Warren County Correctional Center Inmate Bail & Bonds

A Superior Court judge decides, and a court office called Pretrial Services helps. It starts with a choice the police make. A complaint-summons is a notice with a court date, and anyone charged that way goes free (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-16). A complaint-warrant means a ride to the Correctional Center, where the person waits while Pretrial Services runs a Public Safety Assessment. Think of it as a score sheet. It rates the odds the person shows up for court and avoids a new arrest. Staff then hand the judge a release suggestion.

• Inside the first 12 hours, someone from the court reviews whether the charge has a sound basis.
• The release ruling has a hard deadline of 48 hours after the person enters the jail (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-17).
• Statewide records for 2022 through 2024 show the deadline was met in over 97 percent of cases. Most rulings came in under a day.
• For indictable charges, that first hearing takes place at one central site, with a judge the Chief Justice assigns (R. 3:4-2).

To learn when the hearing will be, call Pretrial Services at the county courthouse, 413 Second Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823, 908-750-8100, ext. 13140.

Think of the law as a ladder. The judge has to use the lowest rung that will work (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-17):

1. Own recognizance (ROR). A signed pledge to come back, with nothing paid. A close cousin is the unsecured bond, where money is owed only after a missed date.
2. Non-monetary conditions. Rules that cost nothing, like a curfew, no contact with a named person, or handing over guns. They must be the mildest rules that still do the job.
3. Monetary bail. Money may be set only to secure a return to court. Using it for public safety, or to keep someone locked up, is not allowed.
4. Both rules and money together.
5. Detention. The person stays in jail. This takes a hearing that the prosecutor must ask for.

Pretrial Services keeps track of people let out with rules. Its scale goes from ROR to Pretrial Monitoring Levels 1, 2, 3 and 3+. A low level might be a reminder text before court. Higher levels can add reporting in person, electronic monitoring, or being confined at home. Judiciary figures for January to June 2025 show plain ROR for roughly 1 in 11 warrant defendants, and detention for roughly 1 in 5.

For most arrests, no dollar amount is set at all. The courts use no price list for crimes, since each judge weighs the person in front of them. Here is where money can still come in, by type of case:

• Summons: nothing to pay. The person leaves with a court date.
• Superior Court warrant cases: money is very rare. In 2021, judges across the state ordered bail for only 23 people. Over five years, from 2017 to 2021, the total was 233 people. That is fewer than 1 in 500 of those charged.
• Broken release rules: most of the 2021 orders were for people who broke their pretrial rules.
• Disorderly persons arrests in town court: money only if nothing else will bring the person back (R. 7:4-1).
• Missed town court dates: the judge uses the state bail schedules for bench warrants (R. 7:4-2). The amount is often on the warrant.
• Domestic violence: no one may use the 10 percent cash deposit.

Low bail rarely keeps anyone in jail now. From 2020 to 2024, the share of inmates statewide held on $2,500 or less stayed at 1.2 percent or below. For one person's amount, call the jail at 908-475-7900 and say the person's name and birthday.

The state Judiciary says bail goes to the county courthouse while the court is open. After those hours, the county jail is the place, and it accepts only cash or a bail bond. The jail sits at 175 County Route 519 South, Belvidere, NJ 07823-1950, 908-475-7900. Use these steps:

1. Phone before you drive. Have the legal name, spelled right, plus the birthday.
2. Ask for the bail amount, the court that set it, and any case or warrant number.
3. Ask whether some other hold would keep the person in after you pay.
4. Ask about a bail source form. On some cases, the people paying must swear where every dollar came from, and no bail is taken until the prosecutor has that form (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-13).
5. Bring a photo ID and exact cash, or meet a licensed bail agent at the jail.
6. Hold on to each receipt until the case closes.

Hunterdon arrests start in Flemington, and the person moves here after booking. For bail on a Hunterdon charge, call Hunterdon Booking at 71 Park Avenue, Flemington, NJ 08822, 908-788-1184.

Yes, while the offices are open. Superior Court bail is handled by the Finance office, also known as the Central Fee Office. It is in the county courthouse at 413 Second Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823. Dial 908-750-8100, then ext. 13070 for Finance or ext. 13130 for the Criminal Division.

1. Call ahead and ask what hours the window is open.
2. Have the person's name, birth date and case number on hand.
3. Ask which types of payment the window accepts.
4. Ask how fast the jail hears that bail was paid, so release can begin.

A town court bench warrant belongs to the court that signed it. Phone the court named on the warrant and ask how its bail is paid. Ten municipal courts cover the 22 towns, and our court guide lists every one with its number. The state's NJMCdirect site takes ticket and fine payments for town courts, but it is meant for tickets, not bail.

