Look up the name in the Union County Inmate Search before you drive anywhere. Union County moved the housing of its inmates to the Essex County Correctional Facility, 354 Doremus Avenue, Newark, at 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2021. The Union County Division of Corrections in Elizabeth still runs intake and temporary detention.

If the search leaves a question open, call Union at 908-558-2600 or Essex at 973-274-7500.

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The county signed a five-year agreement with Essex County and shifted the work to Newark. About 53 Union staff remain for the Elizabeth hub. The charges, the prosecutor, and the judges are still Union County's. Only the building where the person sleeps is different.

The Division of Corrections is led by Captain Anthony Davis, and the Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Peter Corvelli. Ask for either office at 908-558-2600.

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In most cases no. A Complaint-Summons sends a person home with a court date. A Complaint-Warrant sends the person to the county jail, where a Pretrial Services officer scores the Public Safety Assessment and recommends a release level. The judge may order release on a promise to appear, on conditions, or, rarely, with money bail.

Since 2017 the constitution has said every person is eligible for pretrial release before conviction.

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The release decision is due no later than 48 hours after the person is committed to jail, and the first appearance falls inside that period. If the person was in jail on a warrant, a judge at that hearing explains the charge, advises of the right to a lawyer and to remain silent, and sets conditions.

Since January 12, 2026, a prosecutor in a gun case can ask for added time to finish ballistic testing. The extension may never be longer than seven days.

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The prosecutor files a motion, and the hearing is held no later than the first appearance unless a delay is granted. The prosecutor may ask for up to 3 days and the defense for up to 5, unless a judge finds good cause. If the motion is filed after the first appearance, the hearing is scheduled within three working days.

The prosecutor must hand over the police report and probable cause affidavit, and must give more material, including evidence favoring the defendant, at least 24 hours before a detention hearing.

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Only when the court finds that no bail and no conditions, alone or together, would assure appearance, protect others, or prevent interference with the case. Murder and life-term crimes carry a presumption of detention when probable cause is shown. Other categories also exist, including some domestic violence offenses.

Someone who is detained has a right to indictment within 90 days and trial within 180 days of indictment, with a two-year ceiling.

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Cash bail is deposited with the Finance Division Manager in the county where the offense occurred. For an inmate in Newark, the Essex County Correctional Facility accepts bail between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., five days a week, at 973-274-7500. Call before leaving, because payment types and the amount depend on the order.

The signer also executes a recognizance, which is a written promise that the defendant will appear.

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The 10 percent option may apply. A payer gives the court 10 percent in cash and signs a recognizance for the other 90 percent. It is not open for first-degree or second-degree charges or certain domestic violence offenses, and the judge can rule it out for good cause.

Nobody who supplies the cash for someone else may take a fee beyond lawful interest.

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Licensed ones do. They hold insurance producer licenses from the Department of Banking and Insurance and appear in the Judiciary's Bail Registry. Corporate surety on a recognizance needs approval from the Commissioner of Insurance. State law sets no flat percentage for a bondsman's fee, so compare terms and keep copies.

Because money bail is rare, many families never meet one.

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Real estate offered as bail is approved by, and deposited with, the clerk of the county where the offense happened. Land elsewhere may be accepted, with a certified copy of the recognizance sent to the clerk where the land is. A person with an open recognizance generally cannot sign another unless the court allows it.

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The Office of the Public Defender for Union County is at 17 Caldwell Place, 3rd Floor, Elizabeth, NJ 07202, 908-820-3070. An application is handed out at the first appearance, and the court can assign the office to stand beside the defendant that day.

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Union County closed its own juvenile detention center in 2019. Young people now go to the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center, 80 Duryea Street, Newark, NJ 07103. Its numbers are 973-849-0942 and 973-849-0415. Ask there about visiting and the next court date.

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Expect a warrant. A person monitored by Pretrial Services who breaks a rule can face a violation hearing, and a new charge while on release can lead to a motion to revoke. When bail was posted, the court orders forfeiture, and notice goes out by mail. Anyone with an interest has 75 days to object in writing.

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Treat any demand for gift cards, app transfers, or secrecy as a scam. The only numbers worth dialing are the ones you look up yourself: 908-558-2600 for Union County corrections and 973-274-7500 for Essex. Then confirm custody with the Union County Inmate Search.

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