Schenectady County Correctional Facility

At the arraignment, a judge chooses whether the person goes home. That hearing is the first time the person faces the court. New York arrests usually reach that step in roughly a day. Each person gets a decision of their own, and the judge must state why, either aloud on the record or on paper (CPL 510.10(1)).

Which courtroom hears it hangs on the arrest location:

• Inside city limits: the criminal part of City Court, 531 Liberty Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-453-6989 (choose 4).
• Out in a town or in the Village of Scotia: the local justice court for that place.
• Felonies: they open in one of those local courts, then climb to County Court, 612 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-285-8401, once a grand jury indicts.

Plenty of people skip the cell entirely. On lower charges, officers normally write a desk appearance ticket, a slip naming a future court day, and the person heads home from the station (CPL 150.20). If the arrest came late in the evening or on a weekend, phone the jail at 518-388-4300 and ask when court will next sit.

The judge's ruling has a formal name, a "securing order" (CPL 500.10). It always lands on one of these:

• Recognizance. A signed pledge to come back. No dollars change hands.
• Non-money conditions. Freedom with strings, such as program check-ins or a stay-away order. None of that cost can be billed to the defendant (CPL 500.10(3-a)).
• Bail. Cash or a bond held until the case wraps up. Permitted only on qualifying offenses.
• Remand. Staying in custody with no way to buy release. Permitted only on qualifying felonies (CPL 510.10(4)).

Whenever bail gets set, the judge must list three or more forms it may take. At least one must be a partially secured bond, needing a deposit of 10% or less, or an unsecured bond, needing no deposit, just a promise to pay the full sum if court is missed (CPL 520.10).

The county's Department of Probation adds one more path, Release Under Supervision. A probation officer watches the person until the case is done. Reach Probation at 388 Broadway, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-388-4330. Electronic monitoring is the final fallback, ordered only if nothing gentler fits and capped at 60-day stretches (CPL 510.40(4)).

No chart of prices exists in New York. A judge sets each figure by hand and has to consider whether the person could pay it without undue hardship (CPL 510.10(1)). Here is roughly how charges sort:

1. Violations and traffic tickets: zero bail, since these aren't crimes.
2. Typical misdemeanors: release is mandatory, by promise or with rules (CPL 530.20(1)(a)).
3. Typical nonviolent felonies: also mandatory release, unless that charge appears on the qualifying list.
4. Violent felonies: bail may be set, for instance on first-degree robbery or second-degree assault.
5. Family harm: choking a household member, or defying a family order of protection, can bring bail.
6. Repeat trouble: a felony while on probation, or certain fresh charges while free on an older case, can bring bail.
7. Class A felonies such as murder: local city, town and village judges have no power to free the person. County Court takes that question (CPL 530.20(2)).

Statewide figures show money bail has become uncommon. During 2024, town and village judges beyond New York City set bail at 13% of arraignments, while 75% of people walked out on their own word. Outside the five boroughs, city and district court judges set bail 20% of the time, per the Division of Criminal Justice Services. To learn the figure in one particular case, dial 518-388-4300, option 4.

The Sheriff's Corrections division accepts bail at 320 Veeder Avenue, Schenectady, NY 12307. In person, work through this list:

1. Phone 518-388-4300 and pick option 4.
2. Spell the defendant's name and share the birth date. Jot down the amount, the name of the court and the judge.
3. Find out what time today the desk can process your money.
4. Carry a photo ID and your payment: bills, a credit card or a certified check from a bank.
5. Fill out and sign the bail paperwork. Hang on to your receipt. By law, release must follow promptly once proof of payment is in (CPL 520.15).

Paying from a phone or computer works too, through GovPayNet, the company the Sheriff's Office links for remote cash bail. Enter Pay Location Code 7065. Expect a 7% charge on top. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and debit cards all go through. You'll need the defendant's name and birth date, the court, the judge and the precise amount. After the county confirms the money landed, jail staff handle the release and the defendant signs a bail receipt. Trouble with the website? Ring 877-392-2455 (1-877-EZBAIL5).

