Somerset County Jail – Somerville, NJ

Somerset County Jail is located in Somerset County, NJ and is the main correctional facility for this area. Looking for somebody at Somerset County Jail? This guide will tell you info about everything you might need to know about Somerset County Jailsuch as the following: Learn how to locate an inmate. How to view Somerset County Jail mugshots. The jail’s phone number and address. Posting bail. Booking and intake procedures. Court information. And more…

The prospect of getting arrested and going to jail is a scary and stressful idea, not only for whoever is incarcerated, but also that person’s family, friends, and loved ones. The purpose of this guide is to give you all the information and tips that you need to make going to jail a little less stressful. If you have specific questions, please feel free to ask it in the comment section below, and also any comments or feedback that would help others will be much appreciated.

Do you have a family member or friend that is locked up and want to contact them?

Do you know someone who has been arrested and you need to locate them?

To search who is in jail at Somerset County Jail you have to click on their link and do an inmate lookup.

The Somerset County Jail Inmate Roster is an online list of persons who have been arrested, including custody status, bail amount (if applicable), and schedule for visitation. You can get information for anyone arrested and processed or discharged in the last 24 hours. Inmates are listed alphabetically by last name. You’ll be able to locate the information faster if you have their full name, birth date, or inmate ID.

If the person you’re searching for is at a different jail you should look here: New Jersey Jails

A mugshot, also known as a jail processing picture, is the photo that the police take when you get booked into jail. They will take one and a side photo. Your full name and jail ID number will be on the photos, and they’re on file at the jail.

Mugshots of inmates can be found online, or you can see them in person at the Somerset County Jail. When you search for mugshots online you need to put in their legal name, and an arrest date, if you know it.

Do you want to get your mugshot taken down from the Somerset County Jail site? This may not be possible, as your mugshot is public record. You need to file a Petition to Expunge in court. What this means is that all of your arrest records would be sealed, and will not be available to the public. It is difficult to do this, and you will most likely need the services of a lawyer.

Read our in-depth tutorial about getting your mugshot removed, the many different mugshot websites, and the mugshot removal services: How To Get Your Mugshot Removed

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Naturally, if you are incarcerated, your main thought is about when you get out. After booking, your bail will be determined using the bail schedule or the magistrate will decide it. If you don’t get a bail set this might mean that you will either be released on your ‘own recognizance’ until your court date, or you must remain in jail until your trial.

If you are released you must promise to be there for your court date, and until that day you will not be permitted to leave the county.

In most cases, a prisoner in the Somerset County Jail are given time off for good behavior when they follow the rules and conduct themselves properly while incarcerated.

If you follow the rules, you may be allowed to participate in a work release program. Either you will have to return to the jail every day after work, or you might be allowed to sleep in a halfway house instead of jail, so it is kind of like an early release.

Bail is money that you will be required to pay in order to be released from jail until your trial. The amount you have to pay all depends on how serious your crime is. Someone you know will need to put up 10 percent of the total set in order for you to get discharged from jail. If you don’t go to your scheduled court date, whoever put up your bail money will lose that money.

In order to find out how much someone’s bail is, you will need to call the jail. If you’ve got the person’s info, including name, address and date of birth, they will be able to let you know the bail amount. You can also find out how much their bail is on the jail website.

Posting bail to get out of jail is never fun, but thankfully, it’s very simple to do. First of all, you need to know if their bail is a Cash Only Bond situation. If so, you can’t use the services of a Bail Bondsman. Bail can only be paid by cash – the jail will not take checks. When you’ve paid bail, the prisoner will be released into your care. If they don’t violate the terms of their bail, the bail money you posted will be returned to you.

If their bail has been set too high, of if you can’t pay it, you should try to hire a bail bondsman. Bondsmen generally charge you a fee of 10 to 15 percent of the total amount of bail set by the magistrate, and in most cases with a minimum fee of $100. This money is non-refundable and is typically cash only. If the bail has been set really high, the bondsman might require that they use your assets, such as home, property or cars, as collateral for the bond in addition to whatever their charges are.

