Forsyth County Detention Center – Winston Salem, NC

Forsyth County Detention Center is in Forsyth County and is the main correctional facility for the region. Do you know someone in Forsyth County Detention Center? This guide tells you info about everything you might need to know about Forsyth County Detention Center,like the following: Learn how to locate an inmate. Find inmate mugshots. The jail’s phone number and address. Posting bail. Intake procedures. Court records. And much more…

The thought of going to jail is a scary and stressful situation, not only for whoever gets arrested, but also their family and friends. The goal of this guide is to give information and advice that you need to make getting locked up a lot easier. If you have questions, feel free to ask them, and please leave any comments or feedback that might be a benefit to other people in the same situation would be welcome.

Do you have a family member, loved one, or friend that is locked up and don’t know how to contact them?

Has a family member or friend who’s been arrested and you don’t know how to find them?

To look up who is in jail at Forsyth County Detention Center you should navigate to their link and use the inmate search.

The Forsyth County Detention Center Inmate Locator is an online list of persons who are in jail, which includes status, bail amount, and schedule for visitation. You can also find info on anybody processed or released within the past 24-hour period. Prisoners are listed in alphabetical order by last name. You’ll be able to locate their inmate information fast if you have their first and last name, birth date, or arrest number.

If the person you are looking for is in a different jail you can look here: North Carolina County Jails Directory

A mugshot, or jail intake photo, is the photo that the police take when you are booked into jail. They will take one face photo and a side-view photo. Your name and booking number will appear on the mugshot, and they’re stored.

Mugshots of inmates can be searched on the Forsyth County Detention Center website, or you can view them at the Forsyth County Detention Center. When viewing online you will need to put in the person’s name, and an arrest date, if you have it.

Are you trying to figure out what to do in order to get your mugshot erased from the Forsyth County Detention Center site? This can be tricky, because your mugshot is a matter of public record. To get your mugshot removed you must file a ‘Petition to Expunge’. What this means is that all of your arrest records would be sealed, and unavailable to the public. Depending on your situation, this may be a longshot.

To learn more about removing your mugshot, the many different mugshot sites, and the mugshot removal websites: How To Remove Your Mugshot from the Internet

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Naturally, if you are arrested and put in jail, your primary thought is about when you get out. After you’ve gone through the intake process, your bail amount will be determined by the magistrate. In cases where no bail is set this can mean that you will either be released, or you have to stay in jail until your trial.

If you are released from jail you must promise to be there for your court date, and in the meantime you can’t go out of town.

In most cases, a prisoner in the Forsyth County Detention Center will earn an early release in exchange for good behavior if they don’t break the rules and conduct themselves properly while incarcerated.

If you prove to be trustworthy, you may be allowed to do work release. Either you will have to stay jail at the end of the day when you’re finished working, or you could be permitted to live in a halfway house instead of jail.

Your bail is the amount of money that you have to pay to the court system in order to be released from jail until your trial. The amount of bail that is set is dictated by the crime you are charged with. You will have to put up 10 percent of the total amount that was set in order to get out of jail. If you fail to show up for court, the person that paid your bail won’t get their money back.

To find out someone’s bail amount you need to call the jail. If know the person’s information, like name, address and date of birth, they will be able to let you know what their bail is set at. You can also find out how much their bail is on the Forsyth County Detention Center website.

Bailing out of jail is never fun, but in some cases, it is very simple to do. First of all, you need to know if their bail is a Cash Only Bond situation. If this is the case, you won’t be able to get a Bail Bondsman. Cash only – the jail won’t take checks. Once the cash bond has been paid, the inmate will be released into your care. If the conditions of bail are not violated, you will get this money back.

If bail is set too high, of if you can’t pay it, you should try to hire a bail bondsman. They will usually charge you a fee of 10-15% of total bail, and in most cases charge a minimum charge of $100. This money is non-refundable and has to be paid in cash. If the bail is extremely high, the bondsman will usually request to use your personal assets as collateral.