Under CPL 520.15, cash bail may be handed to the court that fixed it or to the sheriff with custody. Police stations aren't among the places named. Each option, one by one:

• County jail: 320 Veeder Avenue, Schenectady, NY 12307, 518-388-4300, option 4. Takes cash, certified bank checks and credit cards. Most families go this route.
• Supreme and County Court: 612 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-285-8401, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone ahead to learn if the clerk can accept it and in which form.
• City Court criminal part: 531 Liberty Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-453-6989, option 4. Ring before heading over with those same questions.
• Town or village justice court: office hours differ, and some are open only a few days each week. Phone whichever one set the bail before making the drive.

At every stop, have photo ID ready and save each receipt.

Three kinds of bail payment are accepted at the jail: cash, certified bank checks and credit cards. Cash goes smoothest in the exact amount. Thinking of a money order or a personal check? Clear it with staff first.

Card bail comes with a catch. The jail writes the receipt in the defendant's name, and whatever was charged, less the fee, legally becomes the defendant's money. Once the case ends, the defendant alone can pick up the refund. So a relative who used their own card must recover it from the defendant.

• Web payments: GovPayNet cash bail page, 7% added, credit or debit.
• Lobby kiosk: built for commissary deposits, so it can't post bail.
• Postal mail: cash should never go in an envelope.

Bail payment questions go to 518-388-4300, option 4.

A bondsman, or bail agent, guarantees the full bail to the court in exchange for a fee known as the premium. Licenses are issued by New York's Department of Financial Services (DFS). Premiums have a legal ceiling (Insurance Law § 6804):

• 10% on the first $3,000
• 8% on the slice from $3,000 to $10,000
• 6% on every dollar past $10,000

Run the math on a $5,000 bond and the top legal fee comes to $460. More protections:

• Agents usually keep the premium. Yet DFS says the whole premium can come back within 14 days if the defendant stays jailed, or ends up released with no money bail.
• Extra charges past the premium are off limits, apart from a short list of real costs.
• DFS calls collateral of about 10% of the bond reasonable. Agents owe it back within 45 days of receiving exoneration papers.
• Insist on signed receipts showing every premium and collateral payment.

Check that an agent is licensed using the DFS bail agent search. Complaints go through the DFS complaint page. Nonprofit charitable bail groups may post cash bail as well.

Each bail answers for one case only. These can still keep someone in:

• An outside warrant: another court or county may want the person, and that has to be settled separately.
• A second open charge: every case carries its own securing order.
• A probation problem: an alleged violation can bring a hold. Probation sits at 388 Broadway, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-388-4330.
• State parole: a parole officer may request detention.
• Federal charges: the U.S. Marshals choose where federal prisoners stay.
• Immigration: New York law tightly limits what local jails may do with ICE requests.

Prior to paying, call 518-388-4300, option 5 for records, and have staff list any holds on file.

Holding a person with no bail, called remand, is open to judges here only on a qualifying felony (CPL 510.10(4)). Other qualifying offenses allow bail but never remand. Anything outside the list means release.

The judge weighs many things (CPL 510.10(1)). These include the charge, past crimes and any missed court dates. Money, broken protection orders, guns and serious harm to a victim count too. Local city, town and village judges lack power to release anyone accused of a class A felony, or anyone carrying two past felony convictions. County Court rules on those (CPL 530.20(2)).

A deadline also applies. Someone jailed on a felony complaint must be let out after 120 hours unless a preliminary hearing has begun or grand jurors have voted. Add a weekend or holiday and the limit becomes 144 hours (CPL 180.80).

Prosecutors seeking bail or remand work for the District Attorney, Judicial Building, 612 State Street, 3rd Floor, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-388-4364.

