Benton County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Benton County Jail

Address:
1300 SW 14th Street
Bentonville, AR 72712

Phone:

479-271-1008

Paying an Inmate's Bail or Bond in Benton County

The Benton County Sheriff recommends that you use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Benton County.

  • You can pay a cash bond yourself, or use your home in Benton County, or in some cases the state of Arkansas, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Benton County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
  • The typical fee for a bond will be between 10-20% of the bail amount; usually 15%.  So if an offender has a bail of $10,000.00, their bond will be $1500.00.

Call 479-271-1008 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Benton County inmate locator.


 

Who do I call to find out the Bond for an Inmate?

Please call the jail at 479-271-1008 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Benton County Jail.
A bond is set according to a court-approved schedule.
The purpose of the bond is to assure the offender's appearance in court.

Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in Benton County

BOND - What is bond and how is bond posted?

The terms “Bond” and “Bail” are often used interchangeably, although there are technical differences.

The purpose of requiring the posting of a bond is to ensure that an arrested person will appear in court to answer his or her charges after release from custody.

Generally speaking, judges determine the amount of bond, while the sheriff determines the sufficiency of the bond, Arkansas Code 16-84-105 and 16-84-110.

Arkansas Code 16-81-109.  Bail:  “When any sheriff or other law enforcement officer makes an arrest, he or she is authorized to take and to approve bail in the manner provided by law wherever he or she makes the arrest.”

Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rule 8 and Rule 9:  These rules govern first appearances in court and the setting of bond/bail if the arrested person is still in custody.

Type of Arrest:  If a person is arrested with a warrant, the warrant will generally have the bond amount listed.  

If a person is arrested without a warrant, bond may be set in the manner prescribed above.

Type of Bond:  There are several forms of bond that are authorized by law.

CASH: An arrested person, or someone acting on his behalf, may post the entire bond amount in cash, which will be held by the sheriff or the court pending disposition of the criminal case.

SURETY: An arrested person may secure his release through the utilization of a professional licensed bail bonding company. This is known as a “surety bond”. The bonding company will charge the arrested person certain “fees” for the service of posting a surety bond to secure the release from custody. Those fees are non-refundable and are not applied to any fines, costs, or restitution that may later be ordered by the court. Note: A law enforcement officer is prohibited from recommending the services or any particular bonding company or bondsman.

SHERIFF’S BOND: The sheriff is authorized to accept collateral as bond to secure the release of the arrested person from custody. Note: The Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office does NOT authorize or accept so-called “Sheriff’s Bonds”.

OWN RECOGNIZANCE: A court will sometimes authorize a person in custody to be released on his “own recognizance”, which is nothing more than a promise to re-appear at a later date for further judicial proceedings. These are rarely authorized for other than very minor offenses.

RULE 5.2 PRE-TRIAL RELEASE: The ranking person on duty at the jail or detention center may authorize the release of a person from custody by utilizing a citation to appear as authorized by Rule 5.2 of the Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure. With respect to misdemeanor offenses, this authorization falls exclusively within the discretion of the Office of Sheriff. With respect to felony offenses, a recommendation from the Prosecuting Attorney is needed in order for a Rule 5.2 release to occur. Note: Rule 5.2 releases are rarely authorized by the Sheriff’s Office, generally only in cases of severe overcrowding or emergency situations. This release option is available only prior to an appearance before a judge, after which the sheriff’s office must follow the orders of the court.

Standard conditions of pre-trial release or “conditions of bond” may apply in all instances, and failure to abide by those terms and conditions may result in the bond being revoked and the person being returned to custody.

Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Benton County Jail?

Anyone over the age of 18 who can produce a valid government-issued photo ID can post bail. Accepted forms of ID include a Photo Driver's License, Passport, or Motor Vehicle issued ID.

In many circumstances, if the defendant has the resources, they can post their own cash bail from jail.

Surety Bonds are arranged by a third party, typically a Arkansas state licensed Bail Bond firm.

Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.

Benton County Justice System Flowchart

When will the Cash Bail or Collateral be returned to me?

Money or collateral will not be returned until the defendant's court case is finished, so realistically it could take several months to years, depending on the severity of the charges. If a defendant posts his or her own bail, Benton County Court may retain whatever amount of fines or fees have accumulated throughout the trial.

What happens to my Bail or Collateral if the Defendant misses Court?

The Benton County Judge may order a failure to appear warrant for the person's arrest or the Judge may order a Bail Commissioner's Letter be issued that will be sent to the person with a new court date.

If cash bail was paid, the entire amount may be forfeited.

Benton County Bail Bond Information

Because Benton County and Arkansas can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Benton County Jail at 479-271-1008, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, and do this right after an arrestee has been booked. 

Ask the staff at the Benton County Jail or the Benton County Court Clerk these specific questions:

  1. Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
  2. How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
  3. Where do I go to pay it?
  4. Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
  5. What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
  6. Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released. 

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.