You can find a bail bondsman go to: Find a bail bondsman at Forsyth County Detention Center

Have you ever used the services of bail bondsman to bail someone out of jail? If you have, post a comment below and tell about it, and let us know how it worked out for you.

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• Time Off For Good Behavior
• Work Release
• Released For Time Served
• Pre-Trial Release Programs
• Get Out on House Arrest
• Own Recognizance

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The jail intake procedure is made up of each of these steps:

• You will be placed in a waiting area or cell. If the jail is really busy, you will have to wait a while to get processed.
• Firstly, you will answer some basic questions, such as your legal name, address, date of birth and an emergency contact.
• They’ll also ask you about your mental and medical history.
• You will be given an inmate ID.
• You will be fingerprinted.
• You will have your mugshot taken.
• All personal property will get taken away from you and will be stored until you are released.
• They will let you make a phone call to get in touch with a family member, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If they expect that you will make bail and be released quickly, you might get to wear your own clothes, if not you will have to change into a jail uniform.

Have you ever been arrested and gone through processing at jail? If you have, you should share your experience so others can benefit from your story. How long did it take to get processed? How were you treated? Do you know any secrets that will help other people get through jail processing?

Click here to tell about all about it

Once bail has been posted, you will be discharged from jail. Getting discharged from jail takes from 15 minutes to hours or even all day long. In other words the faster you can pay your bail, the faster you can get released from jail. How quickly you get discharged can depend on whether you have a cash bond or if a judge still needs to figure out the amount of bail to be set. For minor charges, you will simply be booked and then released on your recognizance without having to pay bail. When you have completed your jail sentence and have a release date, you should plan to be discharged between 9am and noon.

issued for your arrest, or if you must report to start a sentence, you really should follow the law and turn yourself in willingly. If you have a warrant, report to the jail, and let them know that you think there may be an outstanding arrest warrant out for you. A record check will be run, and if so, you will be taken into custody. If you are reporting to serve out your sentence, report at the time and date that the sentence order lists. Make sure that you get don’t get there late, or they may decide to arrest you. Just bring approved items with you, for example a driver’s license or even photo ID, prescription medication, and the official sentencing order.

The inmate need to give information about each visitor to the jail in advance of any visit. This information will be entered into the visitation log for the inmate. Each visitor must provide acceptable photo identification when visiting an inmate. Anyone that gets to visitation or that does not have a visitation order will not be allowed to visit the inmate.
Visitation procedures frequently change, so make sure that you check the official site before you try to visit an inmate.

The only phone calls that inmates are allowed to make are with a pre-paid phone card or account, or are collect calls . These phone calls are usually more expensive than regular phone calls. There is no limit to when and how often you can use the phone, but inmates should keep in mind that you are just one of many people who want to talk to their loved ones. If you are under any sort of disciplinary procedure, an inmate’s ability to use the phone may be limited or cut altogether.

Phone Number: (336) 917-7600

All mall sent to inmates has to be sent using the US Postal Service. You cannot use any other form of delivery. You must write the person’s name, inmate number, and the address of the jail on the outside of the letter that you send. Don’t mail anything in a box or package, padded envelope, plastic or paper bag, or an envelope with metal inside. All mail sent to inmates is opened and reviewed by the jail officers, and the mail will get sent back if deemed inappropriate.

The mailing address for Forsyth County Detention Center is:

Forsyth County Detention Center
201 North Church Street
Winston Salem, NC 27101

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Forsyth County Detention Center
201 North Church Street
Winston Salem, NC 27101

The inmate mail policy at Forsyth County Detention Center can change, so double check the site before you send a letter to an inmate there.

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When you’ve been arrested, you still have rights, the first of which is your right to request an attorney. You are only allowed to make so many phone calls in jail, so it is important to ask a friend or family member to locate a lawyer when you call them. You may be thinking ‘I don’t have to get a lawyer – I can just represent myself’ You can represent yourself if you really want to, but, an attorney will advise you about your rights, help protect your best interests and help you navigate the court system. The sooner you get an attorney working on your case, the better your chances.

