19 Sep How To Know If Someone In Jail Needs a Bail Bond
When you’ve worked in the bail bond business as long as I have, you hear a lot of questions about the process, the costs, and the easiest way to get their loved ones out of jail quickly and inexpensively. One of the most common questions that a defendant’s family members or friends ask is: “Is it possible to call my brother (or sister, son, daughter, husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, friend, etc.) in jail? How will I know if they need a bail bond if I can’t contact them?”
The simple and unfortunate answer to this question is: “You can’t.”
Jails are just not set up to receive calls; there simply aren’t enough personnel, phones, or organizational structures in place to manage the overwhelming number of phone calls that would come in if they did! Chances are, if you call a jail asking to speak to a defendant, the officer on duty will ask you to wait by your phone until the arrested party is granted a phone call. Because many mobile operators won’t connect COLLECT calls, however, many jail or prison calls never reach their intended destination, and those waiting never actually hear from their arrested friends or loved ones.
In response the “no phone calls” answer, clients’ next question is often: ” If I can’t speak to the defendant, wow do I know if I should hire a bail bondsmen?”
To this I say: “Jails are uncomfortable, unpleasant places filled with frightening people who may have recently done some very terrible things. If you were waiting in jail, wouldn’t you want someone to bail you out, even if you couldn’t get in touch with them?”
The fact is, if your friend or loved one is arrested and you don’t hire a bail bondsmen, it could be days, even weeks, until their court date; during this time, they could lose their jobs, miss important school days, fail to meet their social obligations, or worse. If money is an issue, most bail bondsmen offer flexible payment plans and other ways to cover the relatively small bail bondsmen fee. Take it from me, purchasing a bail bond for a friend or family member is far better than helping them look for a new job when their legal problems are behind them!
For more great info and advice about the bail bond process, visit Bill’s Corner often or read the Armstrong Bail Bonds Blog.