Schenectady County Correctional Facility Inmate Bail & Bonds
Schenectady County bail and bond: paying at the Veeder Avenue jail
People arrested in Schenectady County are held at the Schenectady County Correctional Facility, 320 Veeder Avenue, Schenectady, phone 518-388-4300. Look up your person with Schenectady County Inmate Search to see whether they are inside, what the charges are and what bail was set. A judge sets the amount at arraignment. Bail can be paid at the jail or online, and the two routes work differently, so read the payment questions below before you send money.
Is my relative inside the Veeder Avenue jail?
Start with Schenectady County Inmate Search. A person arrested minutes ago may take a little while to show up. If the search shows nothing after several hours, call 518-388-4300 and give the full name and date of birth. Sheriff Dominic Dagostino's office runs the jail, so that same number reaches booking.
How do I pay bail online for someone in Schenectady County?
The county uses GovPayNet for remote bail. You enter the defendant's name, date of birth, the court and judge, and the cash bail amount. A 7 percent fee is added to every transaction. Call 518-388-4300 first to get the court, judge and amount. Payment questions go to GovPayNet at 877-392-2455. After the county confirms the transfer, staff process the release and the defendant signs the receipt.
Why is an online bail receipt made out to the defendant?
Remote bail is treated as money sent to the defendant. The receipt carries the defendant's name, and money returned when the case ends can only be collected by the defendant. Before you pay this way, decide whether you are comfortable with the defendant being the person who gets the money back.
Can I pay in person with cash, a certified check or a card?
Yes. Corrections accepts cash, certified bank checks and credit cards, in person or electronically. Take photo ID and the precise sum. A personal check is not on the accepted list. Ask the desk at 518-388-4300 about hours before you drive over, because the lobby kiosk has set hours that differ from bail posting.
What is the difference between bail and a jail account deposit?
Bail frees a person. A deposit only puts money on a commissary account. The lobby kiosk takes deposits with cash, credit or debit, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and charges $3.25 on cash and $4.95 on cards. By phone, deposits go through Access Corrections at 866-345-1884 and need the inmate's full name and Criminal History Number. None of that buys release.
Who sets the amount, and how soon?
A judge decides at arraignment, normally within about 24 hours of arrest. New York has no county price list for bail. The judge looks at the charge, the person's record, past court appearances and what the family can afford. Defense counsel has the right to be present when release terms are considered, so ask for a lawyer at the first appearance.
When will a Schenectady judge refuse to set money bail?
For most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies the judge must release the person, with conditions if needed, and cannot ask for cash. Money bail is open only for the offenses named in CPL 510.10(4), such as violent felonies, charges involving a death and certain family-violence offenses. For those the judge may release, set bail, combine bail with conditions, or hold a qualifying felony defendant in custody.
Which forms of bail can the judge allow?
CPL 520.10 lists nine: cash, an insurance company bail bond, secured, partially secured and unsecured surety or appearance bonds, and a credit card. The judge must allow at least three, and one of them has to be an unsecured or partially secured surety bond. A family that cannot raise the cash form may be able to use one of the others, so ask the clerk or your lawyer which forms are in the order.
How much can a Schenectady bondsman add to the cost?
State law caps the premium: 10 percent of the first $3,000, 8 percent of the next $7,000 and 6 percent above $10,000. On a $5,000 bond the most a bondsman may charge is $460. Demand a signed receipt and a copy of the contract. Complaints go to the state Department of Financial Services at 800-342-3736. A bondsman must hand back the whole premium within two weeks if no release happens.
Where is the Schenectady public defender?
The Schenectady County Public Defender, 409 State Street, answers at 518-386-2266. Ask the judge for assigned counsel at arraignment. Family Court matters and appeals go through the Assigned Counsel Program, which takes an online application on the county website.
Where are the Schenectady courts?
City Court is at 531 Liberty Street. County Court and the Supreme Court sit at 612 State Street, and the County Court office takes calls at 518-285-8429. Which court has your case depends on where the arrest happened and how serious the charge is, so check the paperwork the police handed over.
How many family visits are allowed?
Each person inside is entitled to two visits a week, with up to three visitors at a time, if conduct rules are followed. Schedules can change on a week's notice, so call 518-388-4300 before the trip. Packages must be mailed from a retailer; hand delivery is refused.
Where does a Schenectady teenager's case go?
Sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds charged with serious crimes appear in a court Youth Part. State law bars holding them in a jail that also holds adults. Phone the Public Defender at 518-386-2266 the same day to learn where the young person is held and when the next hearing is.
What happens if the person misses court?
Missing court means the bail is forfeited and a warrant is issued. A person who comes back with a satisfactory excuse may have the forfeiture discharged, and a written request to recover forfeited money must be made within one year. Call a lawyer as soon as a date is missed.
Is a call telling me to feed a jail kiosk real?
No. Scammers pose as the Sheriff's Office, claim a missed grand jury or fines, and tell victims to put cash in the jail lobby kiosk. The real kiosk takes inmate deposits only. Report such calls to 518-388-4310, extension 5112.