After hours at the jail, the Judiciary allows cash or a bail bond only. At the courthouse, call Finance at 908-750-8100, ext. 13070, to learn what the window takes. These rules shape what you owe:

• Full cash: the whole amount, paid up front.
• Ten percent cash: court rules often let a person meet bail by depositing a tenth of it in cash with the court (R. 3:26-4(g)). This stays open wherever state law permits it.
• Surety bond: a licensed agent stands behind the full amount. A surety is required only when the judge says so.
• Certain listed crimes: bail on these can be met only with the full cash amount, or with a bond written by an approved company.
• Domestic violence: the 10 percent deposit is never an option.

Never put cash in the mail, and never pay a stranger who calls offering to get someone out. Pay only the jail or the court. Before leaving home, ask the jail at 908-475-7900 which payments it will take that day.

A bail agent pledges the full bail to the court, and the family pays the agent a fee for that pledge. Anyone who sells bail bonds in New Jersey must hold a state insurance producer license that carries bail bond authority. That rule dates to the end of 2003. The state Department of Banking and Insurance spelled it out in a 2003 licensing bulletin.

• Get the fee on paper before signing, and ask whether any of it is ever refunded.
• If the agent wants something of value to hold, like a vehicle title, get the return date for it in writing.
• When a case needs a bail source form, that form asks for the bail company's name and license number.
• Few families need an agent today, since most people leave with no money bail.

A bond only matters when a judge has set money. It does nothing for someone on release rules or someone held after a detention hearing.

Yes. Bail covers just the one case it was set on. Any of the following can still hold someone:

• Another town's warrant. A missed date in a second town court brings its own bench warrant and its own bail.
• A detention order on some other charge.
• Probation. A probation violation can hold someone. Adult Probation is at the county courthouse, 413 Second Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823, 908-750-8100, ext. 13960.
• Out-of-county or out-of-state warrants. The person may wait for that place to pick them up.
• Time already being served, such as a weekend sentence.
• A federal or immigration hold, which runs on federal rules.

Before you pay, ask the Correctional Center at 908-475-7900 to list every hold or detainer on the person.

Under the state constitution, people charged with crimes are entitled to pretrial release. The one exception is when a judge finds that nothing, no rules and no money, would bring the person to court, protect others, and stop them from blocking justice (N.J. Const. art. I, para. 11). To keep someone in, the prosecutor must file a detention motion.

Cases that qualify include first and second degree violent crimes and charges punishable by a life sentence. Graves Act firearm crimes count too. So do many sex crimes, domestic violence, and any crime where the person may run or hurt someone (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-19).

• The hearing comes at the first appearance. If the motion is filed later, the hearing must follow within three working days.
• For good cause, the defense may get up to five extra days; the prosecution may get three.
• The accused gets a lawyer, may cross-examine witnesses, and may present evidence.
• On a murder charge or a life-term crime, the law begins by assuming the person stays in. The defense can still argue against that.
• Detention orders can be appealed, and those appeals are rushed (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-18).

Time limits apply. Someone kept in jail has to be indicted within 90 days, and trial must start within 180 days after that, not counting some delays. There is an overall cap of two years (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-22). Detention motions in this county come from the County Prosecutor's Office, 413 Second Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823, 908-475-6287.

The defense lawyer leads this, and the family's job is to supply the facts a judge cares about. Try this plan:

1. Reach the lawyer, or the public defender's office if one was assigned.
2. Collect proof of a steady address, a job or school, and family who count on the person.
3. Name any treatment program, doctor or counselor ready to help.
4. Offer a plan that eases the judge's worry, such as a set ride to every court date.
5. If the judge ordered detention, ask the lawyer about an appeal, which by law moves quickly.

When a town court set money on a warrant, the lawyer can ask that judge to rethink it. For Superior Court cases, the Criminal Division is in the county courthouse, 413 Second Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823, 908-750-8100, ext. 13130.

The state promises a lawyer to every person facing an indictable charge, whatever their bank balance. The court gives the person the Uniform Defendant Intake form, called the 5A. It covers where they live, their work, income and bills, and whether they need an interpreter. Judges, not the public defender, rule on who qualifies.

• Local office: Office of the Public Defender, 314 Front Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823, 908-475-5183
• Steps to apply: public defender application
• For a detention hearing, a lawyer is named for anyone unable to pay.

Town court works another way. There, a municipal public defender can be appointed if a conviction could bring jail time, a lost driver's license or over $800 in penalties, and the person's income is low. The court can charge up to $200 to apply, and the judge may cut or drop that charge.

Serious charges are heard in Superior Court at the county courthouse, 413 Second Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823, 908-750-8100. Its court region, called a vicinage, joins Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren. Lesser cases go to a municipal court:

• Phillipsburg and Alpha: 1001 East Boulevard, Alpha, NJ 08865, 908-454-3211
• Pohatcong (plus Greenwich and Lopatcong): 50 Municipal Drive, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865, 908-454-6121, ext. 325
• Shared court in Port Murray (Mansfield, Oxford, Washington Borough and Washington Township): 100 Port Murray Road, Port Murray, NJ 07865, 908-689-7066
• North Warren court (Hope, Hardwick and White): 407 County Route 611, Hope, NJ 07844, 908-459-5800
• Belvidere court (plus Franklin, Frelinghuysen, Harmony and Liberty): 908-475-5331, ext. 8
• Hackettstown: 908-852-0688
• Independence: 908-637-4124
• Allamuchy (plus Knowlton): 908-852-6667
• Blairstown: 973-948-4045

Federal charges are filed in Trenton, at 402 East State Street, Room 2020, Trenton, NJ 08608, 609-989-2065. Before you go, call the court with the case to confirm the room and time.

