
All visits at Wake County Detention Center are by video at the facility, 3301 Hammond Road, Raleigh. Visiting hours are 9am to 1:30pm and 4pm to 6:30pm, Monday through Thursday. Visits are scheduled at least 24 hours in advance by calling 919-857-9103, Monday through Thursday, 8am to 5pm. Each inmate gets one 30-minute visit per week, with up to two visitors. Phone calls run through PayTel Communications under a county contract. The messaging vendor is not confirmed, so confirm the current messaging provider with the facility before creating any paid account. Personal mail is delivered digitally to inmates on tablets. Commissary money can be added at public kiosks or by mailed money order.
Wake County's jail system is separate from North Carolina state prisons, which operate under separate provider contracts. If someone held at Wake County is convicted and transferred to a North Carolina state correctional institution, communication providers will change and new accounts may be needed. The Wake County Sheriff's Office provides an online inmate search to confirm current custody status. FCC Butner, the federal prison complex in Granville County nearby, uses CorrLinks and ConnectNetwork, a completely different system from the Wake County jail.
Facility Information
Contact details and location information for this correctional facility.
Address
3301 Hammond Road, Raleigh, NC 27603
Main Phone
(919) 773-7930
Administrative line — not for inmate calls
Official Website
Visit official siteVisit and Contact Details
Inmate search, mail, visiting hours, costs, commissary, and bail information for this facility.
Personal mail (digital delivery): Facility Name, Inmate Name and Inmate Identifier, P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131. Include the full facility name and state, for example Wake County Detention NC. Legal mail: Inmate Full Name, Wake County Detention Center, P.O. BOX 2479, Raleigh, NC 27602-2479.
Include the inmate name and ID on all mail.
Visiting Hours
On-site video visits, Monday through Thursday, 9am to 1:30pm and 4pm to 6:30pm. Schedule at least 24 hours in advance by calling 919-857-9103, Monday through Thursday, 8am to 5pm. One 30-minute visit per inmate per week, up to two visitors.
Commissary / Sending Money
Public kiosks at both Wake County jail facilities, Monday through Friday, 9am to 4pm, with cash available immediately. Money orders, certified checks, and payroll checks by mail, payable in the inmate's full name, are held in a 14-day escrow. Personal checks are not accepted.
Bail / Bond
A magistrate sets bond at first appearance. Secured bonds can be posted in cash or through a licensed bondsman. Check the inmate record for bond status and contact the Sheriff's Office for posting instructions.
Communication Options
Available communication services at Wake County Detention Center.
Messaging
Electronic messages to and from the inmate.
Messaging vendor is not confirmed. Confirm the current provider with the facility before creating a paid account.
Video Calls
Remote or in-person video visitation.
On-site video visits at the facility. Schedule at least 24 hours in advance by calling 919-857-9103, Monday through Thursday, 8am to 5pm.
Photo Sharing
Send approved digital or physical photos.
Photo options are not confirmed. Confirm with the facility.
Phone Calls
Inmate-initiated phone calls to approved numbers.
Provider: PayTel
Phone calls through PayTel Communications under a county contract.
Money Transfer
Send funds to commissary or phone accounts.
Public kiosks at both Wake County jail facilities, Monday through Friday, 9am to 4pm, or money orders and certified or payroll checks by mail. No personal checks.
Communication Providers at Wake County Detention Center
These providers operate communication services at this facility. Each may cover different services.
PayTel
PayTel Communications provides inmate phone service under a county contract.
Communication Rules at Wake County Detention Center
- All visits are by video at the facility. Schedule at least 24 hours in advance by calling 919-857-9103.
- One 30-minute visit per inmate per week, with up to two visitors.
- Personal mail is delivered digitally to inmates on tablets. Legal mail goes to the WCDC mailing address.
- Phone calls run through PayTel. Confirm the current messaging vendor with the facility before creating any paid account.
- All calls, messages, and visits are monitored by Wake County Sheriff's staff.
- Senders must be on the inmate's approved contact list.
Related Facilities
Other correctional facilities with communication guides.
Frequently Asked Questions: Wake County Detention Center
Common questions from families about communication at this facility.
- How do I contact someone at Wake County Detention Center?
- Visits are by video at the facility, and personal mail is delivered digitally. Phone calls run through PayTel Communications under a county contract. Use the Sheriff's inmate search to confirm custody status.