Schenectady County contacts for bail questions
- Jail
- Schenectady County Correctional Facility, 320 Veeder Avenue, Schenectady, NY 12307; 518-388-4300
- Custody search
- Schenectady County Inmate Search
- Online bail
- GovPayNet; support 877-392-2455
- Public defender
- 409 State Street, Schenectady; 518-386-2266
- City Court
- 531 Liberty Street, Schenectady
- County Court
- 612 State Street, Schenectady; 518-285-8429
- Sheriff patrol
- 130 Princetown Plaza, Princetown; 518-388-4310
Rules and fees change by court order and agency decision. Ask the jail desk or your lawyer to confirm the details of your own case before any payment is made. Nothing here replaces a lawyer's advice.
Pay an Inmate's Bond Online
Schenectady County Correctional Facility uses a service called allpaid (also known as GovPayNet) for paying an inmate's Bail Bond online for an inmate.
Register with them online or call them at 877-392-2455 for assistance.
To make a payment, you will need the following:
- Court of Jurisdiction
- Payment Amount
- The Pay Location Code (PLC #) if you can get it. Call 518-388-4300 to ask for this.
- Name of Arrestee/Defendant for whom payment is being made
- Arrestee/Defendant's Date of Birth
- Arrestee/Defendant's Booking Number
Schenectady County Correctional Facility
Address:
320 Veeder Avenue
Schenectady, NY 12307
Phone:
518-388-4300
Does Schenectady County have bail?
When is bail set in Schenectady County New York?
Does Schenectady County have bail?
Yes, but the state of New York only applies bail in violent or felony cases. Non-violent and most misdemeanor cases always qualify for release on own recognizance. Tioga County recognizes most types of bonds.
When is bail set in Schenectady County New York?
Bail for lesser offenses is set at the time of booking. If bail is required for felony cases, it will be set by a judge at the first court hearing. This hearing, also called an arraignment, generally takes place on the next available court date excluding weekends and holidays.
How Does Bail Work in Schenectady County?
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Schenectady 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 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.
Bail is usually a significant enough amount of money and/or condition that the person will be negatively impacted and has incentive to return to court and not flee. A flight risk usually means that the person would flee the area, and not necessary that they are going to take an airplane.
If a judge in Schenectady County feels that the arrested will return to court for further proceedings, the arrested could be released under a conditional release without needing to pay bail money. This is called Released on Own Recognizance, or ROR.
Conditions for ROR might be to obey all court orders and laws, maintain contact with the lawyer, report changes in residence or have no contact with the victim. Family support will show the court that there are people who will make sure that the defendant makes it to court.
If the judge or bail schedule determines that the defendant would be a danger to the public if they were released, bail can be denied, and the person will be detained in the Schenectady County Correctional Facility until the case is resolved or goes to trial.
Bail can be denied if the defendant did not comply with bail conditions from a previous arrest. Bail is usually denied in cases of violent offenses.
What is the difference between Bail and Bond?
Bail and bond are used interchangeably to mean the same thing but technically, they are different. The bail is the amount to be paid and a bond is a signed document promising payment of the bail amount with certain conditions. Think of a bond as a loan to pay for the bail.
The bond payment is always written to the court in your municipality, Schenectady County or district directly and does not go through the defendant. Chances of obtaining a bond from a bond company or clerk of court are better if family is involved.
The thought of being in jail can cause the arrested to panic and try to secure a bond immediately.
DO NOT panic and take the time to understand all the options.
More courts are now trying to work with defendants to make bail work and might provide non-monetary options or even reduce the bail.
Payments to a bond company are not refundable. It is a long process to get back property title or money that was given to the clerk of court or bondsperson to secure the bond. This could put your loved ones into a difficult financial situation.
Another reason not to unnecessarily rush into securing a bond is that if the court notes that you came up with the money to pay a bond company, they may assume you have resources to pay a defense attorney and decline public defense.
On the other hand, as anyone who has ever been involved in their criminal defense understands, fighting your case while ‘out on the streets’ gives you a much better chance of either winning, or getting a more favorable sentence.
What are the different types of bonds in Schenectady County?
Based on a review of information from the arrest, the judge or bail officer will determine and notify the accused of which types of bonds are available to them.
To describe the types of bonds, let’s use an example of buying your neighbor’s car. Your neighbor decides the price of the car and how they would be paid.
Similarly, the court (meaning a police or bail officer, clerk of court, bail magistrate or judge) determines the bail amount and how it would be paid.
Here are different options that the seller of the car or the court might consider:
You could pay full asking price for the car in cash. This is similar to paying cash bail. The full amount of bail would be paid to the town or county clerk or at the jail. Cash, cashier’s checks and credit cards are usually accepted.
You could sign an agreement on your own or with another person to pay for the car at a future date knowing that your neighbor would know where to find you if you stopped payment. This would be similar to a cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond which are bonds to where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible for making sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up.
Surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
You can put a deposit down for your neighbor’s car and sign an agreement that the car will be paid off at a later date. Cash percentage in lieu of bonds is when the defendant pays a percentage of the bail amount, usually 10%, to the court which then holds the money until the case is over.
