George W. Hill Correctional Facility Inmate Bail & Bonds

A magisterial district judge does. This happens at a quick first court step known as the preliminary arraignment. Many of these hearings run over two-way video. A state guide written for crime victims says the wait for this hearing is often around six hours after arrest. The accused is handed a copy of the criminal complaint, hears the charges and the bail, and learns when the preliminary hearing will be (Pa.R.Crim.P. 540).

The county Bail Agency, also known as Pre-Trial Services, gives judges a bail suggestion after it interviews the accused and runs a record check. Find it in the Courthouse Basement, 201 W. Front St., Media, PA 19063, 610-891-4353, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Did a district court mail you papers telling you to report there? Walk in with them on a weekday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. You need no appointment.

There are 26 district courts in the county, and the town where the alleged crime took place decides which one gets the case. To learn which, call the Administrative Office for Magisterial District Judges, 2 West Baltimore Avenue, Suite 203, Media, PA 19063, 610-565-6990.

Pennsylvania's court rules spell out five release options (Pa.R.Crim.P. 524). Four need no money at all:

• ROR (release on recognizance). Just a signature and a pledge to appear, nothing more.
• ROR plus conditions. The promise, along with rules like checking in, keeping away from a certain person or wearing GPS.
• Unsecured bail. A pledge to owe a fixed sum, due only if court is missed.
• Nominal bail. A token deposit, such as $1, while a person or agency serves as surety, meaning it vouches for the accused.
• Monetary bail. The only type where the family must put up money, land or a bondsman's bond before the door opens.

To choose, the judge weighs the charge, any job, local ties, past convictions and the person's record of showing up for court (Pa.R.Crim.P. 523). County pretrial supervision can add GPS, home monitoring, weekly phone check-ins or drug testing. Supervision itself is free here.

No fixed price list applies. Each judge sets a figure for that one case, and under the rules it must be fair and fit the person's means (Pa.R.Crim.P. 528). Sometimes the judge lets the family put down 10 percent in place of the whole amount.

How serious a charge is, called its grade, shapes the bail. The law sets these limits on punishment (18 Pa.C.S. §§ 1101, 1103-1105):

• Summary (lowest grade, for example many traffic cases): 90 days top, $300 top fine
• M3 (third-degree misdemeanor): 1 year top, $2,500 top fine
• M2 (second-degree misdemeanor): 2 years top, $5,000 top fine
• M1 (first-degree misdemeanor): 5 years top, $10,000 top fine
• F3 (third-degree felony): 7 years top, $15,000 top fine
• F2 (second-degree felony): 10 years top, $25,000 top fine
• F1 (first-degree felony): 20 years top, $25,000 top fine
• First-degree murder: death or life, and bail may be denied

The bail actually set for your loved one appears on the docket in the free UJS case search, or ask the Bail Agency at 610-891-4353 during the week.

The George W. Hill Correctional Facility accepts bail overnight, 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., as long as no other matter is holding the person. Take these steps in order:

1. During the day, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., dial 610-361-3200 and ask for the Director of Records.
2. Share the person's legal name and birthday, plus the time you expect to get there.
3. Confirm the amount, and check that no detainer or other case stands in the way.
4. Bring the cash and a photo ID with you.
5. Drive to 500 Cheyney Road, Thornton, PA 19373. Cheyney Road branches off Baltimore Pike (US 1).
6. Store the receipt where it won't get lost. The refund depends on it.

Releases normally happen near 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., so paying does not always mean walking out at once.

Yes, during weekday business hours. The Criminal Division of the Office of Judicial Support takes daytime bail. This office fills the role a Clerk of Courts plays in most other Pennsylvania counties.

• Office: Government Center, Room 127, 201 W. Front St., Media, PA 19063
• Main number: 610-891-4370
• Line for posting bail and for refunds: 610-891-5693
• Open: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

1. Phone the bail line before leaving home. Have the person's name and, if known, the docket number.
2. Find out the amount, whether 10 percent is allowed and which payments the counter accepts.
3. Pick the person who will sign as depositor. That signer could be on the hook for the entire bail if court is skipped.
4. Carry a photo ID. Staff must hand you an itemized receipt (Pa.R.Crim.P. 535).

It does. Both the jail's bail page and the Bail Agency page link to PA ePay Bail, a state court website for card payments. Check its fee and dollar limit first. Once it goes through, the jail asks that the confirmation number reach its Director of Records, which starts the release. Ring 610-361-3200 and ask Records the best way to send that number.

State rules allow money bail to be covered by any of these (Pa.R.Crim.P. 528):

• Cash, either the whole sum or 10 percent when the court permits
• Pennsylvania land or a home whose value, minus what is owed on it, covers the bail
• A bond written by a licensed bail bondsman

The overnight window at the jail wants cash plus a photo ID. For the courthouse counter, ask the Office of Judicial Support at 610-891-5693 what it takes. Cash should never go in the mail.

Bail bond businesses are legal in Pennsylvania. Each bondsman needs a state Insurance Department license and must register to work in each county (42 Pa.C.S. §§ 5742, 5743.1).

