Marion County Jail

A judge of the circuit court for the Third Judicial District makes most release decisions. A person in custody must be brought before a judge quickly (ORS 135.245). For someone kept in jail, the first court date, called the arraignment, comes within 36 hours, though the clock pauses over Saturdays, Sundays and court holidays (ORS 135.010). So a Friday night arrest may not reach court until Monday or Tuesday.

The judge must decide on release at that first hearing. When the court needs longer, it holds a separate release hearing inside 48 hours, five days at the very most (ORS 135.245). Before court, a release assistance officer may talk with the person in jail and send a short report to the judge (ORS 135.235).

Not every case waits for a judge. Every Oregon judicial district keeps a written order for jail staff to follow, shaped by the Chief Justice's statewide rules (ORS 135.233). Under it, the jail can let many people with low-level charges go on a signed promise to appear.

If a judge orders release from court, the jail usually gets the paperwork after 5:30 p.m. Release from the jail then usually comes around 7:00 p.m.

Oregon uses three kinds of release (ORS 135.230):

• Personal recognizance. The person signs, promising to attend every court date, and pays nothing. Oregon judges begin here (ORS 135.245).
• Conditional release. Home again, with rules attached, like check-ins, no alcohol, or staying away from a certain person or place.
• Security release. Cash or property stands behind the promise. This is what most families mean when they say bail.

Judges are told to use the mildest condition likely to protect the public and the alleged victim (ORS 135.245). Every release agreement says to appear in court on the set day and not to leave Oregon without the court's OK (ORS 135.250).

Charges of family violence, a sex offense or a hate-based crime bring a no-contact rule right away. The jailed person cannot reach the alleged victim by phone, letter or a go-between, and that includes you (ORS 135.247, 135.250). Passing along a message can break the order and bring new charges.

Oregon has no list of dollar amounts by charge. Instead, the Chief Justice's statewide release guidelines (ORS 135.233) sort charges into three groups, and the county's standing release order follows them:

• Usually released on a promise. Most nonperson misdemeanors and nonperson Class C felonies, plus driving while suspended.
• Released with conditions. Drunk or drugged driving, misdemeanors against a person other than domestic cases, many Class B felonies, and Class C felonies against a person.
• Held until a judge decides. Family violence, sex offenses, Measure 11 crimes, Class A felonies, stalking or strangling charged as felonies, missed court dates, running from officers, resisting arrest and some others.

Where security is set, the usual payment is a tenth of the total, with $25 as the floor (ORS 135.265). On $5,000 of security, that means $500. On $150, it means $25. A warrant names its own security amount (ORS 133.140).

For the exact figure in one case, call the circuit court's Criminal Department at 503-588-8489 on a weekday. After hours, the jail staff can tell you.

The Jail Bail Window is at 4000 Aumsville Highway SE, Salem, OR 97317. It handles deposits on weeknights from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. It takes cash only.

1. Call the jail at 503-581-1183 before you drive out.
2. Spell out their legal name and birthday, then ask the security set on each charge and the total 10 percent due.
3. Ask if another case, county or agency has placed a hold on them.
4. Bring the exact deposit in cash. Ask if you will need a photo ID.
5. Decide whose name goes on the receipt. The refund goes to that person, so keep the receipt safe.

Release takes time after you pay, because staff must finish the paperwork. Wait in the lobby or ask how long it should take.

Yes. On weekdays the deposit goes to the Circuit Court Annex, which shares the jail's address: 4000 Aumsville Highway SE, Salem, OR 97317. The Criminal Department line is 503-588-8489.

• Open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Closed on county holidays. On those days, use the jail window instead.
• Takes cash, credit or debit cards, and cashier's checks.

Cashier's checks come with extra conditions, so ask the clerk who to make one out to before you buy it. Money owed on a city ticket, or on a Justice Court matter, is paid to the court that issued it.

Here is the short version:

• Cash: taken at both the Annex in the daytime and the jail window at night.
• Credit or debit card: only at the Annex, during weekday hours.
• Cashier's check: only at the Annex, and only if it meets the court's rules.
• Personal checks and money orders: ask the clerk first, because the court and jail name only cash, cards and cashier's checks.

