Gloria McDonald Women’s Facility Inmate Bail & Bonds
Providence County bail and bond: Cranston intake, city cells, and bail commissioners
Providence County has no jail of its own. Men arrested here are booked at the Intake Service Center in Cranston, run by the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, phone (401) 462-2285. Women awaiting trial go to the Gloria McDonald Women's Facility, (401) 462-0787. Look the person up with Providence County Inmate Search to see custody, booking and release. For bail questions the search cannot answer, call the bail line at (401) 462-2261.
Is there a jail run by Providence County?
No. Rhode Island has no county jails and no county sheriff running one. The state Department of Corrections runs a single system in Cranston, and every arrest in Providence County ends there if the person is held. Men go to the Intake Service Center, 18 Slate Hill Road, Cranston, RI 02920, (401) 462-2285.
How do I check whether my son has reached the intake center yet?
Enter the name in Providence County Inmate Search. Someone sitting in a police cell will not show until the police send him to Cranston. For a person already committed, the RIDOC automated line at (401) 414-2871 runs all day and night and can give location, charges and bond details. The bail desk at (401) 462-2261 answers what the search cannot.
What if the person arrested is a woman?
The Intake Service Center holds men only. Women awaiting trial are held at the Gloria McDonald Women's Facility, 20 Fleming Road, Cranston, RI 02920, (401) 462-0787.
What happens inside the Providence police cells?
The Providence Public Safety Complex, 325 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903, has cells and a processing area. People enter through the garage, and they stay in a cell until they go to court, are released, or are taken by another authority. Release needs identification by photo and fingerprints, background checks and two officers' approval.
Can my brother call me from the station?
Yes. Providence policy gives a detainee a phone call within one hour of being held. Woonsocket gives a free call on an unrecorded line to reach a lawyer or arrange bail. Write down the station name, the charge and any bail amount.
My daughter was arrested in Pawtucket, Cranston or Woonsocket. Where do I go?
Start with the arresting department. Pawtucket Police are at 121 Roosevelt Avenue, (401) 727-9100. Cranston Police are at 5 Garfield Avenue, (401) 942-2211. Woonsocket Police are at 242 Clinton Street, (401) 766-1212, and its cell block has fifteen cells. Cumberland, Lincoln and the other towns work the same way: call that town's police, then use the search.
Which District Court takes my case, and where is it?
The town of arrest decides. The Sixth Division sits at the Garrahy Judicial Complex, One Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903, second floor clerk, (401) 458-5400. It covers Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Woonsocket, Burrillville and Cumberland. The Third Division sits at the Noel Judicial Complex, 222 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886, clerk (401) 822-6750. It covers Cranston, Johnston, Lincoln, North Providence, North Smithfield, Scituate, Smithfield, Foster and Glocester.
What does the Licht Judicial Complex handle?
Providence and Bristol County Superior Court cases are heard at the Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903. The Superior Court clerk on the fifth floor is (401) 222-3250. Use that number for questions about a deposit receipt or a bondsperson's paperwork.
What is a bail commissioner?
A bail commissioner is a justice of the peace appointed by the Chief Judge of the District Court. When courts are closed, such as evenings, weekends and holidays, a commissioner can hold a special arraignment, usually at the police station, and decide whether the person goes home. A commissioner cannot set bail on an offense punishable by life in prison.
What does a night or weekend special arraignment cost?
The fee is $50 per person. For a session requested between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., the fee is agreed with the commissioner and cannot go above $200. The Judiciary says the fee is not refunded and does not count toward the bail amount.
Who is turned away from a special arraignment?
Under Providence police policy, a person who is on bail or probation on an older case is not eligible, and neither is anyone judged a danger to self or others. Everyone must first be processed through the state criminal records check. Ineligible people wait for the next court session.
How soon will a judge see my relative?
A District Court judge must see an arrested person without unnecessary delay and give a prompt hearing on bail. A special arraignment at a police station does not replace the formal District Court arraignment, which the person still has to attend. For certain serious charges, the judge may send the person to a Superior Court justice within 48 hours, not counting weekends and holidays.
What kinds of bail does Rhode Island allow?
A judge may release a person on a written promise to appear, on a surety, or after a deposit of 10 percent of the bail amount with the court. Cash alone cannot be the only money condition unless the person owes court-ordered restitution. A court can also order release without bail under supervision. If the person appears at every date, the deposit comes back, after restitution or court assessments are taken out.
Can I pay bail at the courthouse, and what do I bring?
Yes. To post bail at a court, you must show a driver's license or a Rhode Island Identification Card. The judge or clerk issues a certificate for a deposit, and the certificate is shown to the custodial officer to arrange release. For men already at Cranston, the bail information line is (401) 462-2261.
How does a bondsperson fit in?
A person who posts a bond for pay in a felony case must be approved and registered by the Presiding Justice of the Superior Court or a designee. The court can revoke that registration at any time, and must revoke it if the bondsperson does not satisfy a recognizance within 180 days after process issues. When a registered bondsperson's surety is forfeited, the court may take no more than 10 percent of the bail and gives six months to bring the defendant back. Ask for the fee in writing before you sign. Superior Court questions go to (401) 222-3250.
Can a house or land secure a release?
The court that sets the bail decides what can secure it, so ask before you gather any deeds. Call the Superior Court clerk at (401) 222-3250 for felonies, or the Sixth Division clerk at (401) 458-5400 for District Court cases in Providence and its nearby cities.
Why would a judge deny bail?
