Clayton County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Clayton County bail and bond: the Jonesboro jail and the Lovejoy prison
Most adults arrested in Clayton County are booked into the Clayton County Jail, 9157 Tara Boulevard, Jonesboro, run by the Sheriff's Office. The county also has a Clayton County Prison in Lovejoy. Search for the person on Clayton County Inmate Search to see where they are, the charges, and the bail amount. The sheriff's main number is 770-477-4479. Booking can take hours, so a missing name is not always bad news.
1. Is she at the Tara Boulevard jail or the Lovejoy prison?
Search the name on Clayton County Inmate Search first. Adults arrested by deputies and city police are usually taken to the jail at 9157 Tara Boulevard, Jonesboro, GA 30236. The Clayton County Prison, 11420 S.L.R. Boulevard, Lovejoy, is a county corrections site that holds sentenced people for under a year.
If you are not sure which one, call the sheriff at 770-477-4479. A listing for the prison gives 770-473-5777 for inmate information.
2. Why is her name missing even though police said she was arrested?
Booking is slow when many people come in at once. A listing says it can take anywhere from one hour to 48 hours. Refresh the search each morning. If two days pass, call 770-477-4479 and ask whether she is at another agency, such as a city lockup.
3. Which number do I call for bail questions?
Start with the sheriff's office, 770-477-4479. For the jail docket, the Classification Section answers at 770-477-4441, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A third number, 770-477-4413, has been listed for bail inquiries. Ask what the bond is, what charges it covers, and when and where a payment can be made.
4. Where and how do I pay a bond in Clayton County?
Ask before you drive to Jonesboro. A listing says cash, credit cards, and money orders are taken, so ask for the hours and which forms of payment work at the bond window. Bring a government ID and the booking number, and get a receipt with the case number.
5. Is there a posted price list for charges?
No current Clayton County bond schedule was readable to us, so no dollar amounts are given here. The bond shown on Clayton County Inmate Search is the one that counts. Georgia law says a county bail schedule cannot be the only way bail is set, and a judge may raise or lower the number.
6. How soon will a judge see my husband?
Clayton Magistrate Court is the intake court for criminal cases, and its Criminal Division sets bonds on most charges. It sits in the Harold R. Banke Justice Center, 9151 Tara Boulevard, Jonesboro, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 770-477-3444. The county streams first appearances live on YouTube, and the court's page links to it.
The legal clock is 72 hours for an arrest on a warrant (O.C.G.A. 17-4-26) and 48 hours without one, per the Judicial Council of Georgia.
7. Are there charges where a Clayton magistrate cannot grant bail?
Under O.C.G.A. 17-6-1, only a superior court judge may grant bail for offenses such as murder, rape, armed robbery, and some drug sales. A petition to the superior court leads to a hearing within ten days. Everything else may be handled by a lower court judge.
8. Should I use a bail bondsman, and how do I pick one?
A bondsman helps when the full bond is out of reach. Georgia's O.C.G.A. 17-6-30 lets an agent take up to 15 percent of the bond, with a $50 minimum for each bonded charge. On a $4,000 bond, the most would be $600. Compare two or three agents. Ask each for the total fee, the collateral, and what happens if the person misses court, and do not accept a rate quote that is not on paper.
9. Can our house count as security?
Possibly. Georgia law has the sheriff of the county where the offense happened approve the property, and the Judicial Council's guidance for judges says equity worth double the bail is the usual benchmark. A listing says county real estate may be used. Phone the sheriff at 770-477-4479 first. If the case goes wrong, the family can lose the property.
10. Does the jail's payment site take bond money?
No. A listing says the jail uses correctpay, which is the same company as JailFunds, for deposits to an inmate's account. A deposit buys calls and store items. It is not bail and does not release anyone. Ask the jail desk how to pay a bond instead.
11. What if the page says no bond or shows a hold?
A hold from another county, a probation or parole violation, or a charge that needs a superior court judge can mean no release even if you pay on another charge. Ask the desk at 770-477-4479 to name each hold.
12. Which youth center takes Clayton County teens?
The state Department of Juvenile Justice lists the Martha K. Glaze Regional Youth Detention Center, 11850 Hastings Bridge Road, Hampton, GA 30228, for Clayton County. You can reach the department at 404-508-6500. A teenager's record is kept off the adult search.
13. How do we find a free lawyer?
The Clayton Circuit Public Defender is at 6525 Professional Place, Riverdale, GA 30274, and the phone is 678-479-5036. The office is open Monday through Friday. If you cannot hire a lawyer, ask the judge for one at the first hearing.