The amount is returned to the person who paid the 10% after the case is over. In most cases, the full amount is not returned if there are court fees or fines due. This is a type of surety bond if another person signs the bond paperwork.
You could sign an agreement that if the car were not paid off, that your neighbor would get your house or something of value.
A property bond is a bond that the courts might consider in which the bond is pledged in land or home real estate (mobile homes are not accepted).
Usually, the property must be in the same state as the courts, and it must be worth at least 1 ½ - 2 times the amount of the bond.
There are multiple court fees involved to execute a property bond with the courts and a tedious process to get the property deed back. This is another type of surety bond if another person or a bond company is used to secure the bond.
You could also go to a local bank and take out a car loan offering property or anything of value for collateral. You may get someone to co-sign on the loan and offer their property. The ban charges fees, interest and could keep your property if you did not pay the loan back, or even on time.
A professional bondsperson makes money, at least 10% of the bond amount by providing you with a “loan” called a bond. The percent that they charge is fixed by the state and cannot be negotiated. The defendant or surety does not get that 10% or more back even if the terms of the bail are met.
With a property bond, the property deed would need to be signed over to the bondsperson and everyone on the deed would need to be involved.
Since the bondsperson signed off, to be responsible that you show to court as your surety, they can send a bounty hunter to bring you to court if you flee. A bondsperson does not have to give you a bond if the defendant seems to be too much of a risk.
Ask the bondsperson to explain all the costs: percentage, fees or court fees. There is never a reason to rush through signing the paperwork with a bond company. Make sure that everything told to you is in writing and that you understand what you are signing. Ask questions, and if you feel rushed or don’t understand the contract with the bond company, you might want to call another one.
(There have been phone scams where a bond company calls and informs a person that their family member has been arrested and they ask for financial information. A bondsperson will not call asking for money without involvement of the arrested.)
Does Schenectady County have bail?
New York only applies bail in violent or felony cases. Non-violent and most misdemeanor cases qualify for release on own recognizance.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Schenectady County?
Schenectady County recognizes most types of bonds.
Who can set bail in Schenectady County?
Bail is set by officers during booking for misdemeanor offenses. A judge sets bail for felony arrests.
When is bail set in New York?
Bail for lesser offenses is set at the time of booking. If bail is required for felony cases, it will be set by a judge at the first court hearing. This hearing, also called an arraignment, generally takes place on the next available court date excluding weekends and holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Schenectady County New York?
Yes, if bail has been assessed, your attorney may file a motion to have it reduced.
In Schenectady County New York, who can pay bail for me?
The person posting bail should be a relative or close friend, called a surety, because they are promising and taking responsibility that you will return to court to get their money back.
A surety is not responsible for court fees or paying off personal debts for the defendant. A professional bondsperson who is approved by the State of New York could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Schenectady County New York?
Yes, New York does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Schenectady County Correctional Facility for more information about the jails in Schenectady County.
What options are there to pay bail in Schenectady County New York?
Most all jail and courts accept cash, a cashier or bankers’ check. Some accept a credit card with fees. Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Schenectady County Correctional Facility for more information about posting bail in Schenectady County.
Will I get all my bond money back in New York?
Bail money is returned to the person who paid the bail; in whole or in part once the case is finished. There may be fees, restitution (money to pay for damage caused by the crime) or fines that come out of that amount. If you used a bondsperson, you would not get your 10% back. Property is returned by the court or bondsperson after the appropriate requests and formal paperwork are completed with the court.
Can I get bail or a bond with no money down in Schenectady County?
Most non-violent crimes do not require bail. If bail is assessed cash, or a minimum down payment, will be required.
A cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond are bonds where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible to make sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up. A surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in New York?
The Schenectady County Correctional Facility or court in this jurisdiction can provide you with a list of approved and licensed bond companies, but they cannot recommend a specific company. You are not obligated to use the first company available and can call several companies to compare what kind of bonds that the bondsperson is willing to execute.
The percentage of bail that the bond company can charge is set, usually at 10%, by the state and cannot be negotiated.
When using GovPayNet to pay bail or send an inmate money, use Pay Location Code (PLC) #5500.
It is a unique number that ensures your payment is sent to the correct government agency and department.
*Keep in mind that in order to make a payment online (or over the phone by calling 877-392-2455) you will also need either the individual's date of birth (along with the name they were booked under), or their Criminal History Number, which you can get from the Schenectady County Correctional Facility by calling 518-388-4300.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay a Schenectady County Correctional Facility inmate's bond online?
Yes, you can pay a Schenectady County Correctional Facility inmate's bond online using a third-party service called 'allpaid'. The instructions are easy... From their website, look up Schenectady County Correctional Facility or Schenectady County, input the inmate's name, and then use your credit or debit card to deposit the bond amount. As soon as the payment is processed and the information is sent to the Schenectady County Correctional Facility, the jail will begin the release process. You do not have to be present for all of this to take place. Learn more about how to bail or bond out an inmate in the Schenectady County Correctional Facility, call allpaid directly at 877-392-2455, or call the jail at 518-388-4300.