Yes, and the defense lawyer drives the process:

1. Request that the lawyer bring it up at the next appearance.
2. When a local city, town or village judge fixed the amount, a County Court judge may look at it once, and just once (CPL 530.30).
3. Collect papers showing work, housing, family and a realistic budget.
4. Raise whether supervised release through Probation would ease the judge's worries.

Speedy trial rules also matter. A jailed defendant must be freed if prosecutors aren't trial-ready within 90 days on a felony, or 30 days on most misdemeanors (CPL 30.30(2)). County Court is at 612 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-285-8401.

No money for a lawyer? One is given free. State rules want that lawyer at the arraignment (Executive Law § 832(4)). Three county offices split the work:

• Public Defender: 409 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-386-2266. Covers local criminal court, County Court and Family Court. A Family Court unit works from the 4th floor of 620 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305.
• Conflict Defender: 608 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-388-4782. Takes cases the Public Defender can't, for example when it already speaks for a co-defendant.
• Assigned Counsel Office: County Office Building, 620 State Street, 2nd Floor, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-388-4230. Hands cases to private lawyers when both offices are conflicted out.

Whether someone qualifies is up to the judge. State standards lean toward yes when a household earns less than 250% of the poverty guideline, or when the person is behind bars. A husband's or wife's pay isn't counted.

All local courts, plus the federal courthouse in Albany:

• Supreme and County Court (indicted felonies), 612 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-285-8401, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Family Court (young people), County Office Building, 620 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-285-8435.
• City Court criminal part, 531 Liberty Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-453-6989, option 4. Traffic and civil matters go to 105 Jay Street, Schenectady, NY 12305 (option 3 for traffic).
• Duanesburg Town Court, 5853 Western Turnpike, Duanesburg, NY 12056, 518-895-8922.
• Glenville Town Court, 18 Glenridge Road, Glenville, NY 12302, 518-688-1200, extension 4.
• Niskayuna Town Court, 1 Niskayuna Circle, Niskayuna, NY 12309, 518-386-4560.
• Princetown Town Court, 165 Princetown Plaza, Schenectady, NY 12306, 518-357-4047.
• Rotterdam Town Court, 101 Princetown Road, Rotterdam, NY 12306, 518-355-7911.
• Scotia Village Court, 4 N. Ten Broeck Street, 2nd floor, Scotia, NY 12302, 518-374-2099.
• U.S. District Court (federal charges), James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse, 445 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207, 518-257-1789.

Every state court on this list belongs to New York's 4th Judicial District.

Cash bail belongs to the person who put it up, unless a court forfeits it (CPL 520.15). Repayment normally follows the end of the case. After a guilty plea or verdict, the county holds back 3% as its fee. If the charges are dropped or the person is acquitted, nothing is held back (General Municipal Law § 99-m).

This jail treats card bail its own way: since the receipt carries the defendant's name, the refund can go only to the defendant.

Skipping court with no good excuse can cost the bail, a step called forfeiture (CPL 540.10). A judge may reverse it if the person returns and explains before the final court date. Otherwise the county can use the cash 45 days after mailing a notice to whoever paid it. Asking for forfeited money back requires an application to a superior court within one year (CPL 540.30).

Guard the original receipt. Questions about how a refund check gets mailed go to the court handling the case, for example County Court at 518-285-8401.

Right before release, check with staff on the person's property and any balance left in their account. The jail sits at 320 Veeder Avenue, Schenectady, NY 12307. Dial 518-388-4300, option 5 for records, to learn pickup times and how unused funds are returned.

Show photo ID at the window. Collecting for someone else? Ask whether written permission from them is required. The main lobby keeps hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. For deposits and spending, see our pages on account funds and the commissary.