Money posted in the defendant's own name will not come back to the friend who brought it. Put it in your name if you want it returned to you.

Oregon law also protects the deposit itself. Officers cannot take the cash you bring for a release deposit without a warrant or a forfeiture order from a court (ORS 135.275).

No. Bail bond companies and bondsmen do not operate in Oregon. The family pays the deposit itself, straight to the court or the jail. A 2009 House committee paper noted that for-profit sureties disappeared here in the mid-1970s.

There are two other ways to post security besides the 10 percent deposit (ORS 135.265):

• Pay the full security amount in cash.
• Put up shares, bonds, or Oregon real estate whose equity equals double the security. A sworn statement must back it up.

A friend or relative may also sign as a surety. A surety agrees to cover the entire amount if the release terms are broken (ORS 135.230). Think hard before you sign. You could owe the full sum.

Money posted on one case cannot free a person who is also held on a separate matter. These can still keep someone locked up:

• A second case. A new charge, an old warrant or a city court case needs its own release.
• Another county's or state's warrant. That place may ask to have the person sent there.
• Probation or parole. A violation report can lead the supervising officer to lodge a hold. The Sheriff's Office runs Parole and Probation from 4040 Aumsville Highway SE, Salem, OR 97317, 503-588-8492.
• A no-release charge. Family violence, sex offenses and similar serious cases usually stay put until the arraignment.
• A federal hold. A person wanted on a federal case goes to the U.S. Marshals.

Before you pay, ask the jail at 503-581-1183 to read you every hold and every case on file.

Under the state constitution, someone accused of murder, aggravated murder or treason may be denied release outright when the proof is strong (Or. Const. art. I, § 14 and § 43). The release statute says the same for those three charges (ORS 135.240).

Jail can also be the answer on a violent felony charge. First comes a hearing, and the judge must find that letting the person out would put the victim or the public in danger of physical injury or sexual harm (ORS 135.240). A violent felony is one where serious injury happened or was threatened.

Requests to keep someone jailed are made by the District Attorney's Office, 555 Court Street NE, Suite 3250, Salem, OR 97301. Its Victim Assistance program answers at 503-588-5253. The DA's guide for victims says a bail hearing is usually set within one week of arraignment.

A judge can revisit release terms or the dollar figure if circumstances shift (ORS 135.285). Here is how families usually help:

1. Have the lawyer file a written request for a fresh look at release.
2. Collect pay stubs, a rental agreement, class schedules, or proof that children or aging parents rely on them. Note what the family can afford.
3. Offer a safe plan, such as a sober adult to live with or treatment to start.
4. Come to the hearing. A judge may ask who the person will stay with.

Under Oregon's guidelines, being poor should not by itself keep someone in jail. A federal court order also helps. A jailed person who passes a full week past arraignment with no lawyer is generally let out on conditions, though the case keeps going.

To learn when a release hearing is set, call the circuit court's main line at 503-588-5105.

Anyone who cannot hire a lawyer without real hardship can get one at state cost (ORS 151.485). The Oregon Public Defense Commission (OPDC) pays for this help. Renamed in January 2024, the commission shifted under the governor's branch of state government in 2025.

1. Go to the court hearing. The court says you must attend to get a lawyer appointed.
2. Fill out the money form at the hearing, or get it from the court's forms center. A screener checks it.
3. Expect a $20 application fee. The judge can waive it and may order a later contribution, but nobody is left to face the case alone because money is short.

The court lists two local defense groups: the Marion County Association of Defenders and the Public Defender of Marion County. For the name of the office handling the case, phone the Criminal Department at 503-588-8489.

Lawyers are scarce across Oregon. State numbers for December 31, 2025, showed close to 2,500 people waiting on an appointed lawyer. About 160 of them were behind bars.

Circuit court offices are open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except holidays.

