How Bail Decisions Vary Across New York Counties
February 24, 2026 · 5 min read
New York's bail reform laws changed how courts handle pretrial detention. According to New York DCJS Pretrial Release Data, there is significant county-by-county variation in how defendants are released after arraignment.
Pretrial Release by County
| County | Cases | ROR Rate | Bail Set Rate | Remand Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings | 210,637 | 60.8% | 11.8% | 0.3% |
| New York | 177,457 | 46.7% | 14.9% | 0.4% |
| Queens | 173,985 | 55.2% | 12.1% | 0.7% |
| Bronx | 135,332 | 58.1% | 11.5% | 0.5% |
| Suffolk | 73,077 | 68.3% | 19.6% | 0.5% |
| Nassau | 73,037 | 47.9% | 15.6% | 0.4% |
| Erie | 44,315 | 53.2% | 26.7% | 9.9% |
| Westchester | 39,942 | 60.0% | 19.1% | 6.4% |
| Richmond | 34,119 | 53.3% | 14.6% | 0.5% |
| Monroe | 33,539 | 38.2% | 17.6% | 8.8% |
| Onondaga | 28,015 | 40.8% | 25.8% | 9.6% |
| Orange | 17,468 | 62.8% | 15.1% | 5.5% |
| Niagara | 16,608 | 59.8% | 21.5% | 3.1% |
| Oneida | 16,184 | 54.0% | 21.3% | 6.1% |
| Albany | 15,889 | 45.0% | 16.4% | 12.7% |
| Broome | 13,034 | 57.8% | 11.1% | 16.8% |
| Chautauqua | 12,683 | 48.9% | 17.0% | 7.0% |
| Schenectady | 11,471 | 47.1% | 23.1% | 10.9% |
| Oswego | 8,069 | 64.7% | 16.1% | 3.9% |
| Rensselaer | 7,718 | 47.6% | 15.0% | 11.9% |
| Saratoga | 7,695 | 55.9% | 14.4% | 5.6% |
| Dutchess | 7,576 | 53.1% | 21.6% | 7.0% |
| Chemung | 6,797 | 62.1% | 25.4% | 5.9% |
| Ulster | 6,611 | 60.7% | 8.6% | 5.9% |
| Jefferson | 5,839 | 60.7% | 16.3% | 10.0% |
| Cattaraugus | 5,248 | 57.2% | 12.0% | 5.7% |
| Steuben | 4,583 | 63.7% | 13.2% | 7.6% |
| Cayuga | 4,494 | 59.8% | 21.4% | 11.3% |
| Warren | 3,894 | 55.2% | 16.7% | 6.5% |
| Clinton | 3,740 | 52.8% | 14.5% | 5.3% |
What the Data Shows
- ROR (Released on Own Recognizance) is the most common pretrial release decision statewide.
- Some counties set bail at much higher rates than others for similar charges.
- Remand rates are generally low but vary by county and charge severity.
Source: New York DCJS Pretrial Release Data. Bail decisions reflect arraignment outcomes. ROR = Released on Own Recognizance. These are aggregate statistics and do not predict individual outcomes.
Data source: New York DCJS Pretrial Release Data. Last updated March 2026. — NewYorkCourtFile.com
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