Federal charges from this area belong to the Albany Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Judges there sit in a federal building named for James T. Foley: James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse, 445 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207, 518-257-1789. Clerk hours run 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Lawyers argue release or detention as soon as the person first appears. A brief delay is allowed if asked for. Defense lawyers can win up to five extra days that way, and prosecutors up to three (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• The judge considers the offense, the strength of proof, roots in the community, past record and any risk to the public.
• While a federal case waits for trial, a defendant who stays jailed sits in custody of a federal police agency, the U.S. Marshals Service. Albany office: 445 Broadway, 2nd Floor, Albany, NY 12207, 518-472-5401. Phone them to learn which jail has the person.
• Pretrial Services advises the judge on release. Albany office: 445 Broadway, Room 347, Albany, NY 12207, 518-257-1700.
• Those who can't pay for a federal lawyer can turn to the Federal Public Defender, 54 State Street, Suite 310, Albany, NY 12207, 518-436-1850.

Once a federal prison term begins, search the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Bail takes care of the state charge only. Immigration runs on its own federal track, and a detainer follows these steps:

1. Veeder Avenue staff receive a Form I-247A detainer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This paper is a written request that the jail hold the person.
2. That request covers up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. ICE agents arrive to take the person into federal custody.
4. From there, people may be moved to the Buffalo (Batavia) Service Processing Center, 4250 Federal Drive, Batavia, NY 14020, 585-344-6500, or to a center in another state.
5. Track the person's location through the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

State rules reshape this locally. Back in 2018, the Appellate Division's Second Department decided People ex rel. Wells v DeMarco. It found that state law gives county and city officers no power to arrest anyone for a civil immigration matter. New York's top lawyer, the Attorney General, has urged jails to follow a detainer only when a judge-signed warrant comes with it. On August 25, 2026, Executive Law § 170-k made all 287(g) deals with ICE void. Civil Rights Law § 28 adds one more shield. Anyone coming to court for a case, sitting in the courthouse or leaving it is safe from civil arrest, unless a judge issued a warrant or order.

Misdemeanor time is done in the county jail, never longer than 364 days (Penal Law § 70.15). Felony terms over one year are handed to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, known as DOCCS.

Following sentencing, the county tells DOCCS the person is "state ready." DOCCS then must accept them within ten business days. Their first state stop is a reception center, which handles medical exams, security scoring and the assignment of a DIN, the prison ID number. Afterward comes a transfer to whichever prison suits them.

• Locate them using the DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup, by DIN or surname plus birth year.
• Reach DOCCS by phone at 518-457-5000 on weekdays during office hours.
• Our New York state prisons guide describes every state lockup.

Raise the Age pulled most young people out of adult criminal court. When a 16- or 17-year-old faces a felony, the case opens in a superior court branch called the Youth Part. Most nonviolent cases there get sent on to Family Court inside 30 days (CPL 722.23). A teen picked up on a misdemeanor is sent to probation intake.

• Police have to reach a parent immediately once a child is in custody (Family Court Act § 305.2).
• A child who stays locked up must be brought to Family Court quickly. The deadline is 72 hours. If Family Court opens sooner than that, the hearing happens that day (Family Court Act § 307.3).
• Teens charged as adolescent offenders can't be housed in a jail for adults. This county uses the Capital District Juvenile Secure Detention Facility.

Family Court is inside the County Office Building, 620 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-285-8435. Juvenile intake for Probation operates out of 388 Broadway, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-386-2271, on business days from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Intake staff can say where a young person is being held.

New York ranks offenses into three tiers. Felonies sit at the top: they can lead to state prison and are graded A (worst) through E. Misdemeanors are the middle tier, graded A or B, and the longest local jail term for one is 364 days (Penal Law § 70.15). Violations, at the bottom, are not crimes, and 15 days is the most jail a judge can give.

• Misdemeanors and violations are handled start to finish in local courts. In this county that means City Court or a town or village court.
• Felonies start in those same local courts for arraignment and a possible preliminary hearing. After a grand jury indictment, the case moves to County Court. County Court is the only place in the county where felony trials are held.
• Youth cases go to Family Court or to the Youth Part, depending on age and charge.

These state courts belong to New York's 4th Judicial District. A federal crime is a different matter and goes to the U.S. courthouse in Albany.

