Howard R. Young Correctional Institution Inmate Bail & Bonds
Howard R. Young Correctional Institution bail and bond: Wilmington's pretrial prison
Howard R. Young Correctional Institution is the state prison at 1301 East 12th Street in northeast Wilmington. It holds men awaiting trial and men serving sentences. Look the person up on Howard R. Young Correctional Institution Inmate Search to see whether he is in custody. Delaware has no county jails, so the Department of Correction runs this one. Court-ordered bail is paid to a court, not at the prison gate. Most first hearings for Wilmington-area arrests are in Justice of the Peace Court, which is open around the clock at Court 11, 302-323-4450.
Is my relative inside Howard R. Young right now?
Search the name on Howard R. Young Correctional Institution Inmate Search. It is the quickest way to see whether someone is in custody here. A person arrested in the last few hours may not appear yet, so look again later in the day.
Who ends up in this prison, and does that include people waiting for trial?
Yes. This is where most Delaware pretrial detainees are held. The Department of Correction says the prison processes about 60 percent of all admissions in the state. It also holds sentenced men. A 2024 state announcement described the population as split roughly evenly between pretrial and sentenced, at more than 1,100 a day.
So bail does matter here. A man held on a pending charge can be released if a court sets bail he can meet, or sets none at all. A man already serving a sentence cannot buy his way out.
How is bail paid for someone locked up at this prison?
Bail goes to a court, not to a window at the prison. The state sources we read do not describe a bail desk inside the building. The person paying deals with the court that set the bail. After payment, the court sends its order and the prison releases the person.
Before you go anywhere, confirm the court and the amount on Howard R. Young Correctional Institution Inmate Search. If it does not show the figure, ask the defense lawyer.
Where can I pay bail in Wilmington and when is the door open?
Justice of the Peace Court 11 is at 2 Penns Way, Suite 100A, in New Castle. The court says it is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no holiday closings. Call 302-323-4450.
Justice of the Peace Court 20 is at 824 Market Street, Suite 210, Wilmington. It is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its number is 302-574-1500. Court of Common Pleas bonds go to that court's clerk's office, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Courts take cash, check, debit and Visa, MasterCard or Discover for bail. Cash-only bail means cash.
What do "signature," "unsecured," "secured" and "cash only" bail mean?
Signature, also called own recognizance: the person signs a promise to return and pays nothing. Unsecured: nothing is paid now, but the person owes the full amount if he misses court. Secured: money or property must be posted first, often through a bondsman. Cash only: the whole amount, in cash, to the court.
A news report from August 2026 listed cash-only bail of $250,000 in a Wilmington shooting case. That is a serious-charge example, not a typical figure. We found no published Delaware bail schedule, so we give no price list.
Why would a judge set no money at all?
Delaware changed its bail law on February 1, 2026. Judges now start from a presumption of release with conditions, such as reporting or staying away from a person. Money bail is allowed only in exceptional circumstances, and the judge must say why conditions are not enough.
So a family may find that no payment is needed.
Which charges can lead to being held with no bail?
The new law lists detention-eligible offenses. They include class A felonies, first-degree assault, kidnapping, first-degree robbery, stalking, and having a gun during a felony.
Being on the list does not mean automatic detention. The State must ask the court in writing, and a judge must find strong proof plus clear and convincing evidence that no conditions can keep people safe or ensure court dates. A capital charge can still be held without bail.
How fast does someone see a judge, and what happens at that first hearing?
Delaware's rule says an arrested person goes before the nearest available Justice of the Peace Court "without unreasonable delay." There is no fixed hour count in that rule. Many first hearings happen by video. At that hearing the judge sets bail and release terms for cases the court can hear.
If the charge is on the detention list, a magistrate can issue a temporary order for up to 10 days. A full hearing must follow within 10 days of arrest unless it is extended. A person who cannot afford a lawyer must have one appointed within 24 hours of arrest.
What will a bail bondsman charge and what do I owe up front?
A 2013 state law set limits. On a bond over $1,000, the total premium must be at least 5 percent and no more than 10 percent of the bond, with at least 5 percent collected before the bondsman posts. For cash bail, the charge must be 20 to 30 percent of the cash amount. The fee is not refundable. Confirm that the 2013 limits still apply before you sign.
Only licensed agents registered with the courts may post bail. The Administrative Office of the Courts handles that registration at 302-255-0087.
Can a house or land secure the bond?
Sometimes. Delaware's Justice of the Peace page says the judge will most likely require a title search when property is the security. In Superior Court, a bond is generally secured by a civil judgment or mortgage on the pledged property unless the court orders otherwise.
We did not find a rule on whether the land must lie in Delaware or in New Castle County. Ask the lawyer or the court clerk before you gather deeds.
The bail seems too high. What can the family do?
Ask the defense lawyer to file a motion to modify the bond. In Common Pleas the court sets a hearing and sends written notice. A statewide court rule requires a hearing no later than 10 days after such a motion. If a person stays locked up over 72 hours only because he cannot meet the money terms, the court must review the terms on its own within 10 days.
Free lawyers come from the Office of Defense Services. The trial unit is 302-577-5200, courthouse intake is 302-255-0130, and the unit for people held at this prison is 302-577-6445.
What can we do about visits?
Call 302-575-0330 to book, one week ahead, Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Have the inmate's SBI number or birth date, and each visitor's details. Visits run seven days a week at 9, 10, 11 a.m. and 12, 1, 2 and 3 p.m., and last one hour. Arrive 15 minutes early.
