Address:
60 Stokes King Road
Greenville, MS 38701
Phone:
662-537-2000
Yes, Washington County recognizes most types of bonds.
Washington County courts will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. Bail is available in several forms including personal recognizance bond, cash bail, property bond, and surety bond.
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is preset and can be set by the arresting officer. More serious crimes require bail be set by a judge.
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is preset and that information will be available during the booking process. More serious crimes require the defendant to appear before a judge. This bail hearing is required to take place within 48 hrs. of arrest, not counting weekends or holidays.
Bail is what the arrested in Washington County must pay or do to stay out of jail until the first court appearance.
The agreement to bail acts as a promise that the arrested will return to court for court dates and trial. Bail usually refers to a dollar amount, but bail can also mean something that has to be done, or a condition such as reporting to an officer of the court, a curfew, restraining orders or attending a treatment program.
Bail is usually a significant enough amount of money and/or condition that the person will be negatively impacted and has incentive to return to court and not flee. A flight risk usually means that the person would flee the area, and not necessary that they are going to take an airplane.
If a judge in Washington County feels that the arrested will return to court for further proceedings, the arrested could be released under a conditional release without needing to pay bail money. This is called Released on Own Recognizance, or ROR.
Conditions for ROR might be to obey all court orders and laws, maintain contact with the lawyer, report changes in residence or have no contact with the victim. Family support will show the court that there are people who will make sure that the defendant makes it to court.
If the judge or bail schedule determines that the defendant would be a danger to the public if they were released, bail can be denied and the person will be detained in the Washington County Regional Correctional Facility until the case is resolved or goes to trial.
Bail can be denied if the defendant did not comply with bail conditions from a previous arrest. Bail is usually denied in cases of violent offenses.
Bail and bond are used interchangeably to mean the same thing but technically, they are different. The bail is the amount to be paid and a bond is a signed document promising payment of the bail amount with certain conditions. Think of a bond as a loan to pay for the bail.
The bond payment is always written to the court in your municipality, Washington County or district directly and does not go through the defendant. Chances of obtaining a bond from a bond company or clerk of court are better if family is involved.
The thought of being in jail can cause the arrested to panic and try to secure a bond immediately.
DO NOT panic and take the time to understand all the options.
More courts are now trying to work with defendants to make bail work and might provide non-monetary options or even reduce the bail.
Payments to a bond company are not refundable. It is a long process to get back property title or money that was given to the clerk of court or bondsperson to secure the bond. This could put your loved ones into a difficult financial situation.
Another reason not to unnecessarily rush into securing a bond is that if the court notes that you came up with the money to pay a bond company, they may assume you have resources to pay a defense attorney and decline public defense.
On the other hand, as anyone who has ever been involved in their criminal defense understands, fighting your case while ‘out on the streets’ gives you a much better chance of either winning, or getting a more favorable sentence.
The following is a general guideline to bail amounts in Mississippi:
Based on a review of information from the arrest, the judge or bail officer will determine and notify the accused of which types of bonds are available to them.
To describe the types of bonds, let’s use an example of buying your neighbor’s car. Your neighbor decides the price of the car and how they would be paid.
Similarly, the court (meaning a police or bail officer, clerk of court, bail magistrate or judge) determines the bail amount and how it would be paid.
Here are different options that the seller of the car or the court might consider:
You could pay full asking price for the car in cash. This is similar to paying cash bail. The full amount of bail would be paid to the town or county clerk or at the jail. Cash, cashier’s checks and credit cards are usually accepted.
You could sign an agreement on your own or with another person to pay for the car at a future date knowing that your neighbor would know where to find you if you stopped payment. This would be similar to a cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond which are bonds to where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible for making sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up.
Surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
You can put a deposit down for your neighbor’s car and sign an agreement that the car will be paid off at a later date. Cash percentage in lieu of bonds is when the defendant pays a percentage of the bail amount, usually 10%, to the court which then holds the money until the case is over.
The amount is returned to the person who paid the 10% after the case is over. In most cases, the full amount is not returned if there are court fees or fines due. This is a type of surety bond if another person signs the bond paperwork.
You could sign an agreement that if the car were not paid off, that your neighbor would get your house or something of value.
A property bond is a bond that the courts might consider in which the bond is pledged in land or home real estate (mobile homes are not accepted).
Usually, the property must be in the same state as the courts, and it must be worth at least 1 ½ - 2 times the amount of the bond.
There are multiple court fees involved to execute a property bond with the courts and a tedious process to get the property deed back. This is another type of surety bond if another person or a bond company is used to secure the bond.