The county-level courts share a stretch of State Street downtown:

• Supreme and County Court (indicted felonies), 612 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-285-8401. Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The court email is SchenectadySupremeCo@nycourts.gov. Its drug treatment court shares the building.
• Family Court (youth and family cases), County Office Building, 620 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-285-8435.
• City Court, criminal part, 531 Liberty Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-453-6989. Press 4 for criminal matters.
• City Court, civil and traffic part, 105 Jay Street, Schenectady, NY 12305. Use the same number and press 3 for traffic or 5 for civil.

For help with a disability at the county-level courts, call the court access line at 518-285-5099. Town and village courts are listed in their own answer on this page.

Yes. Each of the five towns has a justice court, and so does the Village of Scotia. These local courts take misdemeanors, violations and traffic tickets, plus the first steps of felony cases. Several hold court only one or two evenings a week, so call before you go.

• Duanesburg Town Court, 5853 Western Turnpike, Duanesburg, NY 12056, 518-895-8922. Office open Monday and Wednesday 1 to 4 p.m., Tuesday noon to 4 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Glenville Town Court, Glenville Municipal Center, 18 Glenridge Road, Glenville, NY 12302, 518-688-1200, extension 4. Office open weekdays 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Niskayuna Town Court, 1 Niskayuna Circle, Niskayuna, NY 12309, 518-386-4560. Criminal court Wednesdays at 5 p.m., traffic Wednesdays at 3 p.m.
• Princetown Town Court, 165 Princetown Plaza, Schenectady, NY 12306, 518-357-4047. Criminal court on the first and third Wednesday.
• Rotterdam Town Court, 101 Princetown Road, Rotterdam, NY 12306, 518-355-7911. Court nights Monday and Thursday from 4:30 p.m.
• Scotia Village Court, 4 N. Ten Broeck Street, Scotia, NY 12302, 518-374-2099, up on the second floor. Court on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.

The Village of Delanson lies inside the Town of Duanesburg. For a case from Delanson, call the Duanesburg court to learn where it will be heard.

That first hearing is the arraignment. Statewide, it usually takes place within about 24 hours of an arrest. Here is what to expect:

1. The person learns the exact charges, usually on paper.
2. Defense counsel is there. For someone who can't pay, the court names the Public Defender or another no-cost lawyer.
3. Release gets decided. Choices are a promise to return, release with conditions, bail or, only for the gravest charges, jail with no bail.
4. Family abuse charges can bring a temporary order of protection right away. That order tells the accused to stay away from the other person (CPL 530.12).
5. The judge sets the next court date.

Felony complaints come with a timer. Unless a preliminary hearing starts or a grand jury acts within 120 hours, a jailed defendant must be freed; a weekend or holiday pushes that to 144 hours (CPL 180.80). The accused may also send the DA written notice and tell their side to the grand jury (CPL 190.50). After a nighttime or weekend arrest, call the jail at 518-388-4300 to learn when and where court will be held.

Shoplifting, a first drunk driving arrest and many fights end up as misdemeanor charges in City Court or a town court. Many start with a desk appearance ticket instead of a night in jail. The case usually goes like this:

1. Arraignment, where the person pleads guilty or not guilty.
2. Discovery, when the DA hands the defense its evidence. A jailed defendant should get it within 20 days of arraignment; a free one within 35 (CPL 245.10).
3. Talks between the lawyers, which often end in a plea to a lesser charge.
4. A trial, when talks fail. For class A misdemeanors, prosecutors get 90 days to announce they're ready (CPL 30.30).
5. Sentencing.

Sentences are capped. Class A misdemeanors top out at 364 days behind bars plus a $1,000 fine. Class B misdemeanors stop at three months and $500. Probation can last two or three years for a class A, or one year for a class B. A judge may also give a conditional discharge, meaning no jail if the person follows set rules for a year (Penal Law § 65.05).

