Mass incarceration in the United States is recognized as a large problem, and even county and municipal jails can be overcrowded. People are in jail for various reasons, one of which is not being able to afford bail for pretrial release. Bail bondsmen in Van Zandt County, Texas provide surety bonds to the court for some of these people. This functions as an alternative to bail.
Things to Understand About Jails
Jails have some different functions than prisons do, although both facilities keep people behind bars. Jails are also known as detention centers. These facilities have a high turnover rate because so many people are released within a few days or even a few hours. Some are released on bail and some with a GPS monitoring system in the form of an ankle bracelet.
People may be sentenced to a relatively short jail term for a nonviolent offense like driving under the influence, for example. People convicted of a crime and sentenced to less than one year of incarceration may serve that sentence in a jail instead of a prison. Typically, this happens with misdemeanors. People who violate their parole terms may have to finish their sentence, and often do so in a local jail.
Reducing the Rate of Jail Incarceration
One strategy proposed to reduce the rate of jail incarceration is to eliminate automatic arrest warrants for many offenses. An individual caught with cocaine or heroin for personal use, for instance, might be charged with the crime but not arrested and jailed. Until this strategy is implemented, however, people booked on relatively minor offenses will continue to need the service of bail bondsmen in Van Zandt County, Texas.
A Compelling Topic
People who need more information on bail reform and mass incarceration can find a great deal of information about this online. After someone has been forced to deal with these subjects on a personal level, they become a more compelling topic. Anyone who needs assistance securing freedom for a loved one after an arrest can get in touch with us at A to Z Bail Bonds.
