Try Washington County Inmate Search by name. A blank result means a phone call: the Chatom line, 251-847-2202, can look up a full name with a birth date and say whether other holds exist.

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A town charge may carry its own bond set by that town's court. Ask the Sheriff's Office, 251-847-2202, where the person is held, and call the town hall about a town bond.

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The Sheriff's Office, 251-847-2202, can read the amount from the booking. The Circuit Clerk, 251-847-2239, checks it against the court order, and the signed order controls.

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The Circuit Clerk works at 45 Court Street, Chatom, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Carry ID with a photo and know the defendant's legal name. After hours, call 251-847-2202 and ask what can be done.

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Ask the Chatom clerk at 251-847-2239 whether any fee is added to the bond, how much it is and what form of payment it needs.

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Each court sets its own rules, so call the clerk at 251-847-2239 before the trip. Chatom commissary or phone deposits never count toward release.

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Choose a company licensed in Alabama that the Chatom jail accepts. The fee is kept, so ask for written terms on price, collateral and a skipped hearing before you sign.

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Alabama law allows land in the state whose value after debts covers the bond, with the owners signing a lien. Local rules can add limits, so ask the clerk and bring a current deed and tax record.

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The Rule 7.2 guide runs from $300 to $6,000 for a Class A misdemeanor up to large amounts for drug trafficking. A Washington County judge can go above or below, and the sheriff cannot change the order.

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A warrant from elsewhere, a parole or probation hold or an ICE detainer can block release. Under Aniah's Law, a judge may also deny bail after a hearing for capital and other listed violent charges.

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A lawyer files a motion and the Chatom judge decides. Ask the clerk at 251-847-2239 how to request an appointed lawyer, and show the Chatom judge steady work, a home address and kin nearby.

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A skipped Chatom hearing puts the posted money at risk and leads to a new warrant. Phone the Washington clerk the same day about resetting, and check the Washington County court website.

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Juvenile court handles youths. Chatom sends detained youths to the Baldwin County Regional Juvenile Detention Center, 43405 Nicholsville Road, Bay Minette, 251-580-2540. Ask the clerk at 251-847-2239 where a child is held.

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A Washington County judge settles any refund at the close of the case, provided every date was kept, after taking out fines and costs. Bondsman fees stay paid.

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Washington County staff take bond only at the jail or clerk's window, never by gift card or phone app. End such a call and dial the Sheriff's Office at 251-847-2202 or the clerk at 251-847-2239 yourself.

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Washington County bond business runs through two Chatom offices and the DA in Grove Hill:

• Jail and Sheriff's Office: 45 Court Street, Chatom, 251-847-2202; Sheriff Richard Stringer
• Circuit Clerk: 45 Court Street, Chatom, 251-847-2239
• District Attorney, 1st Circuit: Grove Hill, 251-275-3144
• Youth detention: Baldwin County Regional Juvenile Detention Center, 251-580-2540

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Chatom judges work from these statewide numbers:

• 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

These come straight from the Alabama Rule 7.2 bail schedule (https://judicial.alabama.gov/docs/library/rules/cr7_2.pdf).

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Alabama bond ranges no longer apply. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama hears Washington County cases in Mobile, and the clerk answers at the federal courthouse in Mobile, 155 St. Joseph Street, Mobile, AL 36602, 251-690-2371. Steps:

• Federal officers arrest the person in or near Chatom.
• A first hearing before a magistrate judge in Mobile.
• Questions from pretrial services about work, home and record.
• Sometimes a prosecutor's motion to detain.
• Release terms or detention, as the Mobile judge decides.

Before any sentence, custody rests with the U.S. Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 155 St. Joseph Street, Suite 201, Mobile, AL 36602, 251-499-6620.

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Check these:

• BOP: the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/) after a federal sentence; earlier, 251-499-6620.
• ADOC: the Alabama Department of Corrections Inmate Search (https://www.doc.alabama.gov/inmate/inmate-search/) by AIS number or name.
• County: Washington County Inmate Search for the Chatom jail.

Our Washington County inmate search page adds more.

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Yes. An ICE detainer lets Chatom keep someone two extra business days past the county release at most, and any Washington County bond must still be paid.

The ICE New Orleans Field Office, 181 James Drive W, St. Rose, LA 70087, 504-318-2360 covers Washington County. Short ICE holds in Alabama are at:

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

A longer case may bring a transfer out of Chatom. Look up the person in the ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/) with the A-number and birth country.

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Registration is free:

• Open VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/) and pick Alabama.
• Enter a Chatom booking number or the full name.
• Pick the Washington County result.
• Washington alerts can come by call, text or email.

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Look in these places:

• Alacourt: Alacourt Access public search (https://pa.alacourt.com/). Choose Washington; each case found by name is $9.99.
• Clerk site: washington.alacourt.gov for the Chatom clerk.
• Town warrants: call the town hall in Chatom, Millry or McIntosh.

Surrendering at the Chatom jail with a lawyer arranged is safer than an arrest on the highway.

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Phone these Washington County numbers first:

• The Sheriff's Office, 251-847-2202, for custody and holds.
• The Circuit Clerk, 251-847-2239, for the court order.
• The town hall for a town charge.

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