If you need a bail bondsman go to: Find a Bail Bondsman in Somerset County

Have you ever had to use a Bail Bondsman for yourself, a family member or friend? If so, post a comment below and tell about it, and let us know how things turned out.

Click here to tell about all about it

• Early Release For Good Behavior
• Get Out on Work Release
• Released For Time Served
• Get Out on a Pre-Trial Release Program
• House Arrest
• Get Released on Your Own Recognizance

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The intake process includes the following steps:

• You will get put in a holding cell. When the jail is busy, it will take a while to get processed.
• First, will have to answer some questions, such as what is your full legal name, street address, date of birth and an emergency contact.
• You will also be asked about your psychological and medical history.
• You will be issued an inmate number.
• Your fingerprints will be taken.
• You will have a front and profile photo taken for your mugshot.
• All personal property will be taken from you and stored until you are discharged.
• They will let you make a telephone call to contact family, friends, or bail bondsman.
• If you think you will get released quickly, they will let you skip the jumpsuit and keep wearing your own clothes, but if you are not expected to make bail quickly you will have to wear a jail issued jumpsuit.

Have you been arrested and gone through jail intake? If so, please tell your story so other people can learn from your experience. How long did you have to wait in the holding cell? How were you treated? Do you have any tips that might help other people that get arrested to get through jail intake?

Click here to tell your story

When you finally post bail, you will be allowed to go home after you get discharged. Getting discharged from jail will take from 15 minutes to all day. In other words the faster you can pay your bail, the sooner you will get out of jail. How quickly you get discharged can depend on if you’ve got a bond amount or if the judge has to decide on the amount of bail to be set. For minor offenses, you will be booked and get released without having to post bail. When you have served your sentence and know the discharge date, you should expect to get discharged at any time that day – but usually in the morning.

If you have a, or if you have to report to start a sentence, you really should do the right thing and go down to the jail and turn yourself in. If it is for a warrant, report to the jail intake center, and let them know that you think there is an outstanding arrest warrant out for you. They will check to see if you have a warrant, and if there is one, they will take you into custody. If it is for a jail sentence, go to the jail on the date and time that the sentence order requires you to. Be sure that you don’t show up late. Just bring allowed items with you, such as your driver’s license or even ID, any prescription medication you might take, as well as an official sentencing order.

To have visitors, you must give each visitor’s name to the jail before anyone can visit them. This information will be put in a log of visitors as an authorized visitor. Each and every visitor will be required to provide acceptable photo identification. Any visitors that arrives for visitation late or any visitors that are not approved to visit will not be allowed to visit the inmate.
Visitation procedures at Somerset County Jail can change, so you should double-check the official Somerset County Jail jail site before you go to visitation.

Phone calls that inmates are allowed to make from jail are collect calls or through a pre-paid phone account. Calls made in jail are much pricier than phone calls made outside of jail. There is no limit to when and how often you can use the phone, but you should keep in mind that a long line can form at the phones, because everyone wants to use the phone, too. If you are disciplined for an infraction, an inmate’s phone privileges may be limited or forbidden completely.

The Somerset County Jail phone number is: (908) 231-7150

All mail has to be sent using the actual US Postal Service. You must not use any other type of delivery. You must print the inmate’s name, prisoner number, and the address of the jail on the envelope. Don’t send a box or package, envelope with padding, plastic bag, or an envelope with metal inside. All mail that you send to inmates is opened and reviewed by the jail staff, and the mail will be sent back if the jail decides it is inappropriate.

If you would like to send a letter to an inmate at Somerset County Jail, use this address:

Somerset County Jail
40 Grove Street
Somerville, NJ 8876

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Somerset County Jail
40 Grove Street
Somerville, NJ 8876

The inmate mail policy at Somerset County Jail changes frequently, so you should double check the the Somerset County Jail website when you send a letter to an inmate.

