How Do I Locate a Loved One After an Arrest?

November 09, 2021

By Andy Callif Bail Bonds

Seeing or hearing about a loved one getting arrested can be upsetting. Understandably, you may be concerned about their well-being. Accordingly, one of your top priorities will be to get them out of jail as soon as possible after the arrest. During this stressful time, it may be difficult to know where to go and who to contact to ensure that the pretrial release process begins right away and that your loved one is returned home quickly.

At Andy Callif Bail Bonds, we want to help reunite friends and family members with loved ones after an arrest. Thus, we provide the answers you need to navigate the bail process. In this blog, we discuss the steps you can take to locate a loved one after an arrest. However, we know that when emotions are high, you can face challenges when trying to get the information you need. Please feel free to reach out to us at any time on any day, and we will be happy to clarify and explain the process.

Your Loved One's Rights After an Arrest

If your loved one has been arrested, they are afforded various protections to facilitate a fair criminal justice process. One of their rights after an arrest is to contact a person of their choosing – a friend, family member, criminal defense attorney, bail bondsman, or another responsible party.

During the initial phone call, your loved one may tell you that you have been arrested and the crime they have been accused of. It is important to write down this information, as you will need it to begin the process of bailing them out of jail.

Because this is a time of high emotion, you and your loved one might not be able to fully grasp what is going on and what steps you need to take to secure pretrial release. As such, even though they might have given you information about what charges they are facing, they might not have provided booking details or where they are being held. So what do you do then?

How to Locate Your Loved One

In today's age of technology, it is easier to find a loved one after an arrest. One of the first processes they will go through is booking. This is where a law enforcement official records your loved one's personal identifying information and takes their photograph and fingerprints. All of these details are logged digitally and input into the police station's database.

Thus, you can almost immediately access your loved one's arrest information. And you have a couple of different options for locating them. You can contact the police station or county sheriff's offices to get their booking details. In some cases, you might need to call the jail itself.

Your other option is to access the law enforcement agency's or detention center's inmate locator. Services are available online allowing you to input your loved one's name and retrieve their booking details.

What to Do After You Know Where Your Loved One Is

Once you have your loved one's inmate information, you can get started on working to secure their release from jail. Of course, you must also wait until after their bail hearing to know how much you must pay the court. The bail hearing is typically held within a couple of days after the arrest.

Generally, bail amounts are high. The reason is that the court wants to ensure that the defendant is "incentivized" to return for all scheduled hearings.

You might not have the funds on hand to bail your loved one out of jail. However, that does not mean they must remain in police custody while their case is pending. You can contact a bail bonds agency for help with pretrial release.

The bail bonds company will assess a small premium (no more than 10% of the bail amount) for their services. You simply need to provide the details about your loved one's situation as well as their booking information, and a bail bonds agent will take care of the rest.

Depending on the jail's resources, your loved one could be returned home within a few hours.

We understand that this can be a frightening and complicated experience. But rest assured, when you reach out to Andy Callif Bail Bonds, a friendly and knowledgeable member of our team will be beside you throughout the entire process.

Our Ohio bail bonds agency serves clients in the following areas:

To help your loved one get out of jail after an arrest in Columbus or the surrounding areas, contact us at (614) 945-4334. We are available 24/7.

Categories: