Address:
100 Center Drive
Riverhead, NY 11901
Phone:
631-852-2200
If you would like to post bail for a friend or family member, you must know their date of birth.
The on-site process will likely take several hours to complete.
Riverhead Correctional Facility
100 Center Drive South
Riverhead, NY 11901
Yaphank Correctional Facility
200 Glover Drive,
Yaphank, NY 11980
Does Suffolk County have bail?
When is bail set in Suffolk County New York?
Yes, but the state of New York only applies bail in violent or felony cases. Non-violent and most misdemeanor cases always qualify for release on own recognizance. Tioga County recognizes most types of bonds.
Bail for lesser offenses is set at the time of booking. If bail is required for felony cases, it will be set by a judge at the first court hearing. This hearing, also called an arraignment, generally takes place on the next available court date excluding weekends and holidays.
Bail is what the arrested in Suffolk County must pay or do to stay out of jail until the first court appearance.
The agreement to bail acts as a promise that the arrested will return to court for court dates and trial. Bail usually refers to a dollar amount, but bail can also mean something that has to be done, or a condition such as reporting to an officer of the court, a curfew, restraining orders or attending a treatment program.
Bail is usually a significant enough amount of money and/or condition that the person will be negatively impacted and has incentive to return to court and not flee. A flight risk usually means that the person would flee the area, and not necessary that they are going to take an airplane.
If a judge in Suffolk County feels that the arrested will return to court for further proceedings, the arrested could be released under a conditional release without needing to pay bail money. This is called Released on Own Recognizance, or ROR.
Conditions for ROR might be to obey all court orders and laws, maintain contact with the lawyer, report changes in residence or have no contact with the victim. Family support will show the court that there are people who will make sure that the defendant makes it to court.
If the judge or bail schedule determines that the defendant would be a danger to the public if they were released, bail can be denied, and the person will be detained in the Riverhead Correctional Facility until the case is resolved or goes to trial.
Bail can be denied if the defendant did not comply with bail conditions from a previous arrest. Bail is usually denied in cases of violent offenses.
Bail and bond are used interchangeably to mean the same thing but technically, they are different. The bail is the amount to be paid and a bond is a signed document promising payment of the bail amount with certain conditions. Think of a bond as a loan to pay for the bail.
The bond payment is always written to the court in your municipality, Suffolk County or district directly and does not go through the defendant. Chances of obtaining a bond from a bond company or clerk of court are better if family is involved.
The thought of being in jail can cause the arrested to panic and try to secure a bond immediately.
DO NOT panic and take the time to understand all the options.
More courts are now trying to work with defendants to make bail work and might provide non-monetary options or even reduce the bail.
Payments to a bond company are not refundable. It is a long process to get back property title or money that was given to the clerk of court or bondsperson to secure the bond. This could put your loved ones into a difficult financial situation.
Another reason not to unnecessarily rush into securing a bond is that if the court notes that you came up with the money to pay a bond company, they may assume you have resources to pay a defense attorney and decline public defense.
On the other hand, as anyone who has ever been involved in their criminal defense understands, fighting your case while ‘out on the streets’ gives you a much better chance of either winning, or getting a more favorable sentence.
Based on a review of information from the arrest, the judge or bail officer will determine and notify the accused of which types of bonds are available to them.
To describe the types of bonds, let’s use an example of buying your neighbor’s car. Your neighbor decides the price of the car and how they would be paid.
Similarly, the court (meaning a police or bail officer, clerk of court, bail magistrate or judge) determines the bail amount and how it would be paid.
Here are different options that the seller of the car or the court might consider:
You could pay full asking price for the car in cash. This is similar to paying cash bail. The full amount of bail would be paid to the town or county clerk or at the jail. Cash, cashier’s checks and credit cards are usually accepted.
You could sign an agreement on your own or with another person to pay for the car at a future date knowing that your neighbor would know where to find you if you stopped payment. This would be similar to a cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond which are bonds to where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible for making sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up.
Surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
You can put a deposit down for your neighbor’s car and sign an agreement that the car will be paid off at a later date. Cash percentage in lieu of bonds is when the defendant pays a percentage of the bail amount, usually 10%, to the court which then holds the money until the case is over.
The amount is returned to the person who paid the 10% after the case is over. In most cases, the full amount is not returned if there are court fees or fines due. This is a type of surety bond if another person signs the bond paperwork.
You could sign an agreement that if the car were not paid off, that your neighbor would get your house or something of value.
A property bond is a bond that the courts might consider in which the bond is pledged in land or home real estate (mobile homes are not accepted).
Usually, the property must be in the same state as the courts, and it must be worth at least 1 ½ - 2 times the amount of the bond.
There are multiple court fees involved to execute a property bond with the courts and a tedious process to get the property deed back. This is another type of surety bond if another person or a bond company is used to secure the bond.
You could also go to a local bank and take out a car loan offering property or anything of value for collateral. You may get someone to co-sign on the loan and offer their property. The ban charges fees, interest and could keep your property if you did not pay the loan back, or even on time.
