Jackson County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Search Jackson County Inmate Search first. The jail line, 256-574-1884, knows about Laurel Street bookings before they post online. Ask whether the person is still inside, was moved, or was released. Keep the inmate's legal name and birth date handy for Jackson staff.

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In Jackson, a judge or magistrate decides it. The jail at 256-574-1884 reads the amount from the booking record. The circuit clerk at 256-574-9320 has the written order. If the two do not match, the clerk's paper wins. Ask for the amount on each charge, because a second charge can add a second bond.

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Cash bonds go to the Jackson County circuit clerk, not to the arresting officer. The clerk is in the courthouse at 102 East Laurel Street, Suite 307, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. At the Laurel Street counter, show a state or federal photo ID and give the inmate's name plus booking number. Ask about evenings and weekends by calling the jail at 256-574-1884, since the clerk's office is closed then.

Plan on a cashier's check or money order. Ask before you go whether cash or a card is taken for your amount.

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Expect cashier's checks and money orders to be safe choices. Skip personal checks. Whether cash or cards work in Jackson depends on the court and bond size, so confirm with the clerk at 256-574-9320 before you drive over. Save the Jackson receipt and note its case number.

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Yes, when the judge allows a surety bond. Scottsboro staff may hand out a list of licensed bonding firms, though they will not pick one for you. Before you sign in Jackson, get the premium, collateral and missed-date costs on paper. Check that the agent holds an Alabama license.

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A property bond uses real estate instead of cash. Every owner on the deed has to take part and sign. The court wants proof the property is worth more than the bond, and Jackson clerks look for the deed along with an assessor or appraiser value. Before you pay for any paperwork, ask the clerk at 256-574-9320 whether land outside Jackson County is acceptable. This route is slower than cash, so start early.

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Alabama's court rules give judges a suggested range, not a fixed price. A Class C felony is suggested at $2,500 to $15,000, and a Class D felony at $1,000 to $10,000. A Class B misdemeanor is $300 to $3,000. Judges can go above or below these ranges. The Jackson order holds the actual figure, and the Laurel Street clerk can read it to you.

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Some charges can be held without bond. Capital murder is one. Aniah's Law also lets a judge deny bond after a hearing for a list of violent offenses. Amendment 1 (May 19, 2026) widened that Jackson list to attempted murder and gunfire at a car or building holding people. A Scottsboro release may also wait on a probation matter or an out-of-county warrant. Ask the clerk for the written order, and ask the jail whether another hold exists.

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Towns in Jackson County, such as Scottsboro, Stevenson, and Bridgeport, can send their own charges to a municipal court. Ask the arresting police department who holds the person and which court will set the bond. Laurel Street jail staff can say which agency made the booking.

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Only the judge can lower it, and the request normally comes from the person's lawyer. The sheriff, at 256-574-2610, cannot change it. Gather proof of the person's job, family ties and years in Jackson County. Without money for counsel, learn from the clerk how to seek an appointed lawyer.

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The clerk must receive the payment and the jail must finish its release steps. How fast it happens in Scottsboro turns on the jail's workload and any other warrants. After paying, call the jail at 256-574-1884 and ask when to pick the person up.

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Missing a Scottsboro hearing invites a new warrant, and the posted money may be lost. Phone counsel that very day. Confirm the new Jackson date with the clerk at 256-574-9320 or look up the case on the Jackson County court site. For how a criminal case moves from arrest to trial, read the criminal court process guide.

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Jackson usually repays court-held cash at the close of the case, after removing fines, costs or restitution. Scottsboro bonding firms do not refund their premium. File away every Jackson payment slip with its case number, then check the final ruling with the Laurel Street clerk.

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Jackson youths go through juvenile court, whose files are sealed, so a Scottsboro search may not list them. Phone the Jackson Sheriff's Office at 256-574-2610 to ask where a minor is being held, and ask the clerk about the next hearing. The call should come from a parent or legal guardian.

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Treat any rushed request for gift cards or wire transfers as a Jackson bond scam. End it and phone the jail at 256-574-1884 yourself. A real bondsman will not demand payment through an app before you have checked that the person is in custody.