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When you’ve been arrested, you have particular rights, one of these is the right to request a lawyer. Remember that you may be limited to the amount of phone calls you can make, so it is a good idea to get a friend or relative to find a lawyer when you call them. You may be thinking ‘I don’t need a lawyer – I can just represent myself’ You’re not required to have an attorney in all cases, a lawyer can advise you of your rights, help protect your interests and show you the way through the legal system in Somerset County. The sooner you hire a lawyer to represent you and work on your charges, the better.

To read more about the benefits of hiring a lawyer, read our guide: How to Find an Attorney in Somerset County

If you need an attorney, but can’t afford an attorney, you will get a public defender. In addition, the Public Defender Office is staffed by independent investigators, experts in forensics as well as social case workers. Public Defenders are bona-fide attorneys that are members of the State Bar and are fully licensed to represent you in court and practice law.

Have you ever had to use a Public Defender or court appointed attorney? Do you think that they did a good job of defending you?

All court records are a matter of public record. Court records include a court case file containing a docket sheet and all of the motions, documents, and evidence that have been filed in the case. You can access your court case records with the website, or at the Somerset County Clerk of Court.

The Clerk of Court is a member of the court that manages the records. They also administer the oath for anyone testifying in court, and read the verdict when delivered by the jury. All court records related to your case are available at Clerk of Court.

Court costs and court fees are the charges and fees associated with your court case, which include filing charges, motion and claim fees, and court appearance fees. If you don’t have the money to pay these fees and have a Public Defender, you will not be responsible for these fees.

The magistrate is the type of judge that presides over your court case. They do many different things, such as setting your bail amount, issuing warrants for arrest, and presiding over preliminary court proceedings and detention hearings.

A defendant’s pre-sentencing report is completed to include information about your background and as much detail about the defendant’s life and public history, which the magistrate will review when determining your sentence. Information and personal details will be solicited from the person on trial, their family, and in some circumstances the victim. Don’t forget you can request to receive a copy of your pre-sentencing report before you are sentenced, so you can correct any mistakes that it contains.

If you get convicted of a crime during your trial, you will then get sentenced. There are several different options for sentencing, including community service to probation, to even incarceration in jail or prison. Depending on how serious your crime was, you might get locked up immediately, or you could be given a date that you must report to jail to do your time.

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Want to find out if someone is currently in jail, or has ever been in jail?

This is pretty simple to do, just you should query the Somerset County jail website and do an inmate search lookup, and search using:

• The inmate’s name.
• Date of birth.
• Approximate booking date.
• and their inmate ID.

If you think that they are currently in jail, you can also call the jail to find out.

If you think you have an outstanding warrant, you can find out by checking the arrest warrants on the website or you can call the court. This requires a first and last name. Or, you can just go down to the jail and ask the officer in charge. You should be clear that there is an outstanding warrant for your arrest, you will be taken into custody immediately.

If you know a person’s name, as well as their arrest date, contact the jail, either by phone, go there in person, or check online. An arrest is public record and these records are accessible by the public.

Civil processes are when someone has been served with papers, such as warrants. You can find these by going to the Somerset County Sheriff’s office, online or by phone.

All people registered as sex offenders have to be listed and registered on the sex offender databases required by the area they live in. Those listed on these databases have been convicted of a sex or kidnapping crime. You are able to view this information on the internet, but keep in mind that you will not be able to find the actual address, but only the block that they live on.

Court Records are public, and are accessible by anyone. They include a court case file that contains a docket and all of the filings and documents filed in your case. You can access the court records via the internet service ‘Public Access to Court Electronic Records’, or at the clerk’s office of the court in the jurisdiction where the case was filed.

Each state maintains a record of their state citizen’s criminal history. These state databases are connected so you can track criminal convictions from another state. You can go to the courthouse and check in person or you can check online. It helps to know the county, and in the event that the crime was in a different state, you might have to pay for a more complete search.

When you look up a person’s criminal records you will be able to find out if someone has been arrested, charged, or convicted for any crimes they may have committed, which could include:

• DUI.
• Drug Possession.
• Kidnapping.
• Rape or other sexual assault.
• Violent crimes.
• Theft.

