Westchester County Penitentiary, NY Bail & Bonds

Bail Info Visits Mail Phone Money Inmate Search Remote Visits Commissary Court Booking Photos Court Process Video Nearby Jails

Westchester County Penitentiary

Address:
10 Woods Road
Valhalla, NY 10595
Phone:
914-231-1000

How do Bail Bonds work at Westchester County Penitentiary

Westchester County Penitentiary Bail

Bail can be posted in person 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the following address:

10 Woods Road
Valhalla, NY 10595

It is located on same Grasslands Campus as the Westchester Medical Center. Use the Eastview exit Route 100C off the Sprain Brook Parkway. Go to the Grasslands Road parking lot and walk to the entrance gate, Post 1. Tell the correction officer on duty that you want to post bail with either cash or a credit card. Have your ID ready. You need to be at least 18 years old.

The Westchester County Jail will accept only cash or major credit card bail in person. All other forms of bail (i.e. a bond) must be done at the court of record.
Cash bail must be US Dollars.
Credit card bail is accepted only for bails of $20,000 or less. If the bail is over $20,000, cash may be posted to cover the remainder of the bail. The jail accepts bail paid by VISA, Master Card, Discover or American Express. This service is provided through a third party company named GovPayNet.

You Must:

Be present at the jail with the credit card to be used
Present valid government-issued photo ID
Present a valid VISA, Master Card, Discover or American Express credit card
The person you are bailing out will be checked for any active warrants or other legal holds. This may take some time to process. If he or she has any outstanding warrants this may prevent the bail from being completed.

If you want to Post Bail over the Phone or Online:

The jail now allows bail to be posted with a credit card over the phone or through the Internet. To do either of these, you must follow the two steps below:
Contact the Westchester County Jail at 914-231-1020 or go online to obtain the inmate’s JID number, the name of the court, the court docket number, the charges on the commitment and the amount of the cash bail set by the court.
Call 877-392-2455 or log on to the GovPay Web site to pay the bail.

Payment Limits

Credit card bails using the GovPay Web site or by phone are limited to $2,500.
Credit card bails when posting at the facility are limited to $10,000.

Posting bail by bond

Important: The Westchester County Jail does not accept bail bonds.
Bail bonds must be posted directly with the court.

Who do I call to find out the Bond for an Inmate?

Please call the jail at 914-231-1000 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Westchester County Penitentiary.
A bond is set according to a court-approved schedule.
The purpose of the bond is to assure the offender's appearance in court.

Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in Westchester County

Because Westchester County and New York can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Westchester County Penitentiary at 914-231-1000, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, right after an arrestee has been booked.

Ask the staff at the Westchester County Penitentiary or the Westchester County Court Clerk these specific questions:

Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
Where do I go to pay it?
Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released.

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.

Option 1 - How to Post Bail using Cash for a Defendant at Westchester County Penitentiary

The first option, a cash bond, is to pay the full bail amount in cash, cashier's check, or money order. Personal Checks are not accepted.

Depending on the crime, this amount could be anywhere from $100 to $75,000 or more.

To pay a cash bond, go to Westchester County Penitentiary or to the court where the bail hearing occurred. Going directly to the jail will quicken the release of the defendant as any bail paperwork processed at the court will have to be transferred to the jail.

Cashier's Checks and Money Orders may be made out to Westchester County Penitentiary where the defendant is being held, but usually to the Westchester County Sheriff's Office or to the Westchester County Court.

To purchase money orders visit any Western Union, Moneygram or Post Office.

Option 2 - How to Post a Private or Surety Bond for a Defendant at Westchester County Penitentiary

In the event that someone does not have the full bond amount available to him or her, there is what is called a private bond or surety bond.

This is an agreement made with a bail agent or bondsman who will post the full bail amount. In return, the defendant and/or cosigner will pay a premium to the bail agent. This premium will be 10-15% of the full bail amount.

For example, if bail is posted at $5,000, then the premium will cost approximately $500-$750.

A bail agent will often require some form of collateral, for example, a lien on a house, a car or jewelry. This is to ensure that if the defendant skips bail, or does not appear in court, the bail agent has some sort of compensation for the full bail amount being paid.

Remember, by making an agreement with a bail agent the signatory takes responsibility for paying the full bail amount if the defendant does not appear in court.

