Monroe County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

A judge decides, at a hearing called an arraignment. Since March 31, 2025, the county has used one Centralized Arraignment Part, or CAP, for people held after an arrest. It took over first hearings that the 20 town courts, the village courts and City Court used to hold one by one.

• Where: The county's launch notice places the CAP court in the City Public Safety Building downtown. City Court's Criminal Division gives its address as 150 South Plymouth Avenue, Room 123, Rochester, NY 14614, in the Public Safety Building.
• When: Weekdays at 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
• Who is there: A prosecutor and a defense lawyer come to every session. Judges from the local courts take turns on the bench.
• Waiting: People arrested by any police agency wait at the county jail until their CAP session.

Most people see the CAP judge within about a day of arrest, according to state court help pages. Many people never wait at all. On most lower charges, officers are required to write a desk appearance ticket instead of booking the person, who then leaves the station (CPL 150.20). The ticket gives a date to come to court.

The judge's order is called a securing order. It must reasonably assure that the person shows up for every hearing (CPL 510.10(1)). There are four choices:

• Own recognizance (ROR). Released on a promise alone, with no payment.
• Release with conditions. Home, but with rules. The rules might include check-ins with a pretrial officer, a no-contact order, or in certain cases electronic monitoring. The person can't be charged for these (CPL 500.10(3-a)).
• Bail. Cash or a bond, handed back at the end if the person makes all their dates. Judges may use it only for qualifying offenses.
• Remand. Held in jail with no way to pay out. A judge can do this only on a qualifying felony.

If bail is set, the order must list three or more forms the family can choose from. The judge has to include either a partly secured bond or an unsecured bond among them (CPL 520.10). A partly secured bond means you put down 10% or less of the amount. An unsecured bond means you pay nothing now but promise the full sum if the person skips court.

In the county, Pre-Trial Services Corporation runs pretrial release and monitoring for the courts. Its phone is 585-454-7350.

No chart in New York ties a dollar figure to each crime. Each judge sets an amount for the person in front of them, and must think about what that person can pay without real hardship (CPL 510.10(1)). Here is how it usually breaks down:

• Violations and traffic offenses: No bail. These are not crimes.
• Most misdemeanors (petty theft, trespass, first DWI): release on a promise or with conditions, by law.
• Nonviolent felonies (most burglary of a business, most drug sales): usually release, unless a special rule makes it a qualifying offense.
• Family violence: Violating a protective order, or strangling a relative, can bring bail.
• Violent felonies (robbery, serious assault, gun crimes): bail or remand is possible.
• New felony while out on a past charge: bail is possible.
• Class A felonies, or two past felony convictions: a town, village or city judge can't order release or bail at all (CPL 530.20(2)).

State numbers show how often money is asked for. City courts beyond the five boroughs set bail in 20% of their 2024 cases. Town and village courts set it in 13%. A defendant may also request a tiny "nominal" bail by choice, and the judge has to set it (CPL 510.10(5)). To learn what bail was set for your person, phone the jail's bail line at 585-753-4182.

The Sheriff's Office runs a remote bail system. It takes bail set by town and village courts, County Court and Family Court. The Sheriff's own Pay Bail page links three online payment pages through GovPayNow, the service the county names:

• Town or village court bail
• County Court bail
• Family Court bail

Follow these steps:

1. Find the person's MCJ number, which is the jail ID on the roster.
2. Call 585-753-4182 first. Confirm the court, the judge, the case number, the charges and the exact cash amount.
3. Write down their legal name and birthday.
4. Pick the link that matches the court and pay.
5. Save the receipt. The county treats the payment as a transfer to the jail in the person's name.

Know this before you pay. Money sent this way becomes the jailed person's property. The receipt is in their name, and any refund from the court goes to them, not to you. To ask about paying in person at the jail, 130 Plymouth Ave. South, Rochester, NY 14614, call the bail line before you go.

Bail set by City Court is not on the Sheriff's online list, so call first. Under state law, cash bail can be handed to the county treasurer, to the court that set it, or to the sheriff holding the person (CPL 520.15). With proof of payment, the jail has to release the person at once.

• Criminal Division of City Court: 150 South Plymouth Avenue, Room 123, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-371-3413. Open weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• County Court clerk: Hall of Justice, 99 Exchange Boulevard, Room 545, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-371-3758. Open weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Family Court: Hall of Justice, 99 Exchange Boulevard, Room 360, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-371-3544. Open weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For a town or village case, call that court (listed below). Ask if it takes bail at its window, which payments work, and the hours. Police stations here send arrested people downtown, so ask the jail about bail, not the station.

A warning from City Court: it will never call you asking for bail money. Scam calls may look like they come from its number.

Bail comes in three shapes under state law: cash, a bond, or a charge to a credit card (CPL 500.10(9)). The judge's order lists which forms are allowed for that case. So the payment you can use depends on what the judge wrote.

• The online GovPayNow pages take cards for town, village, County and Family Court bail.
• Money put on a jail account through Access Corrections is not bail. It only buys commissary and calls.
• Anyone can post cash bail for someone else (CPL 500.10(10)).