But, when you do a criminal records check, usually won’t learn if they had:

• Tickets for speeding.
• Lost their driver’s license or license revoked or suspended.
• Any accidents.
• Other moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To search for this kind of information, you have to do a search for their driving record.

Have you ever needed to find criminal records? Was it easy? Did you do your search online or did you make a phone call to the local courthouse? Was it correct? There are plenty of reasons that folks look up criminal backgrounds and records, and your feedback might help other people.

Click here to share your story

Most Wanted

On a Federal level, the FBI has their list of the Top Ten Most Wanted Criminals. In Somerset County, the Sheriff maintains their own list of the top most wanted criminals in the county.

FBI Top Ten Most Wanted List: Link


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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

Just the thought of spending time in Somerset County Jail is something you wish you could avoid, eventually you will get used to the daily routine there. You will get an alarm to wake up each morning at six in the morning, and next you’ll have roll call. Next, you will eat breakfast. After breakfast, you will work in the work program that you’ve been assigned to. This could be working in the kitchen, laundry, or some sort of manufacturing job. While this may seem tedious, it may help you when you leave jail, as you are gaining experience in a certain field of work. Other inmates go to school, while some take part in mandated treatment programs. After lunch, there will be another roll call, then back to work. Your evening will be spent either in your cell or a common room. During this time dinner is served and you will be expected to take a shower. After another roll call, it’s lights out. Even though you will be confined to your cell, there may be enough light to read or write letters. Then again, most inmates welcome lights out, and try to get as much sleep as they can.

Most people are frightened at the idea of jail because they don’t know what to expect. If you have spent any time in Somerset County Jail, your experiences would be welcomed, if it can help another person to deal with it.

Dress Code

When incarcerated, all inmates are expected to wear the Somerset County Jail uniform. This is normally a jumpsuit or scrubs. Of note to anyone visiting an inmate – you must be properly dressed. Any clothing considered inappropriate will not be permitted.

How To Send Money to an Inmate

You will have your own ‘bank account’ while in jail. This money is used to purchase items from the Commissary. Family and friends can deposit money into this account for you, and any money you earn while in prison will also be deposited into your account. Outside money can be paid in to your account via a money order, cash or check. If someone sends a check or money order, make sure that they write your inmate ID on it. The maximum amount you are allowed in your account is $290 per month.

The rules for sending money to someone in jail is likely to change, so you should review the site before you send any money.


Commissary

The commissary is the jail store. You can purchase a number of things here, such as toiletries, snacks and writing supplies. Bear in mind that you will probably want to use the commissary daily, and any infractions will get that privilege taken away from you.

Inmate Medications

If you are on any type of prescription medication, you will be allowed to continue taking it while in jail. When you are first processed, you will be asked what medication you take. You will then be referred to the jail nurse or doctor who will be in charge of monitoring your health and prescribing your medication.

Meals

You will get three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. As expected, they are very basic, but healthy. A typical breakfast might be cereal, toast, coffee and fruit. Lunch might be spaghetti, salad, bread and milk. Dinner could be chicken casserole, rice, vegetables, dessert and milk. Contrary to popular belief, prison food has greatly improved over the years, and you might find that it’s not much different from what you would eat at home.

Pods / The Yard

The jail is designed in a ‘pod’ layout, with self-contained housing arranged around an outdoor yard. Each pod has a central control station and a common room, and the inmates take turns in using the yard. The jail is designed this way to keep certain inmates together, and others away from the general population.

Gangs

As with life in general, gangs are a part of prison life. Obviously it is best to avoid becoming a part of this environment as it will only lead to trouble. When you first enter prison, you might find yourself being ‘primed’ to join a gang, or worse, you might get their attention in a negative way. The best thing to do is keep your head down and don’t get involved.


