Monmouth County Correctional Institution Inmate Bail & Bonds
Monmouth County bail and bond: two places to pay in Freehold and how release works
People arrested in Monmouth County are held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, 1 Waterworks Road, Freehold. Look up the person with Monmouth County Inmate Search, and call (732) 431-7860 for anything else. Bail is paid at the courthouse Fee Office on weekdays and at the institution after hours, but a New Jersey judge sets money only in rare cases.
1. Where are people arrested in Monmouth County held?
At the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, 1 Waterworks Road, Freehold, which the Sheriff's Office runs. It is the county's reception and processing center for sentenced and unsentenced inmates and is rated for 1,328 people. The jail phone is (732) 431-7860 and the Sheriff's Office answers at (732) 431-6400.
2. How do I find out if my family member is booked yet?
Enter the name in Monmouth County Inmate Search. When a booking is fresh, the record may take a while to post. Then call the institution at (732) 431-7860 with a full name and date of birth. Attorneys and law enforcement meet inmates in private interview rooms, while family visits can be contact or non-contact with limits.
3. I have a bail amount. Where do I go on a weekday morning?
To the Central Fee Office on the first floor of the East Wing, Monmouth County Courthouse, 71 Monument Park, Freehold. It is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at (732) 358-8700. It takes property, cash, money orders, certified checks, and bail bondsmen. No other kind of check is accepted.
4. Where do I pay after hours or on a weekend?
At the correctional institution's back entrance, in the Booking area, on weekday evenings and all day on weekends. Only cash or a bail bondsman is accepted there. Property and checks are refused after hours, so a family with a certified check has to wait for the Fee Office to open. Call (732) 431-7860 before driving.
5. Can I pay at a police station instead?
Some municipal arresting agencies accept bail themselves. If a local department arrested your relative, call that department and ask before going to Freehold.
6. Will a judge in Monmouth County set money at all?
Rarely. New Jersey's Constitution says all persons are eligible for pretrial release before conviction. A judge may set monetary bail only when no other condition will assure the person returns to court, and may not use it to prevent release. Most defendants leave on a Complaint-Summons or on conditions the judge sets.
7. How do the summons and the warrant paths differ?
A summons means the defendant stays free and receives a court date. A warrant means arrest, commitment to the county jail, a Public Safety Assessment by Pretrial Services, and a first appearance within 48 hours. In firearm cases the prosecutor may seek a longer period, up to seven days.
8. Who handles Pretrial Services and the court side?
The Monmouth Vicinage numbers all sit on (732) 358-8700: Criminal Division extension 87913, Pretrial Services extension 87440, and the Finance Division, which handles bail, extension 87915. Pretrial Services reminds defendants of court dates and reports any violation of release conditions.
9. What does the 10 percent option mean?
A court can accept 10 percent of the bail in cash and a recognizance for the other 90 percent. The option is closed for first- and second-degree offenses and for certain domestic violence offenses. If someone else deposits the cash, the owner may charge no more than lawful interest and must file proof of ownership.
10. Can I offer property in place of cash?
Yes, but only during business hours at the Central Fee Office; the institution does not accept property. Real estate is approved by and deposited with the clerk of the county where the offense occurred. Call (732) 358-8700 for the forms.
11. Are bondsmen used in Monmouth County?
Both payment locations accept them. Bondsmen are licensed insurance producers who appear in the Superior Court's Bail Registry. Their fee is a private contract and is not refunded; state law sets no percentage.
12. Can a prosecutor keep someone locked up until trial?
Yes, with a detention motion. The judge may order it after finding that no money, no condition, and no combination would protect the community, assure appearance, or prevent obstruction. The hearing takes place at first appearance unless a continuance is granted: up to three days for the prosecutor and up to five for the defense.
13. How long can someone be held before trial?
For a detained defendant, the statute sets 90 days to indictment and 180 days from indictment to trial, with a two-year outer limit that excludes delay caused by the defense. Released defendants are not on that clock.
14. What does the first appearance involve?
The judge reads the complaint, explains the right to silence and to counsel, and sets release conditions unless a detention motion is pending. A pre-indictment disposition conference is then scheduled within 45 days. A defendant without money for a lawyer can apply for a public defender at that hearing.
15. Who provides a lawyer when money is tight?
The Office of the Public Defender, Monmouth region, 7 Broad Street, Freehold, 732-308-4320. Ask for an application at the first appearance.
16. What if the arrested person is under 18?
Call the courthouse at (732) 358-8700 and ask for the Family Division to learn where the young person is held and the hearing date. Juvenile records are private and do not appear in the adult search.
17. Will depositing money on a jail account free my relative?
No. A deposit buys calls and commissary items. Release happens only when a judge's order is met.
18. What is the penalty for missing court?
The court can forfeit the bail. Notice goes by mail, and a written objection must be filed within 75 days of the notice date. After that, a default judgment is entered.
Key contacts for Monmouth County bail questions
- County jail
- Monmouth County Correctional Institution, 1 Waterworks Road, Freehold, NJ 07728; (732) 431-7860
- Bail and bond guide
- County jail page and bail guide
- Custody lookup
- Monmouth County Inmate Search
- Weekday bail window
- Central Fee Office, Monmouth County Courthouse, 71 Monument Park, Freehold; 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; (732) 358-8700
- After-hours bail
- Correctional institution back entrance, Booking area; (732) 431-7860
- Vicinage offices
- (732) 358-8700: Criminal 87913, Pretrial 87440, Finance 87915
- Sheriff's Office
- (732) 431-6400
- Public defender
- 7 Broad Street, Freehold, NJ 07728; 732-308-4320
Hours and accepted payment types are set by the county and can change without notice. Phone the correctional institution before you drive over with money.
