Sheriff's Office
Inmate Bonding Information
Procedure for Posting Bail
A person who has been arrested and charged with a crime may be required to post bail (a bond) before being released from jail. A bond is insurance to guarantee an arrestee will appear in court for trial. If that person fails to appear for a court date, the bond money is forfeited. A bond may be posted in cash, by an arrestee or by someone on his/her behalf.
Most crimes are bondable offenses. The amount of a bond is determined by a judge or from an established schedule.
To post a bond, first make sure the person is, in fact, in a Kent County Correctional Facility. Please call (616) 632-6301 or visit the processing office, open 24 hours daily, located in the lobby adjacent to the visitor entrance.
There are two ways to post a bond:
Cash Bond: the total amount of the bond, in cash, is placed with the county to guarantee the arrestee will appear at the next court hearing. If the arrestee does not appear after posting a cash bond, the money will be forfeited. If a not guilty verdict is rendered or the case is dismissed, or at the conclusion of the trial proceedings, bond money will be refunded minus any fines and / or court costs.
If the courts sets a 10% bond, a cash deposit of 10 percent of the full bail amount is placed with the county to guarantee the arrestee will appear at the next court hearing. If the arrestee does not appear after posting a cash bond, the money will be forfeited. If a not guilty verdict is rendered or the case is dismissed, or at the conclusion of the trial proceedings, 90% of bond money posted will be refunded minus any fines and / or court costs.
Cash, credit cards, cashier's checks or money orders are the only accepted methods of payment for bail. When posting bail, cashier's checks and money orders must be made payable to the Kent County Sheriff Office. Personal checks are not accepted. A fee may be charged ranging from 8-20 percent when posting a bond by credit card. Check with your provider for specific details.
Surety bond: A bonding company posts a bond that guarantees an arrestee will appear at the next court date. Kent County and/or the Kent County Sheriff Office does not participate in the contract between an arrestee and the bonding company. The bonding company normally charges a fee for each bond posted.