Article I, section 9 of the state constitution lets a court deny bail for offenses punishable by life in prison, for certain dangerous-weapon cases when the person has a prior such conviction, and for drug sale, manufacture or delivery charges and possession carrying ten or more years. In each, the proof of guilt must be evident or the presumption great. For those drug charges the person is presumed dangerous and must rebut it. A probable bail or probation violation can also lead to commitment without bail.
Who is my free lawyer?
The Office of the Public Defender serves the whole state, including Providence, at (401) 222-3492. The judge explains the right to appointed counsel at the first appearance. Ask for a lawyer there if the family cannot hire one.
My 16-year-old was arrested. Where is he taken?
Children are handled in Family Court. For Providence County that is the Garrahy Judicial Complex, clerk (401) 458-3200. Providence police may hold a juvenile charged with a felony or misdemeanor for up to six hours, apart from adults. The Rhode Island Training School in Cranston, run by the Department of Children, Youth and Families at (401) 528-3500, takes detained youth only on a Family Court order. The court must find substantial risk of harm and hold a probable cause hearing within five calendar days.
I put money on his account. Is that bail?
No. Money added to an inmate's account does not release anyone. The 24-hour deposit line is (866) 345-1884. Bail goes to the court or the commissioner.
Providence County bail contacts
- Men's jail
- Intake Service Center, 18 Slate Hill Road, Cranston, RI 02920, (401) 462-2285
- Bail line
- (401) 462-2261
- Women
- Gloria McDonald Women's Facility, 20 Fleming Road, Cranston, RI 02920, (401) 462-0787
- Custody lookup
- Providence County Inmate Search; automated line (401) 414-2871
- Superior Court
- Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903, (401) 222-3250
- District Court
- Sixth Division, Garrahy Judicial Complex, One Dorrance Plaza, Providence, (401) 458-5400; Third Division, Noel Judicial Complex, Warwick, (401) 822-6750
- Family Court
- Garrahy Judicial Complex, (401) 458-3200
- Public defender
- (401) 222-3492
- Youth detention
- Rhode Island Training School, Cranston, via DCYF (401) 528-3500
Fees, hours and phone numbers can change, and a judge can set a different amount. Confirm with the court or the bail line before you send money. This page is a general guide and not legal advice.
Gloria McDonald Women’s Facility
Address:
20 Fleming Road
Cranston, RI 02920
Phone:
401-462-0787
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Providence County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Rhode Island?
Who can set bail in Rhode Island?
When is bail set in Rhode Island?
Does Rhode Island have bail?
Yes, Rhode Island recognizes most types of bonds.
If bail is posted at the prison or police station with a Bail Commissioner (Justice of the Peace), any fees that you pay are non-refundable and not part of bail. These are a list of non-refundable fees based on the charged crime:
- Warrant Assessment: $125, Violent Crime Offenses: $$100, Domestic: $125,
- Child Molestation: $100
- Violent Crimes Indemnity Fund. Serious Felony: $150, Minor Felony: $90, Misdemeanor: $30
- Probation and Parole Fund. Serious Felony: $300, Minor Felony: $180, Misdemeanor: $60
What kind of bonds are accepted in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Rhode Island?
Bail is set in Rhode Island by a Bail Commissioner, Justice of the Peace or County Judge, depending on the severity of the crime.
When is bail set in Rhode Island?
If a Bail Commissioner is available, and permitted to set bail for the charges filed, bail may be set at time of arrest. If a District Court is required to set bail it will occur on the next court date, which does not include weekends or holidays. If a County Judge is required to set bail it will also occur on the next court date, which does not include weekends or holidays.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Providence 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 Providence 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 Gloria McDonald Women’s 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, Providence 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 Providence 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 bank 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 Providence County have bail?
Yes, Providence County recognizes most types of bonds.
If bail is posted at the prison or police station with a Bail Commissioner (Justice of the Peace), any fees that you pay are non-refundable and not part of bail. These are a list of non-refundable fees based on the charged crime:
- Warrant Assessment: $125, Violent Crime Offenses: $$100, Domestic: $125,
- Child Molestation: $100
- Violent Crimes Indemnity Fund. Serious Felony: $150, Minor Felony: $90, Misdemeanor: $30
- Probation and Parole Fund. Serious Felony: $300, Minor Felony: $180, Misdemeanor: $60
What kind of bonds are accepted in Providence County?
Providence County recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Providence County?
Bail is set in Providence County by a Bail Commissioner, Justice of the Peace or County Judge, depending on the severity of the crime.
When is bail set in Rhode Island?
If a Bail Commissioner is available, and permitted to set bail for the charges filed, bail may be set at time of arrest. If a District Court is required to set bail it will occur on the next court date, which does not include weekends or holidays. If a County Judge is required to set bail it will also occur on the next court date, which does not include weekends or holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Providence County Rhode Island?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances, let the bond officer know. Your attorney can also request a bond reduction.
In Providence County Rhode Island, 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 Rhode Island could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Providence County Rhode Island?
Rhode Island counties do not currently offer online payment for bail.
What options are there to pay bail in Providence County Rhode Island?
Most all courts accept cash, a cashier or bankers’ check. Some accept a credit card with fees. Contact the Providence County Court for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted: Go to the Gloria McDonald Women’s Facility for more information about posting bail in Providence County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Rhode Island?
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 Providence County?
The judge or officer who sets bail determines which kind of bail will be an option for you, but a cash bond and PR bonds usually do not require cash down, though you might have to pay court fees.
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 Rhode Island?
The Gloria McDonald Women’s 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.