For more information about this, read: Find an Attorney

If you need an attorney, but can’t afford an attorney, you will get a public defender. Also, the Public Defender’s Office has a number of staff such as independent investigators, crime scene and forensics experts as well as case workers. All Public Defenders are real lawyers, admitted to the North Carolina State Bar Association and are completely licensed to practice law in North Carolina.

Have you ever had to use the services of a Public Defender? Are you satisfied with how they handled your case and represented you in court?

Court records are public and available to anyone who requests them. They contain a file with a docket and each of the documents and motions that have been filed. You can access your court case records using the internet service, or by going to the Clerk’s office of the Court where the case was filed.

The Clerk of Court is an officer of the court who manages access to court records. The Clerk of Court also administer the oath when court is in session, and read the verdict when decided by the jury. All court records associated with your case are maintained at Clerk of Court’s office.

Court costs and court fees are the costs from your court case, for example filing charges, motion and claim fees, and court appearance fees. If you are low income and have a Public Defender, you may not have to pay them.

A Magistrate acts as the judge that presides over your case. Magistrate judges do a number of things, like setting bail amounts, issuing warrants, and presiding over preliminary court hearings and detention hearings.

A pre-sentencing report is put together to include information about the defendant’s background and information about the defendant’s life and history, which the magistrate judge will take into consideration when determining the sentence. Information and personal details will be solicited from the person on trial, the defendant’s family, and, if applicable, the victim in the crime. Be sure to remember you are allowed to request to see a copy of your pre-sentencing report before sentencing, so you can correct any mistakes that it contains.

When you are convicted of a crime, you will be given a sentence for your crime. The presiding judge in your case will weigh several options when determining your sentence, including community service to probation, to incarceration in either jail (short term) or prison (long term). Depending on how serious your crime was, you could be locked up immediately, or you might be given a date to turn yourself into jail to serve your jail time according to your sentence.

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Want to find out if some you know is incarcerated in jail, or has gone to jail in the past?

You can you need to access the Forsyth County jail website and do an inmate search lookup, and search using:

• The inmate’s name.
• Date of birth.
• Their approximate booking date.
• or jail ID.

If you think that they are currently in jail, you can also call the jail find out if they’ve been arrested.

If you think you might have an outstanding warrant for your arrest, you can check the arrest warrants inquiry on the Forsyth County jail website or call the jail directly. This requires a first and last name. You can also go to the local jail and ask them. You should be clear that if you do have an outstanding warrant, you will be taken into custody immediately.

If you know the person’s first and last name, and possibly an arrest date, contact the Forsyth County jail, by phone, in person, or you can check online. Records of arrests are a matter of public record and the information is freely available.

Civil processes are when you get served with legal papers, which can be a court order. You can find these by contacting the Forsyth County Sheriff’s office, either by phone or through their website.

All registered sex offenders are required to be registered on either a national or state sex offender database. The people on these databases have been tried by jury and convicted in a court of law of a sex or kidnapping crime. You are able to see these offenders online, but remember that you won’t find the precise address, rather the neighborhood block that they live on.

Court Records are public records and available to anyone. These records include a court case file that contains a court docket and any of the documents filed in the case. You are able to access the court records on the internet, or at Clerk of Court in the county where the case was filed.

Every state maintains records of a person’s criminal background. These databases are linked together and you can track criminal convictions from any other state. Go to county courthouse and check in person, or you can check online. You must know which county the crime occurred in, and in the event that the crime was in a different state entirely, you may have to pay a fee for a more intensive search.

A criminal records search you will find out if a person has ever been arrested, charged or convicted for any crimes they may have committed, which could include:

• DUI.
• Drug Possession.
• Kidnapping.
• Sexual offenses including rape, assault.
• Violent crimes.
• Theft, breaking and entering.

If you do a criminal records check, you won’t see if that person has had any:

• Speeding.
• Lost their driver’s license or license revoked or suspended.
• Any accidents.
• Other moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To search for this kind of information, you have to do a driving records search.