Bail works like a deposit, not a fine. When the case closes with no missed court dates, the bail is released. Cash goes back to whoever posted it, so the name on the receipt counts. Save that receipt and bring photo ID.

• If a date is missed, the judge may declare a forfeiture, so the court keeps the bail.
• The judge will often sign a bench warrant at the same time.
• When a bail agent wrote a bond, the agent may go after whoever co-signed.
• Money posted in a town court is refunded by that town court.

For a Superior Court refund, call Finance at 908-750-8100, ext. 13070. The office is in the courthouse at 413 Second Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823.

Any cash a person has at booking is put in a personal account, since inmates can't hold money or valuables. The county charges each new arrival a $50.00 booking fee. After that, half of every deposit goes toward any booking fee still owed, or toward medical costs from the stay.

• Phone the Correctional Center at 908-475-7900 first.
• Ask how the balance left in the account is paid out at release.
• Ask when you can collect belongings, and whether the person must sign a note that names you.
• Bring photo ID to 175 County Route 519 South, Belvidere, NJ 07823-1950.

Our inmate money guide goes deeper on deposits and account fees.

Federal cases from here belong to the Trenton office of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, 402 East State Street, Room 2020, Trenton, NJ 08608, 609-989-2065. The clerk works weekdays, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

1. The first stop is a magistrate judge, either the arrest day or the next.
2. A detention hearing takes place at that first visit to court. The prosecutor can get up to three days to prepare, and the defense up to five (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)).
3. Before the hearing, U.S. Pretrial Services looks into the person's history for the judge. Its Trenton office is at 402 East State Street, Room 100, Trenton, NJ 08608, 609-989-2056.
4. A person held for trial stays with the U.S. Marshals Service, 402 East State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608, 609-989-2069. The Marshals place people in jails that accept federal prisoners. One is the Federal Detention Center, 700 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 215-521-4000. Ask the Marshals which one.
5. After a sentence, track the person on the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

No. Even after a state release, an immigration hold stays in force. Here are the federal steps:

1. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodges a detainer, Form I-247A,. The form asks staff to hang on to the person for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
2. ICE officers arrive and take the person into federal custody.
3. For New Jersey, that custody runs through the Newark Field Office, 970 Broad St., 11th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102, 973-776-3274. Many detainees go to the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, 625 Evans Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201, 908-282-5700.
4. Look the person up on the ICE Online Detainee Locator with the A-number. If that number is unknown, try the name along with the birth country.

New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive (AG Directive 2018-6 v2.0) sets limits for county jails. A detainer alone can't keep someone past release time. There are three exceptions. One is a violent or serious offense, whether it is a current charge or an old conviction. Another is a non-violent indictable conviction within the last five years. The third is a final deportation order, signed by a federal judge and lodged at the jail. Any such hold still runs out at 11:59 pm on the release day. Each time ICE makes a request, staff must explain it to the person in writing, in their own language, and hand over every page ICE supplied. An ICE interview needs the person's signed consent.

State prison time for an indictable crime is served under the New Jersey Department of Corrections. Shorter sentences, like up to six months on a disorderly persons charge, are usually done in the county jail. Some people serve weekends through the jail's County Labor Assistance Program and live at home during the week.

• After sentencing, the wait for state transport happens in the county jail.
• At a state reception center, the person gets medical, mental health and drug checks. A classification score then decides the security level and which prison fits.
• Use the state's incarcerated person search to follow the move.
• Our New Jersey state prisons page has a profile of each prison.
• For parole, contact the State Parole Board, P.O. Box 862, Trenton, NJ 08625, 609-292-4257.

No one under 18 is held in the adult jail. Detention for local youths happens at the Morris County Juvenile Detention Center, 460 West Hanover Avenue, Morris Township, NJ 07960, 973-285-2959. It takes youths from four counties under shared service deals.

• Youth cases belong to the Family Part, a branch of Superior Court.
• Prosecutors may seek adult court only for a youth aged 15 or older facing one of the very serious crimes named in the law. A judge holds a hearing first.
• While that is decided, the youth stays in juvenile detention, not with adults, unless a judge finds good cause.
• Parents may have to pay for the youth's lawyer.

For court dates, call the juvenile unit at the courthouse, 413 Second Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823, 908-750-8100, ext. 13470. The Office of the Public Defender's county office is at 314 Front Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823, 908-475-5183.