Bring only car keys, ID and up to $5 in cash. Children under 18 need a guardian or adult. Visitors aged 14 to 18 need photo ID. A clothing violation cancels the visit for the day.
What if a hold keeps him in even after bail is paid?
A hold from another case, a probation violation or another jurisdiction can keep a person in. The state locator page says the department may keep someone past a release date if another jurisdiction wants him. Ask the lawyer to list every pending case and warrant before money changes hands.
We did not find a state page about immigration holds. Ask the defense lawyer about that before paying anything, and check Howard R. Young Correctional Institution Inmate Search for changes after payment.
My child was arrested. Is he sent here?
Not an adult prison. Youth under 18 who are held before a hearing go to a state juvenile detention center run by the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services. The New Castle County Detention Center is at 1825 Faulkland Road, Wilmington, and its number is 302-633-3100. Ask that office first.
Juvenile records are private, so the adult search will not list a child.
What happens if he misses a court date?
The judge can order the bond forfeited. Forfeited bail goes to the state's General Fund after a default finding. Get a lawyer involved the same day.
Cash bail is returned to the person who posted it after the trial ends, as the Common Pleas page describes, less anything the court orders. A bondsman's fee stays with the bondsman.
How do I spot a bail scam?
No court or prison accepts gift cards, crypto or a payment app transfer to a private person. Look up numbers yourself: 302-323-4450 for the 24-hour court, and 302-575-0330 for the visit desk. Hang up on anyone demanding payment in minutes.
Key contacts for Howard R. Young bail questions
- Prison
- Howard R. Young Correctional Institution, 1301 East 12th Street, Wilmington; visit desk 302-575-0330
- Bail guide
- Delaware bail and bond help
- Custody lookup
- Howard R. Young Correctional Institution Inmate Search
- JP Court 11
- 2 Penns Way, Suite 100A, New Castle; 302-323-4450; open 24 hours
- JP Court 20
- 824 Market Street, Suite 210, Wilmington; 302-574-1500; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Public defender
- Office of Defense Services: trial unit 302-577-5200; intake 302-255-0130; prison unit 302-577-6445
- Bondsman registry
- Administrative Office of the Courts, 302-255-0087
- Juvenile
- New Castle County Detention Center, 1825 Faulkland Road, Wilmington; 302-633-3100
Bail rules, amounts, hours and phone numbers can change, and Delaware's bail law changed in 2026. Confirm with the court or a lawyer before you send money. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Howard R. Young Correctional Institution
Address:
1301 E. 12th Street
Wilmington, DE 19809
Phone:
302-429-7700
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Kent County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Kent County?
Who can set bail in Kent County?
When is bail set in Kent County Delaware?
Does Kent County have bail?
Yes, Kent County Delaware recognizes most types of bonds. Once bail is paid or the accused secures a bond accepted by the courts, the accused shall be released once the correctional facility receives an Order from the Court, unless ankle bracelet monitoring or other conditions requiring more time have to be set up.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Kent County?
Delaware recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Kent County?
A judicial officer sets bail in Delaware. This officer must be a judge, magistrate, or justice of the peace. Hours of availability and methods of contacting judicial officers vary by jurisdiction, although most courts can accommodate video conferences and non-business hours.
When is bail set in Kent County Delaware?
Bail is set in Delaware the first time the accused is brought into court, usually directly from jail and as soon as possible after the arrest. This first appearance to determine bail or bond is called initial appearance.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Kent 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 Kent 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 Howard R. Young Correctional Institution 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.
What is the difference between Bail and Bond?
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, Kent 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.
What are the different types of bonds in Kent County?
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 bank 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.)
Does Kent County have bail?
Yes, Kent County Delaware recognizes most types of bonds. Once bail is paid or the accused secures a bond accepted by the courts, the accused shall be released once the correctional facility receives an Order from the Court, unless ankle bracelet monitoring or other conditions requiring more time have to be set up.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Kent County?
Delaware recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Kent County?
A judicial officer sets bail in Delaware. This officer must be a judge, magistrate, or justice of the peace. Hours of availability and methods of contacting judicial officers vary by jurisdiction, although most courts can accommodate video conferences and non-business hours.
When is bail set in Delaware?
Bail is set in Delaware the first time the accused is brought into court, usually directly from jail and as soon as possible after the arrest. This first appearance to determine bail or bond is called initial appearance.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Kent County Delaware?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances and if the judge had set the initial bail. The accused can ask for bail reduction or a change in bail conditions by filing a Motion to Modify Bond.
In Kent County Delaware, who can pay bail for me?
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 Delaware could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Kent County Delaware?
Yes, Delaware has a statewide on-line payment system.
The jail can also be contacted for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution for more information about the jails in Kent County.
What options are there to pay bail in Kent County Delaware?
Cash or security. The security may be either cash or property.
Bond for Court of Common Pleas defendants must be made at the local Court of Common Pleas Clerk’s Office during regular business hours (8:30 AM-4:30 PM) Monday through Friday.
Bond for Family Court defendants must be made at any Family Court location during regular business hours (8:30AM -4:00 PM) Monday through Friday.
Contact the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted.
Go to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution for more information about posting bail in Kent County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Delaware?
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.
Can I get bail or a bond with no money down in Kent County?
The judge or officer who sets bail determines which kind of bail will be an option for you, but a cash bond and PR bonds usually do not require cash down, though you might have to pay court fees.
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.
What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in Delaware?
The Howard R. Young Correctional Institution 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.