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News and Media

News

Photos / Pictures

Videos


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Jobs

Types of Jobs at Somerset County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Somerset County Jail, overseeing the day to day operations and administration of the jail. An inmate is unlikely to have much interaction with the Deputy Sheriff, unless they have committed an infraction. Detention Officers are responsible for the custody and care of the inmates. They maintain order in the jail, and handle security. A Detention Officer is assigned to a certain pod, and therefore is responsible for the same inmates each day. They get to know the inmates on a certain level and are well equipped to handle any problems that may occur.

Apply for a Job at Somerset County Jail

Requirements:

• You must be over the age of 21.
• You must possess a High School Diploma or GED
• You must be a US Citizen.
• You must pass a Criminal, Credit and Driving History background check.
• You must pass a drug test.
• You must have a good level of fitness.
• You must be in good health.
• You must have a valid Driver’s License
• An applicant for Deputy Sheriff must possess a Law Enforcement Certification.


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Family Resources

There are resources for families of both the perpetrator of the crime and the victim. The social and emotional impact of crime is far reaching, affecting many. Families can receive professional counseling, court related assistance, social services assistance and help in navigating the criminal justice system.

If you are a family member, which resources did you find to be particularly helpful? Please let us know, as this will be helpful to other families in the same situation.

Click here to leave a comment


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Victim Resources

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.

Victim’s Rights

The Victim Rights Act grants victims the following rights:

• Victims have the right to protection from the accused.
• Victims have the right to notification.
• Victims have the right to attend proceedings.
• Victims have the right to speak at criminal justice proceedings.
• Victims have the right to consult with the prosecuting attorney.
• Victims have the right to restitution.
• Victims have the right to a speedy trial.
• Victims have the right to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

The definition of victim includes:

• Spouses and children of all victims.
• Parents and guardians of minor victims.
• Parents, guardians and siblings of mentally or physically incapacitated victims or victims of homicide.
• Foster parents or other caregivers, under certain circumstances.

There are a number of services and programs designed to help victims and their families. You can find out about these services by contacting the courthouse, or local law enforcement agency.

Victim Notification

The Department of Justice Victim Notification System (VNS) is a system that provides victims with information pertaining to their case and/or any defendants in the case. You will receive a Victim Identification Number (VIN) and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will allow you to access VNS via the internet or by phone. Here, you will find information about future court hearings, historical court events, and detailed information about the defendant. This will include criminal charges filed, the outcome of charges, sentence imposed, custody location, projected release date and any other release information. The VNS website is updated daily. You will also receive any ongoing information by mail or email.

Have you, a family member or friend ever used the Victim Notification System? If so, was it effective? Did you get the information in a timely manner? Was the system difficult to use? We would like to hear from you, so please post any comments here.

Click here to tell about all about it

Sex Offender Information and Search

All people registered as sex offenders are registered on either a national or state sex offender database. The people on these databases have been convicted of a sex or kidnapping crime. You can access this information online, but bear in mind that you will not get the exact address, rather the block that they live on.

Domestic Violence

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are services to help you. Your county will have a Domestic Violence Services office. They provide free and confidential services, such as emergency shelter information, legal advocacy, support groups and domestic violence education. They will work to help you create a safe and violence-free life, and heal from the trauma of abuse.

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.


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Reviews

Reviews of this Jail

Have you ever spent any time in Somerset County Jail? Do you know someone there? Have you ever visited someone at Somerset County Jail?

If yes, then you should write your review about it. Write about your jail experience because others can learn what to expect.

What to write in your comment:

• Conditions in Somerset County Jail.
• Jail and pod layout and facility
• Jail staff and Guards
• Commissary and food
• Having Visitors
• The other inmates – what are they like?
• Prisoner safety
• Gangs
• Inmate programs and activities


Write a Review

Tell Your Story

Anyone who’s been in jail has a story about it. How’d you get locked up? Were you mistreated? What happened to you while you were locked up? What about the other inmates? How did going to jail affect your life?

Click here to share your story about when you did time in Somerset County Jail

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Make some good friends in jail? Do you want to find out how to get in touch with an inmate you met while you were incarcerated? Leave a message for them here.

Send a message to someone at Somerset County Jail


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