• Main courthouse: 100 High Street NE, Salem, OR 97301, 503-588-5105.
• Criminal Court Annex (at the jail): 4000 Aumsville Highway SE, Salem, OR 97317, 503-588-8489.
• Juvenile Court: 2970 Center Street NE, Salem, OR 97301, 503-566-2974.
• Justice Court (a county court for some smaller cases): 4660 Portland Road NE, Suite 107, Salem, OR 97305, 503-576-7200.
• Salem Municipal Court (city cases): 2850 Broadway Street NE, Salem, OR 97303, 503-588-6146.
• Woodburn Municipal Court (at City Hall): 270 Montgomery Street, Woodburn, OR 97071, 503-982-5222.
• Federal court (Eugene Division): Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse, 405 East Eighth Avenue, Suite 2100, Eugene, OR 97401, 503-326-8000.

Keizer and many smaller towns hold their own city courts too. Our court page lists each one with the number to call.

At the close of a case where all release terms were kept, the clerk sends 85 percent of the deposit to whoever the receipt names (ORS 135.265). The court keeps 15 percent, at least $5 and at most $750, plus any interest. On a $1,000 deposit, $150 is kept and $850 comes back.

The local court adds that a deposit may first pay fines and fees on the case, and other debts of the defendant or the person who paid. Money posted in the defendant's name goes back to the defendant.

Missing court costs far more:

• The judge can issue an arrest warrant and declare that the whole security sum is lost, far more than the deposit itself (ORS 135.280).
• If the person does not come back or show a good excuse within 30 days, the court enters a judgment for the rest.
• Not showing up adds a new charge. With a misdemeanor case it counts as a Class A misdemeanor, and with a felony case it rises to a Class C felony (ORS 162.195, 162.205).

For refund questions, call the Criminal Department at 503-588-8489.

Pocket property, such as keys, a wallet or a phone, comes back through the Bail Window at 4000 Aumsville Highway SE, Salem, OR 97317. The person in custody must make a written request and name who may pick it up. Staff will hand it only to the person named on that form, so the person inside has to tell you they named you.

Bring a photo ID when you come. For money left on a jail account, ask staff at 503-581-1183 how the balance is paid back at release. Our account money page explains how deposits and refunds usually work.

Cases filed by federal prosecutors for this area go to the Eugene Division of Oregon's federal district court. Filings are taken at 405 East Eighth Avenue, Suite 2100, Eugene, OR 97401, on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The clerk's office line is 503-326-8000.

1. Soon after arrest, the court holds a detention hearing. The question there is custody or supervised release for the months before trial (18 U.S.C. 3142).
2. A pretrial officer gives the judge a background report first. The Eugene Pretrial Services office is at 405 East Eighth Avenue, Room 1800, Eugene, OR 97401, 541-431-4080.
3. A person who is held stays under the U.S. Marshals Service, 1000 SW Third Avenue, Room 401, Portland, OR 97204, 503-326-2209. The Marshals may use county jails with federal agreements and the detention center at FCI Sheridan, 27072 Ballston Road, Sheridan, OR 97378, 503-843-4442. Call the Marshals to learn where.
4. Only after sentencing does the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator show the prison.

A deposit answers the state charge and nothing else. Immigration works on its own track:

1. Federal immigration officers (ICE) may lodge a detainer for the person on Form I-247A.
2. That form requests a hold of up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, giving ICE time to collect them (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Oregon's sanctuary laws (ORS 181A.820 to 181A.829, strengthened by HB 3265 in 2021) forbid state and local officers from carrying out ICE paperwork that lacks a judge's signature. In practice, an Oregon jail generally lets a person go on time despite a detainer and keeps release plans from ICE for enforcement purposes.
4. If ICE arrests the person somewhere else, its Seattle Field Office, which covers Oregon, decides where they are held. ICE's Portland office is at 4310 S Macadam Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97239, 503-326-4165.
5. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator by name plus birth country, or by alien registration number (A-number).

A prison sentence sends the person to the Oregon Department of Corrections. Almost everyone starts at the Coffee Creek Intake Center at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, 24499 SW Grahams Ferry Road, Wilsonville, OR 97070. The intake process runs roughly 30 days. Next, men are moved to a long-term prison. Women remain in Wilsonville.

• Enter a name or the SID (State ID) number in the Oregon Offender Search.
• Call the Department of Corrections at 503-945-9090 with general questions.
• Find details on every state prison in our Oregon state prisons guide.

Jail time and Transition Center terms are served close to home. Here, the Sheriff's Office also supervises people on probation and post-prison supervision.

For kids ages 12 through 17, the county Juvenile Department and juvenile court take charge instead of the adult system. A youth who can't go home right away is taken to juvenile detention, 2970 Center Street NE, Salem, OR 97301, staffed around the clock at 503-588-5321. Teens are kept apart from the adult jail.

• Parents or guardians may visit once before the first court date, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., or right after court.
• Juvenile Court sits in the same building and answers at 503-566-2974.
• Since 2020, a Measure 11 charge no longer moves a 15- to 17-year-old into adult court on its own. Transfer now takes a judge's ruling after a waiver hearing (SB 1008).

Call detention to ask when the first hearing is and what the family should bring.

The state circuit court, sitting as the Third Judicial District, takes every felony from the county and most misdemeanors. Statewide, 36 circuit courts sit in 27 districts; here, one county makes up the whole district (ORS 3.012). Smaller courts take some lighter cases:

• Justice Court, run by the county, hears some misdemeanors and many violations. It is at 4660 Portland Road NE, Suite 107, Salem, OR 97305, 503-576-7200.
• City (municipal) courts take local ordinance tickets plus certain state charges that town police file.

How serious a charge is decides the penalty. These are the top limits, and most sentences are far lower:

• Felony prison caps: a Class A conviction can mean 20 years, Class B half that, and Class C a quarter.
• Misdemeanor maximums: 364 days for Class A, 6 months for Class B, 30 days for Class C.
• Violations: money penalties, never a jail sentence.

All circuit court offices keep weekday hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and close on legal holidays. Mail for every location goes to P.O. Box 12869, Salem, OR 97309.

• Marion County Courthouse (main): 100 High Street NE, Salem, OR 97301, 503-588-5105. Treatment courts meet here, and the Sheriff's Records Unit is in the basement.
• Criminal Court Annex: 4000 Aumsville Highway SE, Salem, OR 97317, Criminal Department 503-588-8489. It shares the jail's address.
• Juvenile Court: 2970 Center Street NE, Salem, OR 97301, 503-566-2974.
• Justice Court: 4660 Portland Road NE, Suite 107, Salem, OR 97305, 503-576-7200.

Court Administration can help with general questions at 503-584-4714. Two treatment courts meet in the main courthouse: Adult Drug Court on Friday mornings in Courtroom 2B, and Veterans Treatment Court on the first, second and fourth Thursdays in Courtroom 1A. Both answer at 503-584-7741. A Mental Health Court also meets on those Thursdays in Courtroom 4C.

A citation from city police goes to that city's municipal court. These courts are run by the cities, and OJD's online case search leaves them out, so call them directly.

• Salem Municipal Court: 2850 Broadway Street NE, Salem, OR 97303, 503-588-6146. The lobby is open weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the court takes some criminal misdemeanor cases.
• Woodburn Municipal Court: at City Hall, 270 Montgomery Street, Woodburn, OR 97071, 503-982-5222. Court sits on the first four Tuesdays of each month.
• Keizer Municipal Court: 930 Chemawa Road NE, Keizer, OR 97303, 503-390-3700.

In these towns, call the number shown to ask whether city court meets there, and when: Aumsville 503-749-2188, Aurora 503-678-1283, Detroit 503-854-3496, Gates 503-897-2669, Gervais 503-792-4900, Hubbard 503-981-9633, Jefferson 541-327-2768, Mill City 503-897-2302, Mount Angel 503-845-9291, Silverton 503-873-5321, Stayton 503-769-2668 and Turner 503-743-2155.

For Donald, Idanha, Scotts Mills, St. Paul or Sublimity, ask the circuit court at 503-588-5105 where a case will be heard.

For a person kept in custody, the arraignment has to happen inside 36 hours, skipping Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (ORS 135.010). In-custody hearings often happen by video from the jail. At the arraignment:

• The court reads out the accusation and asks for a plea (ORS 135.020).
• The judge covers the right to counsel. Felony defendants also hear about their right to a preliminary hearing (ORS 135.070).
• Release is decided on the spot, or at a follow-up hearing no more than 48 hours later (ORS 135.245).
• A person who needs a public defender asks for one and fills out a money form.

On a felony, the person must appear in person. For misdemeanors, defense counsel can stand in for the client (ORS 135.030).

Many misdemeanors begin with a citation instead of a jail stay. The officer hands over a paper with a court date, usually within 30 days (ORS 133.055, 133.060). Skipping that date can bring a warrant.

1. Arraignment. A plea is entered, most often not guilty at this early stage.
2. Talks and offers. The DA and the defense lawyer may agree on a plea deal.
3. Trial. A judge or jury hears the case if there is no deal.
4. Sentence. Fines, probation, classes or jail, up to the class limit.

Drug possession changed on September 1, 2024 (HB 4002). Possession is now charged as a drug enforcement misdemeanor with no class, carrying as much as 180 days in jail, but people are usually offered probation and treatment, and the charge can be dismissed if they finish. The county's Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court are other routes for people whose cases tie to addiction.

1. Arraignment on the first filed charge, with a release decision.
2. Grand jury or preliminary hearing. Either grand jurors vote on an indictment, or a judge weighs probable cause at a preliminary hearing. For a person in jail, that hearing comes within five judicial days (ORS 135.070). Without probable cause, the person is let go (ORS 135.175).
3. Plea. The person answers the formal charge, and the lawyers trade evidence and file motions.
4. Trial. Since Ramos v. Louisiana (2020), a jury must agree unanimously to convict.
5. Sentencing under Oregon's guidelines grid, which weighs how serious the crime is and the person's record.

Prison limits climb with the class. The lowest felony class allows 5 years behind bars; the highest allows 20.

The most serious person crimes follow tougher rules from start to finish:

• Mandatory prison. Ballot Measure 11, passed in 1994, set minimum terms that cannot be shortened for good conduct. Murder brings a floor of 25 years. Robbery or assault in the first degree brings a floor of 90 months.
• Jail before trial. Murder, aggravated murder and treason can be held with no bail when guilt is clear. Other violent felonies can be held after a danger hearing (ORS 135.240).
• Wait for a judge. Measure 11, Class A, sex and domestic violence charges wait for a judge under the Chief Justice's release guidelines.
• No contact. The accused in a family violence, sexual or hate crime case must stay away from the victim, and relatives may not relay messages (ORS 135.247).

The elected District Attorney prosecutes state crimes in this county (ORS 8.610). The office is at 555 Court Street NE, Suite 3250, Salem, OR 97301. Its Victim Assistance program answers at 503-588-5253.

The Oregon Public Defense Commission (OPDC) pays for lawyers for people who qualify. The court's own page links two local defense groups:

• Public Defender of Marion County
• Marion County Association of Defenders

To get one, the person must come to the hearing and complete the money form, which is also on the court's forms page. A $20 fee usually applies, but a judge can waive it.

A federal court order adds a safety valve. Seven days in jail after arraignment with no lawyer generally means release on conditions, while the case goes on. To find out which office took the case, call the Criminal Department at 503-588-8489.

• OJD Records and Calendar Search is free and needs no account. Type a name or case number to see parties, hearings and outcomes. Court papers and youth cases stay off it.
• Circuit court calendars list upcoming hearings.
• OJCIN OnLine is a paid service with fuller records.

Each courthouse has free public computers, and clerks can read case details over the phone, though they cannot give legal advice. For a criminal date, call 503-588-8489. City courts and the Justice Court keep their own records, so call those courts for their cases.

Deputies arrest on warrants in rural areas and contract towns, while each city's officers do it inside city limits. The Sheriff's Records Unit, in the courthouse basement at 100 High Street NE, Salem, OR 97301, takes warrant questions weekdays at 503-588-5071. After hours, call the jail at 503-581-1183. The OJD case search shows each case and its events. Wanted lists to check: Salem police's Top Ten Most Wanted, the state prison system's DOC Most Wanted, the FBI's Portland office and the Marshals' 15 Most Wanted. Before turning in, talk the plan over with a defense lawyer. Then go to the jail, 4000 Aumsville Highway SE, Salem, OR 97317. The Criminal Department at that address answers at 503-588-8489.