 

How to Schedule & Visit with an Inmate in Benton County Jail

To schedule a visit and meet with an inmate in Benton County, either at-the-jail or remotely by video, follow these instructions:

  • To schedule and visit with an inmate you MUST first open a SmartJailMail.com account.
  • Once you open an account, you may search for Benton County inmate to visit with.
  • When you locate the Benton County inmate that you want to connect with, you can send them a connection request.
  • Benton County Jail will then need to approve the request before you can send messages.

For all the information you need to schedule and visit with a Benton County Jail inmate, including how it works, how much it costs, visitation using a rented tablet, how often and when you can visit and more, check out our Visit Inmate Page.
NOTE: Your visits will be monitored, recorded and stored. You may want to refrain from discussing your inmate's court case as anything discussed can be used against them in court.


 

Benton County Jail Gives Inmates Access to Tablets At No Cost for Communication, Research and Entertainment

They may not be directly connected to the internet, but inmates at Benton County Jail are provided free tablets to use within the jail that allow them to have access to the following services and information:

  • Phone Calls - Inmates may make calls directly from their tablet allowing for more privacy. The rates are the same as the phones in the unit, and the calls are still recorded and monitored.
  • eMessaging - Communicate via a text based message or picture. Fee based system.
  • Job Search - Using JobView, a secure job search application, inmates have the ability to see what jobs are available when they are released.
  • Education - Free educational platform and course catalog that provides thousands of educational resources.
  • Self Help -Inmates have daily access to mental health and addiction recovery programming.
  • Music - Top-40, Hip-Hop, Country, Rock, Gospel, and more.
  • Law Library -  Legal research with up-to-date case information.
  • eBooks - Thousands of available titles.
  • Religion - Religious resources for spiritual guidance.
  • Games - Inmates can play their favorite games. Available through monthly subscriptions
  • Facility Services - Digital access to submitted forms, requests, facility documents, and notifications from staff.
  • Video Visitation - Visitation may not be allowed on the Tablets.  Call Benton County Jail at 479-271-1008 to confirm.

The availability of tablets may seem like something that inmates who are serving time do not deserve, but here are some of the benefits for inmates in Benton County:

  • Keeps inmates busy.
  • The threat of losing access to tablets keeps them better behaved.
  • Safer for the staff to keep inmates happy.
  • Allows communication with family members.
  • Educational programming.
  • Legal research.
  • Social programming such as anger management, substance abuse, etc.

For more information about Tablets and how your inmate can get one to use while he is in jail, chek out our Inmate Tablet page.


 

Benton County Jail Inmate Mail Types

Postcards
The Benton County Jail allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature.

Envelopes
The Benton County Jail also allows regular postcards and envelopes to be mailed to inmates as well.

Personal postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Smart Communications – Benton County Sheriff’s Office
P.O. Box 9118
Seminole, FL 33775-9118


Legal Mail
Legal Mail is mail from Attorneys, law enforcement, the courts, bail companies, etc.

Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The Benton County Jail allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as AmazonBarnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address above.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Benton County Jail standards will be disposed of. No more than three books may be shipped at any one time.
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.


All legal mail, newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Benton County Jail
1300 SW 14th Street
Bentonville, AR 72712


 

How to Send and Receive Secure Text and Email Messages with an Inmate in Benton County Jail

To communicate by text or email with an Benton County inmate, follow these instructions:

  • To send or receive a message you MUST first open a SmartJailMail.com account.
  • Once you open an account, you may search for Benton County inmates or detainees to connect with.
  • When you locate the Benton County inmate that you want to connect with, you can send them a connection request.
  • Benton County Jail will then need to approve the request before you can send messages.

For all the information you need to send and receive secure messages in the form of text or email with a Benton County Jail inmate, including how it works, how much it costs, renting your inmate a tablet, how often you can communicate and more, check out our Text/Email an Inmate Page.
NOTE: Your messages will be monitored and stored. You may want to refrain from discussing your inmate's court case.


 

How Do Inmates in Benton County Jail Buy Phone Cards Online & Make Phone Calls?

To receive phone calls from inmates in Benton County, or to assist them in making phone calls from jail to other people, follow these steps:

  • Benton County Jail uses the services of Correct Solutions Group.
  • Register with them online or call them at 877-618-3516
  • Services for Benton County inmates and their families and friends include Collect Calling, PIN Debits, Purchasing Calling Cards for your inmate or depositing money into an inmate's commissary account..

For all the information regarding phone calls with Benton County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, limits and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.


 

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Benton County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Benton County Jail follow these steps:

  • Select Arkansas, then select Benton County Jail, and then select the 'Send a Package Order' option.
  • Register and create an account with Access Securepak, for Benton County.
  • Choose the inmate and the products you want shipped to them, and input your payment method. 
  • NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Benton County at any one time.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Benton County Jail check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Benton County.


 

How to Send Money to an Inmate in Benton County

To send commissary money to an inmate in Benton County Jail follow these steps:

  • Register with Access Corrections by creating an account.
  • Select Arkansas, then select Benton County Jail, and then the inmate you want to send money to.
  • Choose the amount of money you want to send, and input your payment method.

For all information on how to Send Money to an inmate's account check out our full money and commissary guide for Benton County Jail.


 

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