Greenville County Detention Center

Most bonds are set by a magistrate at Bond Court, inside the Law Enforcement Center, Room 116-A, 4 McGee Street, Greenville, SC 29601. Its office number is 864-467-2402, and the court calendar is on the magistrate dockets page. City judges can take and set bonds as well (S.C. Code 14-25-115). That is why Greer and Mauldin cases may be heard by their own municipal court.

The deadline is short. By statute, the judge must hold that hearing inside a day of the arrest, 24 hours at most (S.C. Code 22-5-510). The arresting officers give the judge the person's record, open charges and any bond already in place, either ahead of time or at the hearing.

Charges that can carry a death sentence or a life term, such as murder, skip the magistrate. Only a circuit judge can set bond there. The Solicitor or a defense lawyer writes up an Order for Bail, a judge signs it, the Clerk of Court files it, and the jail gets a faxed copy.

The law's starting point, when the charge cannot bring death, is release on the person's word (S.C. Code 17-15-10). Money or extra rules come only when the judge thinks they are needed. Two rules ride along with every bond: no leaving the state, and good behavior (S.C. Code 17-15-20).

• Personal recognizance. A signed promise to return to court, with no money down.
• Cash bond. The entire amount is put up in cash. A defendant can also deposit cash with the summary court judge rather than sign a pledge (S.C. Code 22-5-530).
• Surety bond. A premium goes to a licensed bondsman, who then backs the entire amount.
• Deposit of 10 percent. With the judge's OK, the defendant pays the clerk of court cash equal to no more than one tenth of the bond. Judges may not offer it on a violent offense, or on a gun felony committed while the person was already out on bond (S.C. Code 17-15-15).
• Property bond. Land is pledged at the Clerk of Court's Criminal Records Department, and each owner must appear in person.
• GPS monitoring. Instead of a dollar amount, or along with it, the court may require a tracker worn on the leg (S.C. Code 17-15-35).

No two bonds are set the same way. The judge studies the charge and the person, then names a figure. The fastest way to see it is the county inmate lookup, where each charge shows its bond. If a charge reads "temporary bond," no judge has ruled on it yet.

State law (S.C. Code 17-15-30) lets the judge think about:

• what the person is accused of
• family, work and money
• character and years spent living in the area
• old convictions and any missed court dates

The judge is also required to review open charges, other bonds the person is already out on, any listing in the gang database, and whether the person is in the country unlawfully and likely to run. Minor charges carry small limits. Third-degree assault and battery, for example, tops out at $500 and 30 days (S.C. Code 16-3-600(E)(2)). For an exact number, ring Bond Court at 864-467-2402 on a weekday.

One main number, 864-467-2309, handles bond questions for all three buildings. Go in this order:

1. Pull up the person on the inmate lookup. Note every charge and its bond.
2. Phone the main number. Confirm a bond is set on each charge. Ask where to pay today and what forms of payment staff take.
3. Ask if any other agency has a hold, since a hold can block the release.
4. Bring ID with a photo and the full payment, and hold on to the paperwork.
5. Plan on waiting. A paid bond alone does not open the door. A judge's release order has to reach the jail first, and then staff try to finish within four hours.

Releases leave from the intake and release area of Building One, 20 McGee Street, Greenville, SC 29601. State law allows no more than four hours once the bond is delivered (S.C. Code 22-5-510).

Some do, based on the kind of bond and the court. Here is how each one works.

• Clerk of Court, Criminal Records Department, County Courthouse, 305 E. North Street, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-467-8551. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Property bonds are done here. All owners of the land come in with photo ID and complete the Application for Pledge of Real Estate for Surety Bond. Have the warrant numbers, charges and bond amounts with you.
• Greer Municipal Court, 100 S. Main Street, Greer, SC 29650, 864-848-5374. Bonds may be posted at 9:00 a.m. and between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. On weekends, a judge is on duty Friday from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. and signs bonds between 9:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m.
• Mauldin Municipal Court, 5 E. Butler Road, Mauldin, SC 29662, 864-289-8898. Bond hearings and releases happen from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. on weekends and holidays.

On a magistrate case, check with Bond Court at 864-467-2402 first, to avoid a wasted drive.