A professional bondsperson makes money, at least 10% of the bond amount by providing you with a “loan” called a bond. The percent that they charge is fixed by the state and cannot be negotiated. The defendant or surety does not get that 10% or more back even if the terms of the bail are met.
With a property bond, the property deed would need to be signed over to the bondsperson and everyone on the deed would need to be involved.
Since the bondsperson signed off, to be responsible that you show to court as your surety, they can send a bounty hunter to bring you to court if you flee. A bondsperson does not have to give you a bond if the defendant seems to be too much of a risk.
Ask the bondsperson to explain all the costs: percentage, fees or court fees. There is never a reason to rush through signing the paperwork with a bond company. Make sure that everything told to you is in writing and that you understand what you are signing. Ask questions, and if you feel rushed or don’t understand the contract with the bond company, you might want to call another one.
(There have been phone scams where a bond company calls and informs a person that their family member has been arrested and they ask for financial information. A bondsperson will not call asking for money without involvement of the arrested.)
New York only applies bail in violent or felony cases. Non-violent and most misdemeanor cases qualify for release on own recognizance.
Suffolk County recognizes most types of bonds.
Bail is set by officers during booking for misdemeanor offenses. A judge sets bail for felony arrests.
Bail for lesser offenses is set at the time of booking. If bail is required for felony cases, it will be set by a judge at the first court hearing. This hearing, also called an arraignment, generally takes place on the next available court date excluding weekends and holidays.
Yes, if bail has been assessed, your attorney may file a motion to have it reduced.
The person posting bail should be a relative or close friend, called a surety, because they are promising and taking responsibility that you will return to court to get their money back.
A surety is not responsible for court fees or paying off personal debts for the defendant. A professional bondsperson who is approved by the State of New York could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Yes, New York does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Riverhead Correctional Facility for more information about the jails in Suffolk County.
Most all jail and courts accept cash, a cashier or bankers’ check. Some accept a credit card with fees. Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Riverhead Correctional Facility for more information about posting bail in Suffolk County.
Bail money is returned to the person who paid the bail; in whole or in part once the case is finished. There may be fees, restitution (money to pay for damage caused by the crime) or fines that come out of that amount. If you used a bondsperson, you would not get your 10% back. Property is returned by the court or bondsperson after the appropriate requests and formal paperwork are completed with the court.
Most non-violent crimes do not require bail. If bail is assessed cash, or a minimum down payment, will be required.
A cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond are bonds where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible to make sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up. A surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
The Riverhead Correctional Facility or court in this jurisdiction can provide you with a list of approved and licensed bond companies, but they cannot recommend a specific company. You are not obligated to use the first company available and can call several companies to compare what kind of bonds that the bondsperson is willing to execute.
The percentage of bail that the bond company can charge is set, usually at 10%, by the state and cannot be negotiated.
Since bail bond procedures can vary in Suffolk County and New York, it is always best to contact Riverhead Correctional Facility at 631-852-2200 or the court where the defendant was charged, such as the Municipal or District Court, immediately after an arrest. This will ensure you have the most up-to-date information.
When calling Riverhead Correctional Facility or the Suffolk County Court Clerk, be sure to ask the following questions:
If the bail amount seems too high, you may want to contact a lawyer or public defender to explore the possibility of getting it reduced. Starting this process quickly will help speed up the defendant's release.
A criminal attorney or bail agent can help manage the process and make it more efficient.
Option 1 - How to Post Bail with Cash at Riverhead Correctional Facility
A cash bond requires you to pay the full amount in cash, cashier’s check, or money order. Personal checks are not accepted.
Bail amounts can range from $100 to $75,000 or more depending on the offense.
To post the bond, visit Riverhead Correctional Facility or the court where the bail hearing took place. Going to the jail directly will expedite the release, as paperwork from the court must be sent there.
Cashier’s checks and money orders should be made out to Riverhead Correctional Facility, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, or the Suffolk County Court.
You can purchase money orders at Western Union, Moneygram, or any Post Office.
Option 2 - How to Post a Surety Bond for a Defendant at Riverhead Correctional Facility
If you cannot afford the full bail amount, a surety bond is another option. A bail agent will post the bond in exchange for a premium, typically 10-15% of the total bail amount.
For example, if bail is set at $5,000, the premium will be between $500 and $750.
Bail agents often require collateral, such as property or valuables, to secure the bond in case the defendant does not appear in court.
When you sign an agreement with a bail agent, you are responsible for paying the full bail amount if the defendant fails to appear in court.
Option 3 - How to Post a Property Bond for a Defendant at Riverhead Correctional Facility
If you own property in Suffolk County, you may be able to post a property bond. All owners of the property must be present to sign the bond in order for it to be valid.
To find out if property outside Suffolk County can be used, contact a local bail agent or attorney.
For more information, click here for details on posting bail at Riverhead Correctional Facility.
Anyone over the age of 18 who can produce a valid government-issued photo ID can post bail. Accepted forms of ID include a Photo Driver's License, Passport, or Motor Vehicle issued ID.
In many circumstances, if the defendant has the resources, they can post their own cash bail from jail.
Surety Bonds are arranged by a third party, typically a New York state licensed Bail Bond firm.
Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.