New York's Clean Slate Act seals most misdemeanor convictions automatically three years after release or sentencing (CPL 160.57).

Felony cases climb from a local court to County Court in steps:

1. Felony complaint and arraignment in City Court or a town or village court.
2. Preliminary hearing or grand jury. Grand jurors hear the DA's evidence in private and vote on an indictment.
3. Arraignment on the indictment at County Court, 612 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-285-8401.
4. Discovery and motions. The DA gets six months to be ready for trial (CPL 30.30).
5. Plea or trial, then sentencing.

Class A felonies can bring life in prison. Below that, maximums step down to 25 years (B), 15 (C), 7 (D) and 4 (E) under Penal Law § 70.00. Fines reach $5,000 or twice the gain from the crime, whichever is more. Where a long term would be unduly harsh on a class D or E felony, the judge can opt for 12 months or less in county jail.

Some people whose crimes grew out of drug addiction can enter treatment instead of prison through judicial diversion (CPL Article 216). The county's drug treatment court meets in the County Court building.

Yes. New York keeps a list of "violent felony offenses" in Penal Law § 70.02, and they are handled more strictly in three ways:

• Fixed prison terms. Instead of a range like "two to six years," the judge picks one set number. A violent class B felony draws somewhere from 5 to 25 years; it is 3.5 to 15 for class C, 2 to 7 for class D, and 1.5 to 4 for class E.
• Supervision afterward. Every fixed term is followed by post-release supervision, a stretch of time being watched in the community (Penal Law § 70.45).
• Bail and remand. These charges all appear in the qualifying offense list. A judge facing one may set bail or order remand (CPL 510.10(4)).

Robbery and burglary in the first degree are class B examples. Robbery in the second degree and second-degree gun possession are class C. Second-degree assault falls in class D. Final orders of protection in felony cases can last up to eight years past the sentence (CPL 530.12).

The District Attorney's office charges and tries every state criminal case in the county:

• District Attorney, Judicial Building, 612 State Street, 3rd Floor, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-388-4364.

Three county offices defend people who lack money for a private lawyer. A judge assigns one, most often at arraignment:

• Public Defender, 409 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-386-2266. Its Family Court unit is on the 4th floor of 620 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305.
• Conflict Defender, 608 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-388-4782. Takes over when the Public Defender can't, for example because it already represents another person in the case.
• Assigned Counsel Office, 620 State Street, 2nd Floor, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-388-4230. Finds a private lawyer, paid by the county, when both offices have conflicts.

State eligibility standards presume that someone sitting in jail qualifies for free counsel.

The state's case search is WebCrims. It covers selected courts, mainly in New York City, Long Island and some downstate counties, plus around 60 city courts. Results show only pending matters with an upcoming appearance. It leaves out finished, sealed and youthful offender matters.

The surest way to get a date here is to call the court:

• County Court (felonies after indictment): 518-285-8401, 612 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305.
• City Court criminal part: 518-453-6989, option 4, 531 Liberty Street, Schenectady, NY 12305.
• A town or village case: call that local court. Each one's address and phone appears in the answer about town courts on this page.

Before dialing, write down the defendant's full name and birthday. The defense lawyer also gets every date and can tell the family. The state's court locator lists hours for any court.

Sheriff's deputies and town or city officers carry out warrants in this county. The Sheriff's non-emergency number, 518-630-0911, can tell you if one is active. People wanted statewide are posted on the New York State Police Wanted and Missing page. Clerks at each courthouse can check too, over the phone or in person. After a missed date, the court normally allows 48 hours' notice so the person can come in first (CPL 510.50). Getting rid of a warrant means going back to the court that issued it, ideally with a lawyer at your side, or calling that court to set a fresh date. County Court issues the felony ones, 612 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-285-8401.

A federal charge skips the county courts. Cases from here are heard in the Albany Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. That court's building is the James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse, 445 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207, 518-257-1789.