Settle this by phone first. Ask the jail at 864-467-2309 what it accepts for bond today and how to fill in a money order. Do not mail cash. Bills that arrive in the mail are put with the person's stored belongings and are not used for bond.

The county's online payment page takes traffic tickets by citation number and last name. It is built for tickets and fines, so handle bond through the phone line.

The lobby kiosks at the jail add money to a spending account for snacks and calls. Our guide to inmate accounts explains those deposits. Besides property bonds, the Clerk of Court also lets you pay the full bond in cash.

Bondsmen and runners need a license from the South Carolina Department of Insurance (Title 38, Chapter 53). The agency's bondsman page has the details. Read these points before signing anything:

• The premium, which is the bondsman's charge, may not top 15 percent of the bond. The smallest allowed fee is $100 or 10 percent, whichever comes to more (S.C. Code 38-53-170(e)).
• On an installment plan, the first payment is $100 or more, and the last one is due no later than month 18.
• You will not get the premium back, even when the charges are dropped.
• Bondsmen are barred from seeking customers at courts, magistrate offices and jails. They also cannot recommend which lawyer to hire.
• Any collateral comes back within ten days after the bondsman is off the hook, unless a bench warrant was issued.

Complaints go to the Department of Insurance, 1201 Main Street, Suite 1000, Columbia, SC 29201, 803-737-6160.

A bond only frees the person on that one charge. Check for these problems:

• The release order is missing. Staff need a judge's paper before they let anyone go.
• Another agency wants them. A different county, a city or a federal office may have placed a hold.
• A circuit warrant is in transit. It can take up to 15 days for a warrant to reach the Clerk of Court, which can slow an Order for Bail.
• An old bond was cancelled. A new violent or gun felony charge, landing while a bond for one is still open, wipes out that earlier bond with no hearing needed, and a circuit hearing is held within 30 days (S.C. Code 17-15-55(C)).
• Supervision. State probation and parole for this county works from 350 Halton Road, Suite 100, Greenville, SC 29607, 864-282-4540.
• Immigration. ICE can file a detainer that keeps the person briefly.

Ask staff at 864-467-2309 to list every hold for you before any payment.

Under the state constitution, most people charged with a crime have a right to bail, and bail can't be set too high (S.C. Const. art. I, § 15). Still, a judge may say no for a charge with a possible death sentence or life term, or for a violent crime named in S.C. Code 16-1-60, as long as the judge gives the evidence due weight. On those named violent crimes, a magistrate can either set bond or refuse it.

A fresh violent crime by someone already on bond for one brings its own felony count, punishable by as much as five years (S.C. Code 17-15-270).

Crime victims must be told about the bond hearing, and they may speak there. If their notice came late, the judge must push the hearing back (S.C. Code 16-3-1525). Do not contact the victim, and do not carry notes or words for anyone. Doing so can break the bond terms.

In serious cases, the 13th Circuit Solicitor's Office argues bond. It is in the County Courthouse, 305 E. North Street, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-467-8647.

When a magistrate or city judge set bond on a General Sessions charge, a circuit judge can take a second look (S.C. Code 17-15-55). After notice and a hearing, the court may also rewrite the bond terms (S.C. Code 17-15-50).

1. Have your attorney put in writing a request for the judge to review the bond again.
2. Collect proof of work, a home address, local family and what you can really pay.
3. Suggest terms that answer the court's concerns, like GPS or staying away from the accuser.
4. If the circuit judge agrees, the lawyer drafts an Order for Bail, and the clerk sends the signed copy to the jail.

For help, call the Public Defender at 864-467-8522 or the Clerk of Court at 864-467-8551.

A person too poor to hire a lawyer has one appointed, unless they turn it down (S.C. Code 17-3-10). They sign a sworn statement about their income and savings (S.C. Code 17-3-45). Applying costs $40, though the clerk has power to reduce or waive that charge (S.C. Code 17-3-30).

• Public Defender, 13th Circuit (county office), County Courthouse, 305 East North Street, Room 123, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-467-8522
• South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense, 1330 Lady Street, Suite 401, Columbia, SC 29201, 803-734-1343

Apply right after the bond hearing. That gives the lawyer time to ask for a lower bond or a preliminary hearing.

