If your loved one doesn’t come home one night, you might suspect they have been arrested, especially if they had warrants out for their arrest. This can cause a lot of stress and worry, especially if you can’t contact them. Fortunately, you have ways to find out whether your loved one is being held on bail.

Check With the Local Jail Websites

Many counties maintain websites for their jail services. If you know the first name and last name of an inmate, you can find out whether they've been taken in. Usually this will give you some basic information, and you can call the jail to find out more.

But not all counties have jail websites, so you can't rely on this alone. Further, not all jail websites are updated frequently. This is a good first step, but it shouldn't be your only step.

Call Each Jail Manually

If you weren’t able to find anything through the websites, call the jails in your local counties one by one. You may find that the county hasn't processed them yet, or that they've fallen behind in updating their website.

Further, if someone has warrants in a separate county, or if they were arrested in another county, they may not be processed in the county that you think they would be. You'll have to check all the local areas to be sure.

Usually, a jail will be able to verify that someone is being held there. While you can wait for your loved one to get a phone call, they won’t always be able to get through. Even if they do get through, they might not remember your number. Today, many people rely on their phones for their contact information.

Ask a Bail Bondsman

What happens if you still can't find anything? Maybe you've already called all the local jails and you've called all the nearby hospitals, and now you really don't know where your loved one is. If you have strong reason to believe they've been arrested, a bail bondsman may be able to help.

Find Out More About the Charges

Once you know where your loved one is, you can ask about the charges. Sometimes, they may have charge information and bail information attached, so you'll know exactly how much you need to pay.

Other times, they may have charges set, but they may not have set bail yet. Your bondsman will be able to approximate how much bail they may need, but you'll still need to wait for the bail to become official.

Wait for the Bail Hearing

Though you may have located your loved one, that doesn't mean that they'll be available yet on bail. A bail hearing usually has to happen first, at which time the judge may even decide to release them. If your loved one was taken in during the night, their bail hearing may be the next morning.

A bail hearing could take up to 72 hours depending on when they come in. Once the bail hearing happens, you can bail them out. If the bail is too high, you have the option of either appealing the bail, or paying for a bond instead.

Working with a bail bondsman makes the entire process of locating your loved one and getting them out easier. If you need to locate a friend or family member, contact Matt McKeehan Bail Bonds today.

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