• Pretrial release is argued on day one, before a federal judge (18 U.S.C. 3142). The offense, the evidence, the defendant's background and public safety all go into the ruling.
• Anyone held is in the custody of the Marshals. Their Albany office is at 445 Broadway, 2nd Floor, Albany, NY 12207, 518-472-5401.
• The Federal Public Defender, for those who can't pay a lawyer, is at 54 State Street, Suite 310, Albany, NY 12207, 518-436-1850.
• More than 9 in 10 federal cases end in a guilty plea, not a trial.

Court papers can be read on PACER, which bills 10 cents per page. After sentencing, search the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

A detainer doesn't end the state case, but it can affect what happens on the day of release. The usual order:

1. ICE delivers Form I-247A to the jail, naming the person immigration officers want.
2. It requests custody for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. If ICE comes, its officers take the person into federal custody.
4. Detainees may be taken to ICE's Buffalo (Batavia) Service Processing Center, 4250 Federal Drive, Batavia, NY 14020, 585-344-6500. Others are sent out of state. ICE's Buffalo Field Office is at 130 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202, 716-843-7600.
5. Look the person up on the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

New York sets real limits on local help with civil immigration cases. In 2018, People ex rel. Wells v DeMarco settled that state law doesn't let county or city police arrest anyone on a civil immigration basis. Executive Law § 170-k, enacted May 27, 2026, put an end to every 287(g) agreement and forbids deals to jail people only for civil immigration reasons. Civil Rights Law § 28 bars civil arrests of people traveling to a courthouse, inside it or leaving, absent a judge's signed warrant or order. If a detainer shows up, let the defense attorney know at once.

Jail sentences of a year or less are served in the county jail on Veeder Avenue. Longer felony sentences go to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS).

Once the county reports a person as ready to transfer, the state must collect them inside ten business days. A reception stop comes first, for medical and dental exams, a security level and a prison number called a DIN. After that, DOCCS assigns a regular prison suited to the person.

• Use the DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup. A DIN works best, though an exact last name with birth year also finds people.
• Phone DOCCS at 518-457-5000 during business hours for help finding someone.
• Our New York prisons page profiles the state's lockups.

Age decides the court. Under New York's Raise the Age law:

• Ages 12 to 17, acts that would be crimes for adults: usually juvenile delinquency cases in Family Court (Family Court Act § 301.2).
• Ages 13 to 15, the gravest crimes such as murder: "juvenile offender" cases, which begin before a Youth Part judge.
• Ages 16 and 17, felonies: "adolescent offender" cases in the Youth Part. Most nonviolent ones move to Family Court within 30 days (CPL 722.23).
• Ages 16 and 17, misdemeanors: sent to probation intake.

Teens aren't locked up with adults. When a locked youth center is needed, this county relies on the Capital District Juvenile Secure Detention Facility takes youth from this county. A parent has to be notified right away, and a detained youth gets to court within 72 hours. Family Court is at 620 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-285-8435. Probation's juvenile intake, 388 Broadway, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-386-2271, can say where a youth is held. Young people aged 16 to 18 found guilty in adult court can sometimes receive a youthful offender finding in place of a criminal conviction (CPL 720.10).

Start with the District Attorney's Victim Advocacy line, 518-388-4787. Advocates work out of the DA's office, 612 State Street, 3rd Floor, Schenectady, NY 12305. Call them with questions about the case. Cases with child victims may involve the DA's Child Advocacy Center, 388 Broadway, Schenectady, NY 12305, 518-388-4615.

• Money for losses: the state Office of Victim Services repays innocent victims for out-of-pocket costs like medical care, counseling and burial. Call 800-247-8035.
• Release alerts: register with VINE at 888-846-3469 or on VINELink to get a call or text when custody changes.
• Protection orders: in family cases, criminal court judges can order the accused to stay away (CPL 530.12). Victims may also ask Family Court for one.
• State prison notices: the DOCCS victim notification form signs you up for word on parole hearings and release dates.