Local criminal cases move through these courts:

• Court of General Sessions (felonies and serious misdemeanors), Clerk of Court, County Courthouse, 305 E. North Street, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-467-8551
• Bond Court, Law Enforcement Center, Room 116-A, 4 McGee Street, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-467-2402
• Gantt Summary Court, 1103 White Horse Road, Greenville, SC 29605, 864-467-8825
• Four magistrate courts named for the East, North, South and West Greenville areas:
  • East: 320 West Main Street, Taylors, SC 29687, 864-467-4625
  • North: 301 Trailblazer Drive, Travelers Rest, SC 29690, 864-467-8600
  • South: 445 E. Curtis Street, Simpsonville, SC 29681, 864-467-8470
  • West: 301 University Ridge, Suite S-T600, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-467-4640
• Family Court (under 18), 350 Halton Road, Greenville, SC 29607, 864-467-5800
• Federal court, Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. U.S. Courthouse, 250 East North Street, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-241-2700

Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Fountain Inn and Travelers Rest each have a city court for city cases. Our criminal court guide gives every address.

Cash posted with a court can be claimed back once it has done its job (S.C. Code 17-15-220). In most cases that means the charges are settled and the person made every hearing. A 10 percent deposit is paid back after the bond terms are kept, less any restitution ordered (S.C. Code 17-15-15). Pledged land is freed when the case closes, as long as the bond was never broken or revoked.

Skipping court is costly:

• A bench warrant, an order to arrest the person, goes out.
• On a felony, willfully failing to appear can bring as much as five years plus a $5,000 fine. On a misdemeanor punishable by at least a year, the limit is one year and $1,000 (S.C. Code 17-15-90).
• If the bondsman has not surrendered the person 90 days after the bench warrant, the surety bond is forfeited (S.C. Code 38-53-70).

To get a General Sessions deposit back, contact the Clerk of Court at 864-467-8551.

All releases go out through the intake and release area in Building One, 20 McGee Street, Greenville, SC 29601. Before leaving, the person can ask staff about stored items and any balance left on their account.

Callers cannot get an account balance by phone. To ask about pickup times, or to collect items for someone else, call 864-467-2309 and ask what ID and signed permission you will need. Our money guide explains how deposits and leftover funds usually work.

The Greenville Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina takes federal cases from this county. Its clerk's office is at 250 East North Street, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-241-2700, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• A federal magistrate judge rules on release or jail at the person's first hearing (18 U.S.C. 3142). If the defense wants more time, that hearing can slide up to five days. A prosecution request can push it three days.
• Before trial, every federal prisoner here is tracked by the U.S. Marshals Service. Reach the Greenville office at 300 East Washington Street, Room 232, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-232-1566, and ask which jail is housing them.
• After a prison term is handed down, track them with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

It will not. Immigration holds stand apart from state bond. Expect these steps:

1. The detainer arrives as Form I-247A, signed by an immigration officer and sent to the McGee Street staff.
2. That extra stay can last up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)). Agents use the time to pick them up.
3. State law gives the jail 72 hours to check the immigration status of anyone it books on a criminal charge. When the check shows unlawful presence, jail officials notify Homeland Security (S.C. Code 23-3-1100).
4. At the bond hearing, the judge has to think about unlawful presence and the risk of flight (S.C. Code 22-5-510(D)(4)).
5. South Carolina falls under ICE's Atlanta Field Office, which has an office at 3950 Faber Place Drive, North Charleston, SC 29405, 843-746-9800.
6. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator to see where the person went.

Short terms of up to three months are usually spent in the county jail (S.C. Code 24-3-30). A longer one hands the person to the South Carolina Department of Corrections, which chooses where they go (S.C. Code 24-3-20). Sometimes that is a county jail under an agreement.

• Every new state prisoner starts with reception and evaluation. Family cannot visit in person during that stage unless it lasts over 30 days.
• The SCDC inmate search shows who was in a state prison at midnight the night before.
• SCDC's main office is 4444 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210, 803-896-8500.
• Our South Carolina state prisons guide describes each prison.

Most people under 18 belong in Family Court. Adult court still takes a 17-year-old charged with a grave felony: one ranked Class A, B, C or D, or one with a top term of 15 years or more (S.C. Code 63-19-20(1)). An adult lockup may keep a youth for six hours, no longer, and a child of ten or younger may never be jailed (S.C. Code 63-19-820).