Have you ever had to search for criminal records of someone you know? How hard was it? Did you search online or did you have to call the jail? Was the information correct? There are plenty of reasons that people look up criminal backgrounds and records, and your comments might help other people that are in the same situation.

Click here to leave a comment

Most Wanted

The FBI has a list of the Top Ten Most Wanted Criminals. In Forsyth County, the Sheriff maintains their own list of the top most wanted criminals in the county.

FBI Ten Most Wanted List: Link


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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

Everyone knows that spending time in Forsyth County Detention Center is quite unpleasant, eventually you will settle into the routine that is set for you in jail. Prisoners get a wake-up alarm each morning at 6:00am, and then roll call. Next, you will have breakfast. Following breakfast you will work in the work program that you’ve been assigned to. This could be working in the kitchen, laundry, or some sort of manufacturing job. While this may seem tedious, it may help you when you leave jail, as you are gaining experience in a certain field of work. Other inmates go to school, while some take part in mandated treatment programs. After lunch, there will be another roll call, then back to work. Your evening will be spent either in your cell or a common room. During this time dinner is served and you will be expected to take a shower. After another roll call, it’s lights out. Even though you will be confined to your cell, there may be enough light to read or write letters. Then again, most inmates welcome lights out, and try to get as much sleep as they can.

Most people are frightened at the idea of jail because they don’t know what to expect. If you have spent any time in Forsyth County Detention Center, your experiences would be welcomed, if it can help another person to deal with it.

Dress Code

When incarcerated, all inmates are expected to wear the Forsyth County Detention Center uniform. This is normally a jumpsuit or scrubs. Of note to anyone visiting an inmate – you must be properly dressed. Any clothing considered inappropriate will not be permitted.

How To Send Money to an Inmate

You will have your own ‘bank account’ while in jail. This money is used to purchase items from the Commissary. Family and friends can deposit money into this account for you, and any money you earn while in prison will also be deposited into your account. Outside money can be paid in to your account via a money order, cash or check. If someone sends a check or money order, make sure that they write your inmate ID on it. The maximum amount you are allowed in your account is $290 per month.

The process for sending money to people in jail could change, so you should visit the the Forsyth County Detention Center website when send funds to someone in jail there.


Commissary

The commissary is the jail store. You can purchase a number of things here, such as toiletries, snacks and writing supplies. Bear in mind that you will probably want to use the commissary daily, and any infractions will get that privilege taken away from you.

Inmate Medications

If you are on any type of prescription medication, you will be allowed to continue taking it while in jail. When you are first processed, you will be asked what medication you take. You will then be referred to the jail nurse or doctor who will be in charge of monitoring your health and prescribing your medication.

Meals

You will get three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. As expected, they are very basic, but healthy. A typical breakfast might be cereal, toast, coffee and fruit. Lunch might be spaghetti, salad, bread and milk. Dinner could be chicken casserole, rice, vegetables, dessert and milk. Contrary to popular belief, prison food has greatly improved over the years, and you might find that it’s not much different from what you would eat at home.

Pods / The Yard

The jail is designed in a ‘pod’ layout, with self-contained housing arranged around an outdoor yard. Each pod has a central control station and a common room, and the inmates take turns in using the yard. The jail is designed this way to keep certain inmates together, and others away from the general population.

Gangs

As with life in general, gangs are a part of prison life. Obviously it is best to avoid becoming a part of this environment as it will only lead to trouble. When you first enter prison, you might find yourself being ‘primed’ to join a gang, or worse, you might get their attention in a negative way. The best thing to do is keep your head down and don’t get involved.


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News and Media

News

Photos / Pictures

Videos


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Jobs

Types of Jobs at Forsyth County Detention Center

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Forsyth County Detention Center, overseeing the day to day operations and administration of the jail. An inmate is unlikely to have much interaction with the Deputy Sheriff, unless they have committed an infraction. Detention Officers are responsible for the custody and care of the inmates. They maintain order in the jail, and handle security. A Detention Officer is assigned to a certain pod, and therefore is responsible for the same inmates each day. They get to know the inmates on a certain level and are well equipped to handle any problems that may occur.