You could also go to a local bank and take out a car loan offering property or anything of value for collateral. You may get someone to co-sign on the loan and offer their property. The bank charges fees, interest and could keep your property if you did not pay the loan back, or even on time.
A professional bondsperson makes money, at least 10% of the bond amount by providing you with a “loan” called a bond. The percent that they charge is fixed by the state and cannot be negotiated. The defendant or surety does not get that 10% or more back even if the terms of the bail are met.
With a property bond, the property deed would need to be signed over to the bondsperson and everyone on the deed would need to be involved.
Since the bondsperson signed off, to be responsible that you show to court as your surety, they can send a bounty hunter to bring you to court if you flee. A bondsperson does not have to give you a bond if the defendant seems to be too much of a risk.
Ask the bondsperson to explain all the costs: percentage, fees or court fees. There is never a reason to rush through signing the paperwork with a bond company. Make sure that everything told to you is in writing and that you understand what you are signing. Ask questions, and if you feel rushed or don’t understand the contract with the bond company, you might want to call another one.
(There have been phone scams where a bond company calls and informs a person that their family member has been arrested and they ask for financial information. A bondsperson will not call asking for money without involvement of the arrested.)
Yes, Washington County recognizes most types of bonds.
Washington County courts will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. Bail is available in several forms including personal recognizance bond, cash bail, property bond, and surety bond.
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is preset and can be set by the arresting officer. More serious crimes require bail be set by a judge.
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is preset and that information will be available during the booking process. More serious crimes require the defendant to appear before a judge. This bail hearing is required to take place within 48 hrs. of arrest, not counting weekends or holidays.
Yes, your attorney may request a bail reduction at any time prior to the trial.
The person posting bail should be a relative or close friend, called a surety, because they are promising and taking responsibility that you will return to court to get their money back.
A surety is not responsible for court fees or paying off personal debts for the defendant. A professional bondsperson who is approved by the State of Mississippi could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Yes, Mississippi counties do offer online bail payment. Contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Washington County Regional Correctional Facility for more information about the jails in Washington County.
Most all jail and courts accept cash, a cashier or bankers’ check. Some accept a credit card with fees. Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Washington County Regional Correctional Facility for more information about posting bail in Washington County.
Yes. You will get it back from the court or bondsperson after the appropriate requests and formal paperwork are completed with the court, less fees or percentages kept by the bail bondsman.
No, Mississippi law does not allow 'no money down' bail or bonds. Unless you are released on personal recognizance you can expect to pay at least 10%.
A cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond are bonds where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible to make sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up. A surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
The Washington County Regional Correctional Facility or court in this jurisdiction can provide you with a list of approved and licensed bond companies, but they cannot recommend a specific company. You are not obligated to use the first company available and can call several companies to compare what kind of bonds that the bondsperson is willing to execute.
The percentage of bail that the bond company can charge is set, usually at 10%, by the state and cannot be negotiated.
Please call the jail at 662-537-2000 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Washington County Regional Correctional Facility.
A bond is set according to a court-approved schedule.
The purpose of the bond is to assure the offender's appearance in court.
Because Washington County and Mississippi can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Washington County Regional Correctional Facility at 662-537-2000, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, right after an arrestee has been booked.
Ask the staff at the Washington County Regional Correctional Facility or the Washington County Court Clerk these specific questions:
If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released.
This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.
Option 1 - How to Post Bail using Cash for a Defendant at Washington County Regional Correctional Facility
The first option, a cash bond, is to pay the full bail amount in cash, cashier's check, or money order. Personal Checks are not accepted.
Depending on the crime, this amount could be anywhere from $100 to $75,000 or more.
To pay a cash bond, go to Washington County Regional Correctional Facility or to the court where the bail hearing occurred. Going directly to the jail will quicken the release of the defendant as any bail paperwork processed at the court will have to be transferred to the jail.
Cashier's Checks and Money Orders may be made out to Washington County Regional Correctional Facility where the defendant is being held, but usually to the Washington County Sheriff's Office or to the Washington County Court.
To purchase money orders visit any Western Union, Moneygram or Post Office.
Option 2 - How to Post a Private or Surety Bond for a Defendant at Washington County Regional Correctional Facility
In the event that someone does not have the full bond amount available to him or her, there is what is called a private bond or surety bond.
This is an agreement made with a bail agent or bondsman who will post the full bail amount. In return, the defendant and/or cosigner will pay a premium to the bail agent. This premium will be 10-15% of the full bail amount.
For example, if bail is posted at $5,000, then the premium will cost approximately $500-$750.