• Local youth are held at the county's juvenile detention facility, which the county runs under a state contract.
• Within 48 hours, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, a judge reviews whether the youth stays locked up (S.C. Code 63-19-830).
• Family Court is at 350 Halton Road, Greenville, SC 29607, 864-467-5800.
• The Department of Juvenile Justice office for the county is at 350 Halton Road, Suite 307, Greenville, SC 29607, 864-467-5875. Its staff can tell you where the youth is.

Courts here split the work by how much punishment a charge can bring.

• Summary courts are the county magistrate courts and the city municipal courts. They try charges worth up to a $500 fine, 30 days, or both (S.C. Code 22-3-550 and 14-25-65). Some laws give them more, such as shoplifting of $2,000 or less, with a fine as high as $1,000 (S.C. Code 16-13-110). A jury there has six people (S.C. Code 22-3-545).
• The Court of General Sessions is the circuit court's criminal branch. It takes every felony and the misdemeanors too big for a summary court. Each case belongs to the county where the offense is said to have occurred.
• Family Court hears charges against children under 18.

This county shares the 13th Judicial Circuit with Pickens County (S.C. Code 14-5-610). The two counties share one Circuit Solicitor and one circuit public defender.

Three buildings handle most of the work:

• County Courthouse, 305 E. North Street, Greenville, SC 29601. The Court of General Sessions sits here. The Clerk of Court answers at 864-467-8551, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except county holidays. The Solicitor and the Public Defender also have offices in this building.
• Bond Court, inside the Law Enforcement Center at Room 116-A, 4 McGee Street, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-467-2402. Magistrates there hear bond for the newly arrested.
• Family Court, 350 Halton Road, Greenville, SC 29607, 864-467-5800. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Federal charges are tried in a different courthouse on the same street, the Campbell federal courthouse, 250 East North Street, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-241-2700.

Magistrates issue warrants, set bonds and try minor criminal, traffic and civil cases. Besides Bond Court, the county runs Gantt Summary Court and four area courts that carry the names East, North, South and West Greenville.

• Gantt: 1103 White Horse Road, Greenville, SC 29605, 864-467-8825
• East: 320 West Main Street, Taylors, SC 29687, 864-467-4625
• North: 301 Trailblazer Drive, Travelers Rest, SC 29690, 864-467-8600
• South: 445 E. Curtis Street, Simpsonville, SC 29681, 864-467-8470
• West: 301 University Ridge, Suite S-T600, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-467-4640

Tickets written by state troopers and deputies are heard in the East, North and West courts and in the Fairview Austin township court. For the Fairview Austin location, call the Clerk of Court at 864-467-8551.

Six cities hold court for arrests made by their own police:

• Greer Municipal Court, 100 S. Main Street, Greer, SC 29650, 864-848-5374
• Mauldin Municipal Court, 5 E. Butler Road, Mauldin, SC 29662, 864-289-8898, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Simpsonville Municipal Court, 445 E. Curtis Street, Simpsonville, SC 29681, 864-967-9526. It shares the building with the county's South magistrate court.
• Fountain Inn Municipal Court, 300 Wall Street, Fountain Inn, SC 29644, 864-531-0644. Criminal and traffic court meets Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m.
• Travelers Rest Municipal Court, City Council Chambers, City Hall, 125 Trailblazer Drive, Travelers Rest, SC 29690, 864-834-8740 (city hall). Court meets the third Thursday at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
• Greenville Municipal Court hears traffic, misdemeanor and ordinance cases from inside the City of Greenville. Its court page has case details. For the address, ask the Clerk of Court at 864-467-8551.

Arrests outside city limits go to a county magistrate court instead.

Within 24 hours of the arrest, the person must get a bond hearing (S.C. Code 22-5-510). Most are held at Bond Court on McGee Street. The magistrate goes over the charges, checks the record and any other pending cases, and then names the release terms.

Victims get notice of this hearing and can speak at it (S.C. Code 16-3-1525). A person who wants a free lawyer should say so here and fill out the money form.

When a charge is beyond a magistrate's power to try, the defense may demand a preliminary hearing. The deadline is 10 days after bond is set (Rule 2(a), SCRCrimP). A magistrate runs it and decides whether the evidence is strong enough for the case to go forward.