Apply for a Job at Forsyth County Detention Center

Requirements:

• You must be over the age of 21.
• You must possess a High School Diploma or GED
• You must be a US Citizen.
• You must pass a Criminal, Credit and Driving History background check.
• You must pass a drug test.
• You must have a good level of fitness.
• You must be in good health.
• You must have a valid Driver’s License
• An applicant for Deputy Sheriff must possess a Law Enforcement Certification.


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Family Resources

There are resources for families of both the perpetrator of the crime and the victim. The social and emotional impact of crime is far reaching, affecting many. Families can receive professional counseling, court related assistance, social services assistance and help in navigating the criminal justice system.

If you are a family member, which resources did you find to be particularly helpful? Please let us know, as this will be helpful to other families in the same situation.

Click here to share your story


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Victim Resources

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.

Victim’s Rights

The Victim Rights Act grants victims the following rights:

• Victims have the right to protection from the accused.
• Victims have the right to notification.
• Victims have the right to attend proceedings.
• Victims have the right to speak at criminal justice proceedings.
• Victims have the right to consult with the prosecuting attorney.
• Victims have the right to restitution.
• Victims have the right to a speedy trial.
• Victims have the right to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

The definition of victim includes:

• Spouses and children of all victims.
• Parents and guardians of minor victims.
• Parents, guardians and siblings of mentally or physically incapacitated victims or victims of homicide.
• Foster parents or other caregivers, under certain circumstances.

There are a number of services and programs designed to help victims and their families. You can find out about these services by contacting the courthouse, or local law enforcement agency.

Victim Notification

The Department of Justice Victim Notification System (VNS) is a system that provides victims with information pertaining to their case and/or any defendants in the case. You will receive a Victim Identification Number (VIN) and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will allow you to access VNS via the internet or by phone. Here, you will find information about future court hearings, historical court events, and detailed information about the defendant. This will include criminal charges filed, the outcome of charges, sentence imposed, custody location, projected release date and any other release information. The VNS website is updated daily. You will also receive any ongoing information by mail or email.

Have you, a family member or friend ever used the Victim Notification System? If so, was it effective? Did you get the information in a timely manner? Was the system difficult to use? We would like to hear from you, so please post any comments here.

Click here to tell your story

Sex Offender Information and Search

All people registered as sex offenders are registered on either a national or state sex offender database. The people on these databases have been convicted of a sex or kidnapping crime. You can access this information online, but bear in mind that you will not get the exact address, rather the block that they live on.

Domestic Violence

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are services to help you. Your county will have a Domestic Violence Services office. They provide free and confidential services, such as emergency shelter information, legal advocacy, support groups and domestic violence education. They will work to help you create a safe and violence-free life, and heal from the trauma of abuse.

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.


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Reviews

Reviews of this Jail

Have you ever been a prisoner at this jail? Do you know anybody that spent time there? Have you ever visited an inmate at this jail?

If your answer is yes, then we would like you to tell us about it. Write down your experience so that other people will know what to expect.

Things you can put in the review:

• Conditions in Forsyth County Detention Center.
• Jail layout and facility
• Guards and jail staff
• Jail food and commissary
• Visitors
• The other inmates.
• Prisoner safety
• Jail gangs
• Prisoner programs and activities


Click here to review Forsyth County Detention Center

Tell Your Story

Everbody that’s been incarcerated has some stories to tell about the whole experience. How’d you get locked up? Did you get fair treatment? How was day to day life at Forsyth County Detention Center? How did you get along with the other inmates? How did it affect you to go to jail?

Tell Your Story

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Make some good friends in jail? Need to find an inmate you met while you were incarcerated? Leave a message for them here.

Send a message to Forsyth County Detention Center


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