Ask the bail line at 585-753-4182 which payments work in person and who a check or money order goes to. Never mail cash.

Every bail agent here must hold a license from the state Department of Financial Services (DFS). You can check one with the DFS bail agent search.

• Fee caps: The agent's premium can't be more than 10% of the first $3,000, plus 8% of the part between $3,000 and $10,000, plus 6% above that (Insurance Law § 6804). On a $5,000 bond, that tops out at $460.
• No extra fees: Agents can't charge anything beyond the premium, except a few listed costs.
• Refunds: You can claim the full premium back within 14 days if the person stays locked up anyway, or walks out without money bail.
• Collateral: DFS calls 10% of the bond a reasonable amount. The agent has 45 days to give it back after getting the court papers that end the bond.
• Receipts: You are owed signed receipts for every dollar and item.

A charitable bail group, a nonprofit allowed to pay bail in cash, may also help. Report a problem with an agent through the DFS complaint page.

Paying bail clears one case and nothing else. Look for these first:

• A second case. A town charge and a County Court charge each need their own release.
• A warrant from another court or county.
• Parole. A state parole hold can keep the person in, whatever happens with bail.
• Probation. Breaking probation rules may lead to a separate hold. County probation is at 33 North Fitzhugh Street, Suite 2000, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-753-3674.
• A federal or ICE hold. Those two get their own answers further on.
• Setup steps, like fitting an ankle monitor, that must be finished first.

The daily jail census lists bail, bond and holds for each person. You can open the census report, or call the jail at 585-753-4300 and ask what is holding them.

Only when the charge is a qualifying offense. For a qualifying felony, the judge may order remand, which means jail with no way to pay out (CPL 510.10(4)). The reasons have to be given on the record or put in writing (CPL 510.10(1)).

Things the judge weighs include past convictions, past missed court dates, ties to the area, whether the person can pay, gun history, and any broken order of protection. A 2023 budget law gave judges more room to set bail in serious cases and for repeat charges.

Two time limits protect someone held on a felony. If no preliminary hearing or grand jury vote happens within 120 hours, they must be released. That limit is 144 hours if a weekend or holiday falls in it (CPL 180.80). The prosecutor also has to be ready for trial in time, or the person must be let out (CPL 30.30).

Prosecutors who argue for bail or remand work at the District Attorney's Office, 47 South Fitzhugh Street, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-753-4500.

Talk with the defense lawyer first. There are two main paths:

1. Ask the same judge again. At a later date, the lawyer can show new facts. A job, a place to live or proof of what the family can pay all help.
2. Ask a higher judge once. If a town, village or city judge denied release or set bail too high, the lawyer can apply to a County Court or Supreme Court judge. That judge can release the person or lower the bail. Only one such request is allowed (CPL 530.30).

Bring proof to the lawyer, like pay stubs, a lease and names of family who will help. The County Court clerk can be reached at 585-371-3758.

Being locked up counts as a strong sign that a person can't afford a lawyer. Earning less than 250% of the federal poverty guideline does too. Counsel should be given right away at the arraignment, even before the judge finishes checking income. A spouse's pay does not count against the person.

• Public Defender: Executive Office Building, 10 North Fitzhugh Street, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-753-4210. It handles criminal, family and appeal cases in every court in the county.
• Conflict Defender: Reynolds Arcade Building, 16 East Main Street, Suite 600, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-753-3480. It steps in when the Public Defender can't take a case.
• Assigned Counsel Program: 50 West Main Street, Suite 8100, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-753-3430. Its panel lawyers take cases when both offices have a conflict.

The state's Office of Indigent Legal Services sets the rules for who qualifies.

Felonies end up downtown. Lower charges go back to the local court where the arrest happened. Weekday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the main courts.

• County Court and Supreme Court: Hall of Justice, 99 Exchange Boulevard, Room 545, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-371-3758.
• Family Court: Hall of Justice, 99 Exchange Boulevard, Room 360, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-371-3544.
• Criminal Division of City Court: 150 South Plymouth Avenue, Room 123, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-371-3413.
• Federal court: Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building, 100 State Street, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-613-4000.

Town and village courts:

• Brighton: 2300 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618, 585-784-5152
• Chili: 3235 Chili Avenue, Rochester, NY 14624, 585-889-1999
• Clarkson: 3655 Lake Road, Clarkson, NY 14430, 585-637-1134
• East Rochester: 317 Main Street, 3rd Floor, East Rochester, NY 14445, 585-385-2576
• Gates: 1605 Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY 14624, 585-426-0410
• Greece: 4 Vince Tofany Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14612, 585-227-3110
• Hamlin: 1650 Lake Road, Hamlin, NY 14464, 585-964-8641
• Henrietta: 95 Methodist Hill Drive, Suite 800, Rochester, NY 14623, 585-359-2640
• Irondequoit: 1300 Titus Avenue, Rochester, NY 14617, 585-336-6040
• Mendon: 16 West Main Street, Honeoye Falls, NY 14472, 585-624-6064
• Ogden: 269 Ogden Center Road, Spencerport, NY 14559, 585-617-6115
• Parma: 1300 Hilton-Parma Road, Hilton, NY 14468, 585-392-9470
• Penfield: 1985 Baird Road, Penfield, NY 14526, 585-340-8624
• Perinton (also Fairport village cases): 1350 Turk Hill Road, Fairport, NY 14450, 585-223-0770
• Pittsford: 3750 Monroe Ave., Suite 950, Pittsford, NY 14534, 585-248-6238
• Riga: 6460 East Buffalo Road, Churchville, NY 14428, 585-293-3884
• Rush: 5977 East Henrietta Road, Rush, NY 14543, 585-533-1130
• Sweden: 18 State Street, Brockport, NY 14420, 585-637-1070
• Webster: 1000 Ridge Road, Webster, NY 14580, 585-872-7020
• Wheatland: 22 Main Street, Scottsville, NY 14546, 585-889-3074
• Brockport Village: 49 State Street, Brockport, NY 14420, 585-637-1044
• Honeoye Falls Village: 5 East Street, Honeoye Falls, NY 14472, 585-624-1711

The money comes back once the case is over, or earlier if the judge cancels the bail. New York's court help pages say refund checks come from the county, not the court. If the case is dismissed or ends in a not-guilty verdict, the full amount comes back. In other cases the county keeps 3% as a fee (General Municipal Law § 99-m).

Remember the Sheriff's rule for bail paid online. The refund goes to the jailed person, even if a relative paid it.

A missed court date with no good excuse lets the judge order the bail forfeited, meaning lost (CPL 540.10). If the person returns with a good reason before the case wraps up, the judge may cancel the forfeiture. For forfeited cash, the county treasurer must send written notice to whoever posted it.

For refund questions, call the court that had the case, such as the County Court clerk at 585-371-3758.

The Sheriff keeps written rules on stored property, in its property release sheet. The jail has a separate property lobby at 130 Plymouth Ave. South, Rochester, NY 14614.

1. Call 585-753-4300 and ask when property can be picked up.
2. Ask how money left on their jail account will be refunded.
3. If you are collecting for someone, ask whether they have to sign a form letting you take it.
4. Bring a government photo ID.

Our jail money page explains deposits in more detail.

That decision belongs to a federal judge. Federal cases from the area are heard in the Rochester Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. It sits at the Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building, 100 State Street, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-613-4000.

• Detention hearing: This is held at the very first appearance. A short delay is allowed: five days at most if the defense asks, and three if the prosecutor asks (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)).
• Choices: The judge may free the person on their word, free them with rules, or keep them locked up until trial (18 U.S.C. 3142(a)).
• Custody: Federal detainees stay under U.S. Marshals Service control until trial or release. Its office for this district sits at 2 Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202, 716-348-5300. The county jail's census lists some people as federal prisoners.
• Lawyer: The Federal Public Defender is at 28 East Main Street, Suite 400, Rochester, NY 14614, 585-263-6201.

When the federal case ends in prison time, search the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Paying bail on the state case does not cancel an ICE request. Here is how a detainer works:

1. ICE, the federal immigration agency, can lodge Form I-247A, known as a detainer. It requests a hold of up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
2. If ICE takes custody, officers pick the person up from the jail.
3. People held by ICE in western New York often go to the Buffalo (Batavia) Service Processing Center, 4250 Federal Drive, Batavia, NY 14020, 585-344-6500.
4. Find them with the ICE Online Detainee Locator, entering the A-number. Without it, use the name and the country where the person was born.

State law sets limits on what the jail does next. A state appeals court decided People ex rel. Wells v DeMarco in 2018. It found that New York law does not let police or deputies arrest anyone for a civil immigration violation. In 2026, Executive Law § 170-k banned 287(g) agreements, which had deputized local officers for immigration duty. Those deals became void on August 25, 2026. Under Civil Rights Law § 28, someone heading to court, at court or leaving it can't be civilly arrested unless a judge has signed off with a warrant or order.

Felony terms longer than one year are served in state prison. The prison system is run by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). Anyone sentenced to 12 months or less serves that time locally, at the county jail.

After sentencing, the person stays at the county jail while the county finishes the papers that make them ready for state custody. The state then has ten business days to collect them. They first go to a reception center for health checks, testing and a security rating. After that, DOCCS assigns a prison that matches their needs.

• Search the DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup by name or DIN, the state prison number.
• Read our guide to New York state prisons.

Under Raise the Age, 16- and 17-year-olds are not held in the adult jail. Felony cases for these teens start in the Youth Part of the adult court. Many nonviolent felony cases are then moved to Family Court. Teens charged with a misdemeanor go to probation intake instead of adult court.

A teen who is held goes to the Children's Detention Center, run by the county Department of Human Services. It is at 400 Rush Scottsville Road, Rush, NY 14543, 585-753-5940, and it is open around the clock. See its JE facility page.

Bail for a young person held there can be posted at any hour once the paperwork is done. Call the center first to confirm the amount and how to pay.