Cases under federal law go to the Eugene Division, which serves this part of Oregon. Federal paperwork is filed at the Morse courthouse, 405 East Eighth Avenue, Suite 2100, Eugene, OR 97401, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 503-326-8000.

• The U.S. Attorney's Eugene Branch prosecutes: 405 East 8th Avenue, Suite 2400, Eugene, OR 97401, 541-465-6771.
• The Federal Public Defender defends people who can't pay: 859 Willamette Street, Suite 200, Eugene, OR 97401, 541-465-6937.
• Custody before trial turns on a detention hearing held near the start of the case (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• Federal defendants stay in Marshals custody, and deputy marshals bring them to court: 1000 SW Third Avenue, Room 401, Portland, OR 97204, 503-326-2209.
• U.S. Probation keeps an office in Salem at 530 Center Street NE, Room 406, Salem, OR 97301, 503-399-5715.

When a federal term begins, track the person with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

No. Hearings and deadlines carry on as before. ICE paperwork affects one thing, the release from jail:

1. Immigration officers (ICE) sometimes lodge a detainer on Form I-247A.
2. That request covers up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Oregon's sanctuary laws (ORS 181A.820 to 181A.829, and HB 3265 of 2021) stop Oregon police and jails from acting on ICE requests unless a judge signed them. So the jail generally releases the person on schedule and keeps release plans from ICE.
4. Oregon also protects people at court. Inside a court facility, a civil arrest is allowed only with a judicial warrant or court order (HB 3265).
5. ICE's Eugene check-in office covers this county: 211 East 7th Avenue, Suite 120, Eugene, OR 97401, 541-434-3231. The Seattle Field Office oversees it.
6. Look for anyone in ICE custody on the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

Before taking any plea offer, a noncitizen should have the lawyer explain what it could mean for staying in the country.

A felony prison term goes to the Oregon Department of Corrections. Intake happens at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, 24499 SW Grahams Ferry Road, Wilsonville, OR 97070, and lasts about a month. Women stay there, and men go on to an assigned prison.

• Find their prison and status on the Oregon Offender Search.
• Reach DOC at 503-945-9090, or its intake desk at 503-570-2259.
• Our Oregon state prisons guide covers each facility.

After prison, post-prison supervision is run locally by the Sheriff's Office Parole and Probation unit, 4040 Aumsville Highway SE, Salem, OR 97317, 503-588-8492.

Charges against youths ages 12 to 17 go to Juvenile Court, 2970 Center Street NE, Salem, OR 97301, 503-566-2974. The county Juvenile Department works next door at 2960 Center Street NE, Salem, OR 97301.

• Youths who are locked up stay at juvenile detention at 2970 Center Street NE, Salem, OR 97301, open 24 hours at 503-588-5321. Youths from Clackamas County are held there too.
• Juvenile cases stay off the OJD online search.
• Since SB 1008 (2019), teens ages 15 to 17 go to adult court on Measure 11 charges only after a waiver hearing.
• A youth placed in state custody goes to the Oregon Youth Authority. Boys first go to MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, 2630 N Pacific Highway, Woodburn, OR 97071, 503-981-9531.

The DA's Victim Assistance program, 555 Court Street NE, Suite 3237, Salem, OR 97301, helps victims follow the case. Call 503-588-5253 or toll-free 866-780-0960, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• Article I, sections 42 and 43 of the Oregon Constitution protect people harmed by crime. Some protections apply on their own, such as speaking up at a release ruling or at sentencing. Others, like notice of release, must be asked for.
• Register with VISOR to get word when the person leaves custody. The 24-hour line is 855-691-6246.
• The state Justice Department's Crime Victims' Compensation program may cover treatment costs, therapy and missed pay. Call 800-503-7983.
• The release agreement in a domestic violence case bars the accused from contacting the victim (ORS 135.250).