- Can I do a video visit at Wake County Detention Center?
- Visits are on-site video visits at 3301 Hammond Road, Raleigh, Monday through Thursday, 9am to 1:30pm and 4pm to 6:30pm. Schedule at least 24 hours in advance by calling 919-857-9103, Monday through Thursday, 8am to 5pm. Each inmate gets one 30-minute visit per week, with up to two visitors.
- Is Wake County Detention Center the same as FCC Butner?
- No. FCC Butner is a federal Bureau of Prisons complex in Granville County, a different county from Wake. Federal inmates at FCC Butner use CorrLinks and ConnectNetwork. Wake County Detention Center is a county jail. They are completely separate facilities with separate systems.
- How do I find if someone is in Wake County Detention Center?
- The Wake County Sheriff's Office provides an inmate search online at wakegov.com/departments-agencies/sheriff. Search by name to confirm current custody status and booking information.
- How do I send money to a Wake County Detention Center inmate?
- Add money at the public kiosks at either Wake County jail facility, Monday through Friday, 9am to 4pm, or mail a money order, certified check, or payroll check made payable in the inmate's full name. Mailed funds are held in a 14-day escrow. Personal checks are not accepted.
- What should I do if someone was just arrested in Wake County?
- New bookings can take hours to appear in the Sheriff inmate search while booking, screening, and classification are completed. Confirm the exact legal name spelling, search again later, or call the Detention Center at (919) 773-7930 for custody information.
- Can I call an inmate at Wake County Detention Center?
- No. Inmates cannot receive incoming calls. They place outgoing calls through PayTel, and your number must be on the inmate's approved list.
- How does bail work at Wake County Detention Center?
- A magistrate sets bond at first appearance. Secured bonds can be posted in cash or through a licensed bondsman. Check the inmate record for bond status, and contact the Sheriff Office for posting instructions.
- Can I send mail to someone at Wake County Detention Center?
- Personal mail is delivered digitally to inmates on tablets. Address it to the facility name, the inmate name and inmate identifier, P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131, and include the full facility name and state, for example Wake County Detention NC. Put your full name and physical address in the top-left corner. Legal mail goes to Inmate Full Name, Wake County Detention Center, P.O. BOX 2479, Raleigh, NC 27602-2479.
- Which company handles phone calls at Wake County Detention Center?
- Phone calls go through PayTel Communications under a county contract.
- Which facilities are in the Wake County Jail system?
- The system includes the Wake County Detention Center and the John H. Baker Jr. Public Safety Center.
Troubleshooting at Wake County Detention Center
Fix the most common problems families hit with calls, video visits, money, and messaging.
- Why am I not receiving calls from an inmate?
- Inmates can only call out, so you cannot call an inmate directly. If expected calls are not coming through, check your phone's spam or silence-unknown-callers setting, since carriers often block jail numbers. Save the facility's number as a contact, confirm your number is on the inmate's approved list, and check whether your carrier blocks collect or prepaid calls. If several expected calls fail, contact the facility's phone provider support.
- Why is my inmate not showing up in search?
- New arrivals can take 24 to 72 hours to appear in search results, and people in transfer may temporarily disappear from listings. Try alternate spellings and name variations, and make sure you are searching the right system: the federal BOP locator only covers federal inmates, while county and state searches are separate. Some records are withheld for protective custody or sealed cases. If it has been more than a few days, call the facility's records office.
- I sent money but it is not showing in the inmate's account. What should I do?
- Allow processing time first. Electronic deposits can take hours and money orders can take much longer. Check your receipt and confirm the inmate's name and ID matched. Do not send a second payment until the first one is traced, since duplicate payments are hard to reverse. Contact the money-transfer provider's support with your receipt or confirmation number. If the inmate was recently transferred, funds may follow after a delay.
- Why was my video visit cancelled or cut off?
- Most cancellations come from connection problems or conduct-rule violations. Stay in frame, keep your ID ready, follow the dress code, keep other people off camera, and avoid profanity. Visits can also be cancelled for facility lockdowns or schedule changes. For refunds, contact the video provider's support with your visit details.
- What should I do if the facility changed its communications provider?
- Create an account with the new provider, since old accounts and balances do not transfer automatically. Ask the old provider whether refunds are available for unused balances. Confirm the new provider's phone, video, and messaging setup before your next visit or call.
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