A bail agent will often require some form of collateral, for example, a lien on a house, a car or jewelry. This is to ensure that if the defendant skips bail, or does not appear in court, the bail agent has some sort of compensation for the full bail amount being paid.
Remember, by making an agreement with a bail agent the signatory takes responsibility for paying the full bail amount if the defendant does not appear in court.
Option 3 - How to Post a Property Bond for a Defendant at Washington County Regional Correctional Facility
If you are a landowner in Washington County you may be able to post a property bond. Property within Washington County may be used as collateral to bail someone out. All owners of the property must be present to sign the bond in order for this to happen.
To find if property located outside of Washington County can be used as collateral, call a local bail or bond agent or contact a defense lawyer.
Click here for additional information on how to post bail at Washington County Regional Correctional Facility.
Anyone over the age of 18 who can produce a valid government-issued photo ID can post bail. Accepted forms of ID include a Photo Driver's License, Passport, or Motor Vehicle issued ID.
In many circumstances, if the defendant has the resources, they can post their own cash bail from jail.
Surety Bonds are arranged by a third party, typically a Mississippi state licensed Bail Bond firm.
Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.
Money or collateral will not be returned until the defendant's court case is finished, so realistically it could take several months to years, depending on the severity of the charges. If a defendant posts his or her own bail, Washington County Court may retain whatever amount of fines or fees have accumulated throughout the trial.
The Washington County Judge may order a failure to appear warrant for the person's arrest or the Judge may order a Bail Commissioner's Letter be issued that will be sent to the person with a new court date.
If cash bail was paid, the entire amount may be forfeited.
To visit an inmate in Washington County follow these steps:
For full instructions on all the benefits of using JailATM to visit a Washington County inmate, visiting an inmate at the jail itself, rates, policies, rules, dress codes, bringing children, attorney and clergy visits and more, go to our official Visit Inmate Page.
For inmates receiving mail in the Washington County Regional Correctional Facility there are different addresses and policies depending on the inmate's status, as well as what type of mail they are receiving; personal mail, legal mail, subscriptions or books sent from a third-party such as Amazon.
All mail is to be shipped to the Washington County Regional Correctional Facility:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Washington County Regional Correctional Facility
60 King Stokes Drive
Greenville, MS 38701
For complete information on mail policies, what you can send an inmate and what address to send them, check out our Inmate Mail page.
Using Jail ATM Digital Messaging with an Inmate at Washington County Regional Correctional Facility - Sending and Receiving Messages.
How It Works:
Once you sign up with Jail ATM instant Messaging you can you can send texts from the cell phone associated with the mobile number you provided at sign-up, and receive text messages from the inmate on the same cell phone. You can only use the phone number you signed up with or it won't work.
To learn more about this email service, check out our full instructions, including fees at our emailing and texting page.
To receive phone calls from an inmate in Washington County follow these instructions:
Washington County Regional Correctional Facility uses the services of NCIC for inmate phone calling. It is called a ‘friends & family account”.
In order to receive phone calls from your inmate, you need to do the following:
NOTE:
1. You cannot receive any calls to your phone number from your inmate until both you and your phone number are registered.
2. When you do receive a call, the number you will view on your phone from the incoming call is: 800-943-2189.
3. When allowed by Washington County Regional Correctional Facility, families can also leave secure voicemails for inmates to listen to.
Fees
NCIC Customer Service
Phone - 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069
Email – [email protected]
Full list of participating jails.
For all the information regarding phone calls with Washington County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, fees, limits and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.
To purchase commissary online or deposit money in an Washington County Regional Correctional Facility inmate's commissary account follow these instructions:
Note: You will be charged a fee to send money or purchase commissary for your Washington County inmate. In addition, there is a maximum amount you can send and/or spend.
Items you may Purchase from CommissaryDeposit.com:
Contact Information
Customer Support page.
Customer Support phone: 912-584-6102
Email - [email protected]
Customer Support Hours - Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM EST
For complete information on fees, products, policies, deadlines, rules, minimum and maximum deposits and all the information you need to know regarding depositing money for your inmate or purchasing Commissary online in Washington County, go to our Inmate Commissary Page or our Send Money to an Inmate Page for details.
To deposit money in an Washington County Regional Correctional Facility inmate's commissary account follow these instructions:
Note: You will be charged a fee to send money to your Washington County inmate. In addition, there is a maximum amount you can send.
Contact Information
Customer Support page.
Customer Support phone: 912-584-6102
Email - [email protected]
Customer Support Hours - Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM EST
For complete information on fees, products, policies, deadlines, rules, minimum and maximum deposits and all the information you need to know regarding depositing money for your inmate in Washington County, go to our Send Money Page for details.