How do Bail Bonds work at Monmouth County Correctional Institution
Bail Instructions - Weekdays
- During normal court business hours (8:30am – 4:30pm Monday through Friday) all bail posting is to be paid at the Monmouth County Courthouse Central Fee Office, located in the courthouse on the 1st floor of the East Wing.
Monmouth County Courthouse
71 Monument Park
Freehold, NJ 07728-1266
Phone: 732-358-8700
- Bail can be posted using property, cash, money order, certified check or through a bail bondsman.
- No checks other than certified checks are accepted.
Bail Instructions - Nights & Weekends
- After normal court business hours during the week and 24 hours a day throughout the weekend, bail can be posted in cash or through a bail bondsman only at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
- No property payment or checks will be accepted at theInstitution.
- When going to the Institution, proceed to the “Booking” area through the back entrance.
Monmouth County Correctional Institution
1 Waterworks Road
Freehold, New Jersey 07728
Phone: 732-431-7860
Monmouth County Correctional Institution
Address:
1 Waterworks Road
Freehold, NJ 07728
Phone:
732-431-7860
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Monmouth County
Does Monmouth County have bail?
What are the different types of bonds in Monmouth County?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Morris County?
Who can set bail in Monmouth County?
When is bail set in Monmouth County New Jersey?
Does Monmouth County have bail?
No, New Jersey is a NO BAIL state.
Under current laws a defendant can only be held if a judge determines they are a risk to the community, likely to interfere with the investigation or fail to show for all required court dates. If the judge determines they are not a risk the defendant is released prior to trial.
What are the different types of bonds in Monmouth County?
Based on a review of information from the arrest, the judge or bail officer will determine and notify the accused of which release conditions are available to them. Professional bond companies are not permitted to operate in New Jersey.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Morris County?
Under the new system, if a judge decides a defendant does not pose a public safety or willful flight risk, then they will be released without being required to post any money. This is called released on their own recognizance in all states and can be considered a type of bond because a document will need to be agreed upon and signed.
Who can set bail in Monmouth County?
A hearing is held by a judge to determine if the defendant qualifies for release.
When is bail set in Monmouth County New Jersey?
If a defendant is not released immediately, a hearing will be scheduled within 48 hours before a judge.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Monmouth 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 in New Jersey, 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.
What is the difference between Bail and Bond?
Bail is what the arrested 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.
New Jersey has mostly done away with the bail/bond system since 2017, except for cases involving unpaid motor vehicle summonses.
Defendants with a serious risk of danger or flight can be detained pending trial. Low-risk defendants will be released. This is called released on their own recognizance in all states. If released, the defendant will be issued a summons to appear to court within 21 days.
Pretrial service officers will monitor those defendants, based on the conditions of their release while the defendant is out of custody pending rial.
A judge may order a variety of conditions while the defendant is awaiting trial, such as a GPS location monitor, checking in via phone or in person with a pretrial services officer, no contact with an alleged victim, and other conditions similar to probation.
People who are arrested for serious felonies (including first- and second-degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, violent robberies and burglaries, home invasions and vehicular invasions) can still be denied pretrial release.
Prosecutors must request a detention hearing and the decision whether to hold someone will be made at the judge’s discretion.
This ruling will be based on several factors including the likelihood that the defendant will flee or any public safety risk that they may present.
Does Monmouth County have bail?
No, New Jersey is a NO BAIL state.
Under current laws a defendant can only be held if a judge determines they are a risk to the community, likely to interfere with the investigation or fail to show for all required court dates. If the judge determines they are not a risk the defendant is released prior to trial.
What are the different types of bonds in Monmouth County?
Based on a review of information from the arrest, the judge or bail officer will determine and notify the accused of which release conditions are available to them. Professional bond companies are not permitted to operate in New Jersey.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Monmouth County?
Under the new system, if a judge decides a defendant does not pose a public safety or willful flight risk, then they will be released without being required to post any money. This is called released on their own recognizance in all states and can be considered a type of bond because a document will need to be agreed upon and signed.
Who can set bail in Monmouth County?
A hearing is held by a judge to determine if the defendant qualifies for release.
When is bail set in New Jersey?
If a defendant is not released immediately, a hearing will be scheduled within 48 hours before a judge.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Monmouth County New Jersey?
Because New Jersey does not utilize a cash bail system there is no reason to request a reduction in bail. However, those previously denied release may have their attorney petition the court for another hearing to reevaluate eligibility.
In Monmouth County New Jersey, who can pay bail for me?
This would not apply to New Jersey because money bail is not recognized.
Can bail be paid online in Monmouth County New Jersey?
This would not apply to New Jersey because money bail is not recognized.
What options are there to pay bail in Monmouth County New Jersey?
This would not apply to New Jersey because money bail is not recognized.
Will I get all my bond money back in New Jersey?
This would not apply to New Jersey because money bail is not recognized.
Can I get bail or a bond with no money down in Monmouth County?
New Jersey does not require money down because it is a no bail state. There might be fees to pay however.
What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in New Jersey?
New Jersey has no bail.
There are scammers who call families of arrested asking for information to process a bond. Not only are bondspersons not permitted to call for this information for any type of arrests, but they are also particularly offensive since there are no bail bond companies permitted to operate in New Jersey.