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Jackson's courthouse, Sheriff's Office and jail share the East Laurel Street block in Scottsboro:

• Jackson County Jail: 102 East Laurel Street, Scottsboro, AL 35768, 256-574-1884
• Sheriff's Office: same address, 256-574-2610, answered day and night; Sheriff F.J. "Rocky" Harnen
• Circuit Clerk: Jackson County Courthouse, 102 East Laurel Street, 256-574-9320; weekdays 8 to 4:30
• Scottsboro Municipal Court: 916 South Broad Street, 256-259-2767; Scottsboro police 256-574-4468
• Other town courts: Stevenson 256-437-3000, Bridgeport 256-495-3892, Section 256-228-3280, Pisgah 256-451-3232, Hollywood 256-259-4845, Skyline 256-587-3335, Paint Rock 256-714-3773
• District Attorney, 38th Circuit: Scottsboro, 256-574-9240

A town officer's misdemeanor arrest is bonded through that town's court.

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The state chart lists these ranges, and a Scottsboro judge may choose another number:

• Class C misdemeanor: $300 to $1,000
• Class B misdemeanor: $300 to $3,000
• Class A misdemeanor: $300 to $6,000
• Class D felony: $1,000 to $10,000
• Class C felony: $2,500 to $15,000
• Class B felony: $5,000 to $30,000
• Class A felony: $10,000 to $60,000
• Amendment 1 (May 19, 2026): the 38th Circuit DA may now ask a Jackson judge to deny bail for attempted murder or for shots aimed into a place where people are

All ranges appear in the Alabama Rule 7.2 bail schedule (https://judicial.alabama.gov/docs/library/rules/cr7_2.pdf).

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The Alabama chart is not used. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama hears it at the federal courthouse in Huntsville, 660 Gallatin Street SW, Huntsville, AL 35801, 256-534-6495. Most of the time:

• Federal agents take the Jackson defendant, sometimes straight from the Laurel Street jail.
• A U.S. magistrate judge presides at the first appearance.
• Pretrial services looks into jobs, living setup and record.
• Prosecutors may push to keep the Scottsboro-area defendant locked up.
• Released people follow written rules and post no cash.

Federal prisoners stay with the U.S. Marshals until sentencing: U.S. Marshals Service, 1729 5th Avenue North, Room 240, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-829-6611.

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None of these searches cost money:

• BOP: the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/) once a federal term begins; before that, 205-829-6611.
• ADOC: the Alabama Department of Corrections Inmate Search (https://www.doc.alabama.gov/inmate/inmate-search/) by name or AIS number.
• County: Jackson County Inmate Search shows who is held on Laurel Street.

Our Jackson inmate search page has more.

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Only for a few days. A detainer asks Jackson deputies to keep someone two business days, at most, after local release would happen. Any state or town bond must still be paid first.

The ICE New Orleans Field Office, 181 James Drive W, St. Rose, LA 70087, 504-318-2360 covers Jackson. ICE's short-stay Alabama jails are:

• Baldwin County Correctional Center, Bay Minette, Alabama
• Etowah County Jail, Gadsden, Alabama
• Pickens County Detention Center, Carrollton, Alabama

Longer Jackson holds usually mean a transfer elsewhere. The ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/) uses an A-number and birth country.

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VINE tracks custody and changes to it:

• Head to VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/) and choose Alabama.
• Look up a name or Jackson booking number.
• Select the correct record.
• Ask for a call, text or email if the Jackson inmate leaves custody or is moved.

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Jackson records are open through these official tools:

• Alacourt: Alacourt Access public search (https://pa.alacourt.com/). Choose Jackson; a $9.99 name search gives one case.
• Clerk site: jackson.alacourt.gov lists Laurel Street office hours and the clerk's line.
• Sheriff: 256-574-2610 about Jackson warrants.

Turning yourself in alongside a lawyer usually goes better than being picked up at a Scottsboro or Stevenson home or job.

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Things change, so phone before you go:

• Scottsboro Municipal Court, 256-259-2767, or the town hall for another town case.
• The Circuit Clerk, 256-574-9320, for Jackson state charges and dates.
• The jail, 256-574-1884, for holds and the bond on file.

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