Westchester County Department of Correction

The Department of Correction enforces visitation procedures at the Westchester County Jail. Procedures were put into place to avert attempts by visitors to smuggle contraband to inmates.

Highlighted below are some of the important measures:

• Visits to inmates will be limited to two visitors in total, including children. Previously, an inmate could be visited by four individuals, including up to three children.
• All physical contact between inmates and visitors will be limited to a brief embrace and kiss at the beginning and at the end of the visit, under the direct supervision of correctional staff.
• No additional physical contact will be permitted during a visit, including hand-holding, kissing, handshakes or the passing of infants between parties.
• Violations of this policy will result in termination of the visit.
• Only one visit may be on the weekend or a recognized holiday.

Inmates will still be entitled to the same number of visits per week (two, including one on the weekend) and the visitation schedule remains the same.

Vistors are reminded that any attempts to introduce contraband (meaning drugs, weapons, tobacco or other impermissible items) into the county jail will result in denial of visits, arrest and prosecution.

Q: How can I leave money or property?

A. You must have a valid photo ID in order to leave money or property for any inmate.

Money can be posted in person to an inmate’s account using the Touch Pay kiosks located in the Jail lobby for both male and female inmates Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Money can be posted online to an inmate’s account 24 hours a day 7 days a week using the Touch Pay website. Please visit the Touchpay Portal to add funds to an inmate’s account online using a major credit card.

Packages for both male and female inmates will be accepted Monday through Friday from 9 to 10:45 a.m. and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Please note that the package window is closed from 10:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. If you are uncertain what is allowable property to bring, refer to the acceptable items lists for male inmates and female inmates.

Q: How can I find information on a person in your facility?
A: The information phone number is (914) 231-1000. Inmate lookup is for any person in custody of the Westchester County DOC. Not all persons will be displayed in the lookup. For security reasons or type of inmate he/she may not appear in the custody lookup.

We can provide the following information:

• Bail status and amount of bail
• Arresting Agency
• Visiting information

You may also verify inmates by phone through the VINE system at (888) VINE-4NY or online at VINELink. 

Q: How can I contact someone in your facility?
A: Inmates cannot receive phone calls or messages. In the event of an emergency or death in the family, you must contact the shift supervisor.

You can send color photos, letters, and greeting cards directly to an inmate using our new direct print service by visiting www.westchestercountymail.com. Any photos showing the inside of the facility, nudity, gang signs, or illegal activity will not be delivered to the intended recipient.

Otherwise, you may send mail to: 

Inmate's name
PO Box 10
Valhalla, New York 10595
 
Q: How do I bail someone out of your facility with cash or credit card?
A: Posting of bail at the jail will be in the form of cash (U.S. currency) or major credit cards only. Bail can also be posted online through the Internet or by phone with a major credit card. All other forms of posting must be done at the court of record.

Bail can be posted 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is very important to remember that the bail process could take some time to complete. Help move the process along by bringing the required documentation. Learn more about posting bail.

Q: How can I send a commissary gift to an inmate online?
A: Using your credit card you can order a commissary gift online through iCare gift services.

If you have further inquiries, contact us.

Posting bail can now be handled three ways:

Bail can be posted using either cash or a credit card. Read the instructions below to understand how to follow theses processes.

Posting bail in person
Bail for male and female inmates can be posted in person 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Westchester County Jail
The Westchester County Jail is located in Valhalla, New York on the same Grasslands Campus as the Westchester Medical Center. Use the Eastview exit Route 100C off the Sprain Brook Parkway. If you are using a GPS device, enter 10 Woods Road, Valhalla, New York.

To enter the jail, park in the visitor’s lot at Grasslands Road and walk to the entrance gate, Post 1. Check in with the correction officer on duty and be prepared to present a valid government-issued photo ID with a valid current address (No P.O. boxes).  Inform the officer that you want to post bail with either cash or a credit card.

Note: Only one person will be allowed to enter the jail to post bail.

Mandatory requirements
To complete the in-person bail process, the person posting bail must:

• Be 18 years or older
• Present a valid government-issued photo ID with a valid current address (No P.O. boxes)

Forms of bail payment
The Westchester County Jail will accept only cash or major credit card bail in person. All other forms of bail (i.e. a bond) must be done at the court of record.

• Cash bail must be in United States currency only.
• Credit card bail is accepted only for bails of  $20,000 or less. If the bail is over $20,000, cash may be posted to cover the remainder of the bail. The jail accepts bail paid by VISA, Master Card, Discover or American Express. This service is provided through a third party company named GovPayEXP. Fees will apply. The cardholder is required to:
  • Be present at the jail with the credit card to be used
  • Present valid government-issued photo ID
  • Present a valid VISA, Master Card, Discover or American Express credit card
• The person you are bailing out will be checked for any active warrants or other legal holds. This may take some time to process. If he or she has any outstanding warrants this may prevent the bail from being completed.

Posting credit card bail by phone or Internet
The jail now allows bail to be posted with a credit card over the phone or through the Internet. To do either of these, you must follow the two steps below:

• Contact the Westchester County Jail at (914) 231-1020 to obtain the inmate’s JID number, the name of the court, the court docket number, the charges on the commitment and the amount of the cash bail set by the court.
  
  
• Call (877) 392-2455 or log on to the GPS Web site to pay the bail. GPS will verify your credit card information and that the credit card has sufficient funds to cover the amount of the bail. Once this verification has been made, GPS will provide you with a six digit reference number that you will be required to provide to the jail so the transaction can be verified.

Important information relating to bail posted using a credit card:

• All required documents will be filled out in the inmate’s name.
• As the card holder, you will relinquish any claim to the funds you are posting and, by doing so, must agree that the funds will become the property of the individual who is being bailed out.
• Specifically, cardholders must understand and agree that upon disposition of the case and/or charges against the defendant, any funds (i.e. the bail) that are ordered returned to the defendant by the court will not be credited back to cardholder’s credit card.  Instead, the funds will be returned directly to the defendant.
• Credit card bails using the GPS Web site or by phone are limited to $2,500.
• Credit card bails when posting at the facility are limited to $10,000.

Posting bail by bond
Important: The Westchester County Jail does not accept bail bonds.

Bail bonds must be posted directly with the court. There are numerous bail bond services in and around Westchester County. Consult your phone listings or the Internet for these services.

Crime victims can use their touch-tone phones to make toll-free calls to contact VINE, The National Victim Notification Network or go to VINELink, the online version, to get information about convicted felony offenders in the custody of the New York State Department of Correctional Services or the Westchester County Department of Correction. 

Transfered inmates require a new VINELink registration
Inmates that have been transfered from the Westchester County Department of Correction will require a new registration with the VINELink system. This can be done by phone or online at VINELink.com.

This information can be obtained free around-the-clock in both English and Spanish.

VINE provides crime and release data on all prison inmates. To get information, you must:

• Contact the prosecuting District Attorney's Office to get the inmate's New York State Identification Number (NYSID) or date of birth.
• Call VINE from a touch-tone phone at (888) VINE-4NY that is (888) 846-3469.
• Provide the offender's NYSID number, or full name and date of birth or DOCS' identification number (DIN).
• You may also register with VINE for automatic notification by telephone if the inmate is released.

To register when calling VINE, you will be asked to provide:

• The phone number at which you wish to be notified.
• A four-digit Personal Identification Number that you select to allow VINE to confirm your identity and to keep your identity confidential.