• You pay the bondsman a premium, and the bondsman posts a bond for the full bail. The premium stays with the bondsman for good.
• Since 2015, no state limit applies to that fee. Get the quote in writing first.
• Charging someone a fee just to point them to a bondsman breaks the law. It is a summary offense (42 Pa.C.S. § 5749).
• When the accused skips court, the bondsman owes the forfeited amount. If the person returns within six months, the bondsman may pay only a $250 fee (42 Pa.C.S. § 5747.1).

Before signing anything, ask to see the state license and proof the bondsman is cleared to work in this county.

A paid bail settles one case. Look out for these other roadblocks:

• A second case. Charges from another county, or a separate case here, need their own release.
• A bench warrant. A skipped hearing can bring a hold until a judge looks at it (Pa.R.Crim.P. 150).
• Supervision. Someone on probation or parole may be held over a possible violation. The county's Adult Probation and Parole office uses the courthouse's Fronefield Building entrance at Third and Orange Streets, Media, PA 19063, 610-891-4590.
• Federal or ICE holds. A detainer from immigration or a federal case survives state bail.
• The release clock. Discharges usually take place near 1:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m.

So before money changes hands, call 610-361-3200. Have Records look for any hold that would block release.

The right to bail covers nearly every accused person in Pennsylvania. The state constitution lets a judge refuse it only in two situations (Pa. Const. art. I, § 14; 42 Pa.C.S. § 5701):

• The charge is murder or another crime punished by death or life in prison.
• Nothing other than jail would reasonably protect a person and the community.

Proving the need to deny bail is the prosecutor's job, under Commonwealth v. Talley (2021). At a hearing, the prosecutor must show strong evidence; a mere accusation is not enough. Bail fights here are argued by the District Attorney's Office, 201 West Front Street, Media, PA 19063. Reach it by calling the county's main number, 610-891-4000.

A defense lawyer asks, in a written motion, for a bail change (Pa.R.Crim.P. 529). It tends to go like this:

1. Until the preliminary hearing, the same district judge who set the bail can hear the request.
2. Later on, a Court of Common Pleas judge rules on it.
3. Hand the lawyer proof of work, a stable address, relatives in the area and the most the family could raise.
4. Suggest safeguards that answer the judge's concerns, like Pre-Trial Services reporting or GPS.

Long jail stays count as well. If the wait in jail tops 180 days from the filing of the complaint (delays the defense requested don't count), the lawyer can ask for nominal bail (Pa.R.Crim.P. 600). People held without any bail are left out of that rule. Public defenders file these requests from 220 North Jackson Street, Media, PA 19063, 610-891-4100.

People who can't pay for a lawyer turn to the county's Office of the Public Defender, 220 North Jackson Street, Media, PA 19063, 610-891-4100. That line also serves Spanish speakers. Applying starts with a phone call to the office.

State law asks the applicant to sign a sworn statement saying they lack funds to hire counsel (16 P.S. § 9960.1 and following). A false statement can be charged as perjury. Income limits differ from county to county, so ask which papers to bring, like pay stubs. The office's lawyers handle juvenile cases, preliminary hearings, trials and probation violation matters.

Act 34 of 2023 means the state now covers part of what counties spend on public defenders. A state committee is building standards for that work.

Serious cases are decided by the Court of Common Pleas of the 32nd Judicial District, inside the courthouse at 201 W. Front St., Media, PA 19063, 610-891-4000. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Felonies and misdemeanors arrive here once a preliminary hearing sends them up.

Early hearings happen in the 26 magisterial district courts below, grouped by building where several share one:

• 529 Penn Street, Chester, PA 19013: 32-1-20 (610-876-2151), 32-1-21 (610-874-7180) and 32-1-22 (610-874-1790)
• 1500 Garrett Road, Suites 150 and 200, Upper Darby, PA 19082: 32-1-33, 32-1-34 and 32-2-51, one shared line 610-626-6900
• 11 Bartram Avenue, Glenolden, PA 19036: 32-2-40 (610-583-6646) and 32-2-42 (610-583-6647)
• 56 Powell Road, Springfield, PA 19064: 32-1-32 (610-543-2366) and 32-2-54 (610-690-7668)
• 32-1-23: 100 Clifton Avenue, Collingdale, PA 19023, 610-534-3443
• 32-1-27: 796 Parkway Boulevard, Broomall, PA 19008, 610-338-2250
• 32-1-28: 349 West Baltimore Avenue, Media, PA 19063, 610-566-0872
• 32-1-30: 1936 MacDade Boulevard, Woodlyn, PA 19094, 610-532-0320
• 32-1-36: 526 W. Ridge Road, Linwood, PA 19061, 610-859-9748
• 32-2-37: 150 S. MacDade Blvd., Suite E, Darby, PA 19023, 610-534-3504
• 32-2-38: 2901 Dutton Mill Road, Suite 120, Aston, PA 19014, 610-558-3520
• 32-2-39: 2 Cambridge Road, Suite 300, Brookhaven, PA 19015, 610-874-8178
• 32-2-43: 4655 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073, 610-356-2997
• 32-2-44: 1028 Lincoln Avenue, Prospect Park, PA 19076, 610-534-5627
• 32-2-46: 939 N. Providence Road, Media, PA 19063, 610-566-3495
• 32-2-47: 60 W. Marshall Road, Lansdowne, PA 19050, 610-259-8848
• 32-2-48: 27 S. Pennell Road, Lima, PA 19037, 610-565-4110
• 32-2-49: 485 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, PA 19342, 610-558-3605
• 32-2-52: 409 Ashland Avenue, Suite 1, Secane, PA 19018, 610-622-8102
• 32-2-53: 525 West Chester Pike, Suites 103 and 105, Havertown, PA 19083, 610-449-5189