Option 3 - How to Post a Property Bond for a Defendant at Westchester County Penitentiary

If you are a landowner in Westchester County you may be able to post a property bond. Property within Westchester County may be used as collateral to bail someone out. All owners of the property must be present to sign the bond in order for this to happen.

To find if property located outside of Westchester County can be used as collateral, call a local bail or bond agent or contact a defense lawyer.

Click here for additional information on how to post bail at Westchester County Penitentiary.

Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Westchester County Penitentiary?

Anyone over the age of 18 who can produce a valid government-issued photo ID can post bail. Accepted forms of ID include a Photo Driver's License, Passport, or Motor Vehicle issued ID.

In many circumstances, if the defendant has the resources, they can post their own cash bail from jail.

Surety Bonds are arranged by a third party, typically a New York state licensed Bail Bond firm.

Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.

Westchester County Justice System Flowchart

When will the Cash Bail or Collateral be returned to me?

Money or collateral will not be returned until the defendant's court case is finished, so realistically it could take several months to years, depending on the severity of the charges. If a defendant posts his or her own bail, Westchester County Court may retain whatever amount of fines or fees have accumulated throughout the trial.

What happens to my Bail or Collateral if the Defendant misses Court?

The Westchester County Judge may order a failure to appear warrant for the person's arrest or the Judge may order a Bail Commissioner's Letter be issued that will be sent to the person with a new court date.

If cash bail was paid, the entire amount may be forfeited.

How Do You Communicate with an Inmate in the Westchester County Penitentiary by Phone

Follow these instructions on how to open an account with GTL Connect Network (aka Viapath Technologies)

Advance Pay - This phone account allows you to prepay so that your inmate can call you (and only you) whenever he/she wants and the cost of each call is deducted from your balance. You can even be notified by text when your balance gets low. You still have the option of accepting or rejecting each call.
Pin Debit - This option allows you to fund an inmate's commissary account and lets him pay for phone calls to you and others with the money. You will have no control over who your inmate calls.
Voicemail - You can leave a secure voicemail without having to contact the facility. When you call the local phone number for a facility offering Inmate Voicemail (call Customer Service at 877-650-4249 to get the local voicemail number for Westchester County Penitentiary, you will be informed of the cost for leaving a message. To leave your message, simply select the inmate by ID number. Then, record your voicemail.

For full instructions on the Westchester County Penitentiary Inmate Phone System, what the costs are, how it works, and tips and guidelines on rules, regulations and saving money on calls, check out our Inmate Phones Page.

How to Deposit Money into an Inmate's Account in Westchester County Penitentiary

To deposit money into the account of an inmate in Westchester County, follow these instructions:

Create an account with Touchpay Services, a GTL company.
Select New York.
Select Westchester County Penitentiary
Enter the Inmate ID of your inmate. This can be found by calling 914-231-1000 or by looking up the inmate's name in the Inmate Search link.
Enter your billing information and send money.
You can also deposit cash using the kiosk at the Westchester County Penitentiary. To do this you need the Inmate's ID Number and the Facility Locator Number for Westchester County.

For all the information you need regarding making an inmate deposit, what it costs, how much you can send, how long it takes for your inmate to receive funds and more, and to get the Facility Locator Number, check out our Send Money Page.

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Westchester County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Westchester County Penitentiary follow these steps:

Register here to create an account with icaregifts for Westchester County.
Choose New York, then Westchester County Penitentiary, and then the products you want shipped to them, and input your payment method.
NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Westchester County at any one time.
There are a total of fourteen (14) pre-determined icaregift packs available to choose from.
The gift packs for inmates in Westchester County range in price from $10.49 for ten pre-stamped envelopes, 2 pens and a pad of writing paper, to $104.99 for a box of 85 snack and food items.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Westchester County Penitentiary, as well as sending money to the inmate so that they can purchase their own items, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Westchester County.

How to Schedule and Visit an Inmate in Westchester County Penitentiary

To schedule and set up a visit, either at-the-jail or remotely from your home, follow these instructions:

Register and/or log in.
Select Westchester County Penitentiary, then your inmate.
Review the days, available hours and the cost of remote and on-site visits in Westchester County.
Schedule your visit.

To get more complete instructions, and understand visit lengths, times, locations, fees and all the other rules including children, dress codes and more, check out or Visit Inmate Page.
NOTE: All visits are recorded and whatever you say and do will be monitored. It is best to never discuss sensitive information regarding your inmate's pending case.