Post-Conviction Bonds a Promising Solution to Prison Overcrowding

Prison overcrowding has become an ever-evolving dilemma for many states, where each new solution creates a new assortment of problems. The end result has been prisons operating grossly over capacity, such as in California, where the state’s 33 prisons were designed to hold 84,000 inmates but are packed with 158,000. States are being forced to release prisoners early and turn away new inmates, which is giving criminals the opportunity to become repeat offenders without much consequence. With current solutions proving largely ineffective, bail... Read more

Pretrial Bill Sees Controversy in Florida

ST. JOHN, FL – Senator John Thrasher is advocating a bill — Senate Bill 782– which would limit access to pretrial programs by limiting the requirements for legibility more strictly. Thrasher and other advocates of the bill note that the new legislation would make streets safer, would save tax dollars, and would keep dangerous criminals behind bars. Opponents of the bill, including the St. Johns County Commission, note that the new law would overcrowd jails and would leave less wealthy defendants to remain in jail for long periods of... Read more

White-Collar Fugitive Commits Common Mistakes

COLUMBUS, OH – When bondsmen chase down a fugitive, they often investigate the felon’s family and friends. That tactic paid off recently for investigators searching for former National Century executive Rebecca S. Parrett. Wanted after being indicted for stealing from investors, Parrett ran from justice. However, she made a classic mistake, say investigators. She remained in email contact with her sister. The family contact allowed authorities to arrest her. Investigators and bondsmen note that ties between a fugitive and friends and family... Read more

Jail Costs Examined

BRIGHTON, CO – A recent article in a Colorado newspaper compared the costs of keeping inmates in jail and found the costs comparable to sending a teen to college. The U.S. Justice Department reports that it costs $22,000-$25,000 annually to keep someone in jail – comparable to the cost of tuition at many colleges. The cost of bail, however, brings down jail costs considerably. According to the U.S. Justice Department, many people in jail are there on bail amounts of $1,500 or less. Bailing these people out could lower overall jail expenses.... Read more

Is the Bail Bond Industry Becoming Less Lucrative?

SOLANO, CA – According to bondsman Michael Bowman of Calvin Elam Bail Bonds, the bail bond industry is becoming a less profitable business proposition. He notes that the recent economic downturn caused many local bondsmen to go out of business. Businesses like his who remained in business had to adjust and change tactics to survive. According to Bowman, even though crimes seem to be on the increase, lack of money among defendant’s families and huge bail bond firms are pushing many bondsmen out of business. In his four decades in the business,... Read more

Are Cash Bonds Dangerous?

CLARK, IN – Under Indiana Code, judges setting bond are supposed to consider the flight risk a defendant poses before posting bond. However, Clark County Circuit Court Judge Dan Moore notes that most defendants (except murder suspects) are granted bond and have the right to bond. According to the Indiana Surety Bail Agents Association, cash bonds are often used in Clark County. In that county, however, defendants do not have to sign paperwork which makes them responsible for the full bond amount. Some Indiana bond experts note that this bond system... Read more

CBAA Pre-licensing Course

The California Bail Agents Association is offering a pre-licensing course at the Double Tree Hotel in Sacramento, California. The course will be held February 20th through the 21st. For more information visit the CBAA website.  Read More →

PBUS Winter Conference

Join the Professional Bail Agents of the United States at  the 2010 Winter Conference Membership & Meeting Expo at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference takes place February 15th through the 18th. For more information visit the PBUS website.  Read More →

Bringing Unity to the Nation’s Bail Industry

For nearly three decades, the Professional Bail Agents of the United States (PBUS) association has been a haven for the bail industry to learn, network and even get bailed out with advice when thorny issues or situations arise. Founded in 1981 and based in Washington, D.C., PBUS focuses on arming members with the up-to-date information and education needed to survive and thrive in the ever-changing bail industry. PBUS counts the majority of bail companies in the United States as members, which means the association supports most of the country’s... Read more

Pretrial Release Debate Now in Virginia

RICHMOND, VA – Across the country and now in Virginia, bondsmen are speaking out against pretrial release programs. Now, The House of Delegates’ Courts of Justice Committee has passed a bill which might allow only indigent defendants to qualify for pretrial release programs. In addition, judges are still permitted to release defendants without bail, on their own recognizance. The bill has the support of bondsmen, who say pretrial programs hurt business, cost taxpayer dollars, and may allow dangerous criminals to skip court dates. Read the... Read more

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