Federal crimes go downtown to the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse, 601 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, clerk 215-597-7704.

Save that receipt. The state rule says the named depositor gets the deposit back no later than 20 days after the case fully ends (Pa.R.Crim.P. 535). The county may hold back a fee for running its cash bail system. The Office of Judicial Support, 610-891-5693, can tell you the size of that fee and how the check arrives.

If the defendant was listed as the depositor, a judge may apply it to fines, court costs and restitution. A deposit made in a relative's own name gets more protection from that. Signing as surety, though, can leave that relative owing every dollar of the bail.

Skipping court turns things around fast. A bench warrant can follow. The whole bail can be forfeited, and fresh charges are possible. Someone picked up on that warrant is owed a hearing within 72 hours after landing in this county's jail (Pa.R.Crim.P. 150). A stay in some other county's jail can push that back.

The release unit gives each person one free phone call. People with no ride home are handed a one-way SEPTA pass that includes a transfer.

• Drivers pick up in the front parking lot at 500 Cheyney Road, Thornton, PA 19373. Uber and Lyft are kept off the grounds.
• SEPTA route 119 stops at the front at 1:25 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. after the 1:00 p.m. release, then at 9:05 p.m. and 10:20 p.m. after the 9:00 p.m. release.
• Report lost or broken property on the county's online property claim form.
• Questions about leftover account money or forgotten items go to Records at 610-361-3200.

Before discharge, staff can also connect people with addiction or mental health care. Our inmate money guide shows how unused funds are usually refunded.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania takes federal crimes from this county. Hearings take place downtown in the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse, 601 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, with the clerk's office at 215-597-7704.

1. A detention hearing follows within days. At it the judge weighs release with conditions against jail until trial (18 U.S.C. 3142).
2. U.S. Pretrial Services, 600 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 267-299-4400, writes a background report for that judge.
3. People who are held belong to the U.S. Marshals Service, 601 Market Street, Room 2110, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 215-597-7272.
4. Eastern District detainees are kept at FDC Philadelphia, 700 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 215-521-4000.
5. Lawyers for federal defendants who can't pay come from the Federal Community Defender, whose office is Suite 540 West at 601 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 215-928-1100.
6. A sentenced federal prisoner can be traced on the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

No. ICE holds and state bail are two separate things. Expect these steps:

1. First comes the detainer itself: Form I-247A, which ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) delivers to the jail.
2. Its request: hold the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, which gives agents time to pick them up (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. In Galarza v. Szalczyk (3d Cir. 2014), Pennsylvania's federal appeals court called a detainer a request rather than a command. If a county keeps a person only on a detainer, the county may be liable. So jails here set detainer policy one by one; ask this one at 610-361-3200.
4. The ICE Philadelphia Field Office covers this region: 114 N. 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-656-7164.
5. Try the ICE Online Detainee Locator. Type in the A-number, or the name plus the country of birth.

Sentences here come as a span of time, for example 1 to 3 years. The bigger number, known as the maximum, settles where the time is served (42 Pa.C.S. § 9762):

• Maximum below 2 years: served in the county jail.
• Maximum of 5 years or longer: served in state prison.
• A range topping out between 2 and 5 years: normally state prison; a county stay needs the judge, the DA and the jail to agree.

New state prisoners spend their first weeks, sometimes months, being tested at a reception and classification center. After that they are sent to a prison matched to them. Follow them on the DOC inmate locator, or phone the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, 1920 Technology Parkway, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050, 717-728-2573. Each prison is described on our Pennsylvania state prisons page.

For most youth, the case goes to juvenile court and not adult court (42 Pa.C.S. § 6301 and following). Juvenile Probation handles intake at the Fronefield Building, 201 West Front St., Media, PA 19063, 610-891-4721. Parents should call there first for the child's location and the hearing date.

• Youth who must stay locked up are sent to centers in other counties. Recent county board records place youth at Abraxas Academy, 1000 Academy Drive, Morgantown, PA 19543, 610-913-8000, and at the Chester County Youth Center, 505 South Wawaset Road, West Chester, PA 19382, 610-344-6700.
• Teens of 15 to 17 who are accused of murder, or of some armed violent crimes, begin in adult court. Their lawyer may then ask that the case be sent to juvenile court.
• A youth charged as an adult can be held at the adult jail. Juvenile records stay off the public court website.