A small charge stays in the magistrate or city court that took the arrest. At arraignment the defendant answers the charge. Denying it sets up a trial, either before the judge alone or before six jurors. Common local charges and their limits:

• Third-degree assault and battery: up to $500 and 30 days (S.C. Code 16-3-600(E)(2))
• Shoplifting worth $2,000 or less: up to $1,000 and 30 days (S.C. Code 16-13-110(B))
• Class A, B and C misdemeanors in General Sessions: up to three, two and one year (S.C. Code 16-1-20)

Young adults under 21 charged with alcohol offenses may ask the Solicitor's office about the Alcohol Education Program, which costs $250 (S.C. Code 17-22-520 and 17-22-550). Minor traffic charges may fit the Traffic Education Program. Both are run from 350 Halton Road, Suite 301, Greenville, SC 29607, 864-467-8717.

A felony in this county usually follows this path:

1. Arrest and bond hearing in summary court, often within a day.
2. Preliminary hearing in magistrate court, if the defense asks in time.
3. Transfer to the Court of General Sessions at the County Courthouse, 305 E. North Street, Greenville, SC 29601.
4. Court dates by mail. The 13th Circuit Solicitor's Office sets General Sessions dates and mails notices to the defendant.
5. Plea or trial, then sentencing if found guilty.

A felony's class caps the prison term (S.C. Code 16-1-20). Class A allows 30 years, Class B 25, Class C 20, Class D 15, Class E 10 and Class F five. Shoplifting over $2,000 but under $10,000 can bring five years, and $10,000 or more can bring ten (S.C. Code 16-13-110(B)).

The state keeps a list of violent crimes in S.C. Code 16-1-60, including murder, armed robbery, kidnapping and first-degree burglary. Landing on that list affects the case at several points:

• Release. Magistrates may refuse bond on listed crimes. Where death or life in prison is possible, the bond decision belongs to a circuit judge alone.
• Arrests while on bond. Picking up a new violent or gun felony while free on one cancels that bond by law. A circuit hearing follows inside 30 days (S.C. Code 17-15-55(C)). The new crime also counts as a stand-alone felony carrying as much as five years (S.C. Code 17-15-270).
• No diversion. Pretrial Intervention is closed to violent charges and to DUI (S.C. Code 17-22-50).
• Murder. The sentence is death, or 30 years to life (S.C. Code 16-3-20(A)).

Prosecutor. The 13th Circuit Solicitor's Office handles General Sessions cases for this county. It works from the County Courthouse, 305 E. North Street, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-467-8647. Call this number with questions about a General Sessions date.

Defense. The Public Defender's county office is in Room 123 of that courthouse, 305 East North Street, Room 123, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-467-8522. The person signs an oath-backed money statement (S.C. Code 17-3-45). A $40 fee comes with it, though the clerk may shrink or forgive that charge (S.C. Code 17-3-30).

The statewide agency is the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense, 1330 Lady Street, Suite 401, Columbia, SC 29201, 803-734-1343.

Yes, for some people. The Solicitor decides who gets in. The main program is Pretrial Intervention, or PTI. Finishing it ends in dismissal, after which the record may be expunged on request (S.C. Code 17-22-150).

• The county PTI office is in the Family Court Building, 350 Halton Road, Suite 301, Greenville, SC 29607, 864-467-8717.
• Applicants should be 18 or older, with no serious record and no earlier PTI.
• Take along photo ID, proof of a Social Security number, your tickets or warrants and other court papers. The office also wants a $100 payment by money order or cashier's check, payable to PTI.
• State law sets a $100 application fee and a $250 participation fee, which can be waived for those who cannot pay (S.C. Code 17-22-110).

The circuit also runs a drug court, a mental health court, a veterans court and a homeless court at the city's municipal court. Ask the PTI office which one fits.

Several free tools cover local cases:

• The county Public Index lets you search court records by name or case number.
• The General Sessions dockets list upcoming felony court weeks.
• The magistrate dockets cover Bond Court and the summary courts.

Court records will not say where someone is jailed. For that, use the jail's inmate search. For a General Sessions date, phone the Solicitor's Office at 864-467-8647. For a magistrate date, call the court that has the ticket or warrant.

County warrants are served by the Sheriff's Warrant Services Division. Its Warrants Office answers at 864-467-5241 in business hours. At night, dial 864-271-5210 and ask for warrants. City officers handle warrants within their own towns. Online, the U.S. Marshals Service keeps a 15 Most Wanted page, and South Carolina posts its PPP Most Wanted Offenders page. You can also check open cases on the Public Index. A lawyer's advice should come first. With counsel beside you, walk in to the judge who issued it, or ring that court about a fresh hearing date. The Clerk of Court sits at 305 E. North Street, Greenville, SC 29601, 864-467-8551.

Federal charges filed here are heard by the Greenville Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Its courtrooms are in the Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. U.S. Courthouse, 250 East North Street, Greenville, SC 29601, and the Clement F. Haynsworth Jr. Federal Building, 300 East Washington Street, Greenville, SC 29601. The clerk is at 864-241-2700, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

1. A detention hearing at the opening appearance settles home or jail until trial (18 U.S.C. 3142). A defense lawyer can ask that this hearing wait as long as five days, and a prosecutor can ask for three.
2. Until trial, housing for each federal defendant is arranged by the U.S. Marshals. Their local office sits in the Haynsworth building, Room 232, 864-232-1566.
3. After sentencing, the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator shows the prison.

The charges in state court go on as normal. An immigration detainer mostly matters at the moment of release. The steps:

1. An ICE officer sends the Detention Center a Form I-247A.
2. With it, McGee Street staff may hold the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. State law tells jails to check, inside 72 hours, the immigration status of each person booked on criminal charges. Those found here unlawfully are reported to the Department of Homeland Security (S.C. Code 23-3-1100).
4. At the bond hearing, unlawful presence and any flight danger count against release (S.C. Code 22-5-510(D)(4)).
5. ICE's Atlanta Field Office covers the state from 3950 Faber Place Drive, North Charleston, SC 29405, 843-746-9800.
6. The ICE Online Detainee Locator finds people in ICE custody.

Pleading guilty may carry immigration consequences. A noncitizen's lawyer should explain those risks before any plea.

If the sentence is three months or less, the county keeps the person (S.C. Code 24-3-30). If it is longer, the South Carolina Department of Corrections takes custody and decides where (S.C. Code 24-3-20).

• State prisoners begin in a reception and evaluation stage. Face-to-face visits must wait until it is done, except when it stretches beyond 30 days.
• The SCDC inmate search is updated each night at midnight. People still in the county jail will not appear.
• SCDC: 4444 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210, 803-896-8500. SC VINE alert line: 866-727-2846.
• Our South Carolina state prisons guide has visiting and mail facts for each prison.

Family Court, 350 Halton Road, Greenville, SC 29607, 864-467-5800, hears most cases against children. A 17-year-old goes straight to adult court if the felony falls in Class A through D, or if its maximum is at least 15 years (S.C. Code 63-19-20(1)).

• A youth kept in custody is placed at the county's juvenile facility, Greenville Youth Services, run by the county under a state contract.
• A judge reviews detention within 48 hours, a count that leaves out weekends and holidays (S.C. Code 63-19-830).
• A Family Court judge may hold a waiver hearing and move a 14-, 15- or 16-year-old's serious felony to General Sessions (S.C. Code 63-19-1210).
• The Solicitor also offers Juvenile Arbitration, Juvenile PTI and a Juvenile Drug Court.
• The Department of Juvenile Justice county office is at 350 Halton Road, Suite 307, Greenville, SC 29607, 864-467-5875.

The state constitution lets victims be told about, and speak at, every hearing on bond (S.C. Const. art. I, § 24). Police must try to tell victims about the arrest and the bond hearing. A judge must delay the hearing if notice came too late (S.C. Code 16-3-1525).

• The Solicitor's Victim Witness program helps victims through the case. Call the Solicitor's Office at 864-467-8647.
• Free custody alerts come from SC VINE or by phone at 866-727-2846, in English and Spanish.
• The Victim Advocacy Division of the Attorney General works from the Rembert Dennis Building, 1000 Assembly Street, Room 519, Columbia, SC 29201, 803-737-3739.

Relatives and friends of a defendant must stay away from the victim, in person and through others. Any contact can put the bond at risk.