14. What if he misses his hearing in Jonesboro?
The judge may order his arrest and the bond may be forfeited. Contact his lawyer the same day and tell the bondsman if one is involved.
15. When do I get cash bond money back?
Cash bonds are generally returned after the case ends, less fines and fees. O.C.G.A. 17-6-4 sends unclaimed bail cash to the county after two years. Save every receipt.
16. How can I tell a fake bail call from a real one?
A real office will not demand gift cards, crypto, or a wire in minutes. A real bondsman will not ask for money when the arrested person is not involved. Dial the numbers printed here rather than any number a caller gives you.
17. Can I bond someone out of the Clayton County Prison?
No. The Clayton County Prison is a state facility for people already sentenced, not a bonding site. The Georgia state inmate search shows who is housed there, and the Clayton jail search covers only the jail.
What if federal agents made the arrest?
Not every arrest stays in county court. A federal charge from Clayton County is filed in the Northern District of Georgia and heard in its Atlanta Division: Richard B. Russell Federal Building & US Courthouse, 75 Ted Turner Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30303-3309, phone 404-215-1600. A federal magistrate judge decides whether the person can go home before trial. The U.S. Marshals hold federal detainees, sometimes in a county jail by contract. For someone already sentenced, check the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
Clayton County contacts
- Jail
- Clayton County Jail, 9157 Tara Boulevard, Jonesboro, GA 30236; 770-477-4479
- Bond guide
- Clayton County jails and bond guide
- Custody lookup
- Clayton County Inmate Search
- Bail questions
- Sheriff 770-477-4479; Classification (jail docket) 770-477-4441, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; also listed 770-477-4413
- Sheriff
- Sheriff, Harold R. Banke Justice Center, 9157 Tara Boulevard, Jonesboro, GA 30236
- Magistrate Court
- Harold R. Banke Justice Center, 9151 Tara Boulevard, Jonesboro, GA 30236; 770-477-3444; clerk questions 770-477-3443
- County prison
- Clayton County Prison, 11420 S.L.R. Boulevard, Lovejoy, GA 30250; 770-473-5777
- Free lawyer
- Clayton Circuit Public Defender, 6525 Professional Place, Riverdale, GA 30274; 678-479-5036
- Juvenile
- Martha K. Glaze Regional Youth Detention Center, 11850 Hastings Bridge Road, Hampton, GA 30228; state Department of Juvenile Justice 404-508-6500
- State inmate search
- Georgia state inmate search (for the Clayton County Prison and other state facilities)
Payment rules, hours, phone numbers, and bond amounts change, and a judge can set a different bond. Confirm by phone before you send money. Treat this as plain-language help, not as advice from your own lawyer.
Clayton County Jail Bonding Instructions
Clayton County Jail uses the services of correctpay (aka JailFunds) for you to deposit money so that your inmate can bond himself out.
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You can deposit money four ways:
- Deposit online at correctpay.com.
- Deposit at the correctpay kiosk in the jail lobby.
- Deposit over the phone 24/7 at 855-836-3364
- Deposit through their iOS or Android app.
Cost to Send Money
To deposit between $1.00 and $300.00 the fee ranges from $1.50-$2.95, plus an additional 5%. *Rates are subject to change.
Examples:
- Deposit $100.00, your fee will be as high as $7.95 - Your inmate will receive $92.05.
- Deposit $300.00, your fee will be as high as $17.95 - Your inmate will receive $282.05.
correctpay.com Help
24/7 Customer Service - 855-836-3364
Frequently Asked Questions
Clayton County Jail
Address:
9157 Tara Blvd.
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone:
770-471-1122
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Clayton County
Does Clayton County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Clayton County?
Who can set bail in Clayton County?
When is bail set in Clayton County Georgia?
Does Clayton County have bail?
Yes, Clayton County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Clayton County?
Georgia offers several types of pre-trial release including own recognizance, cash bond, property bond & surety. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Clayton County?
In many cases Georgia follows a pre-set bail schedule, so sheriffs & constables are able to accept bail immediately after processing. For those offense where immediate release in not permitted, or when a defendant does not qualify for immediate release, bail will be determined by a judge.
When is bail set in Clayton County Georgia?
Georgia uses a pre-set bail schedule, meaning the bail is set based on the offense and thus us know to police at the time of arrest. In cases where bail is not pre-set, or the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, a judge of the superior court will determine bail at a bail hearing. This hearing shall be scheduled with 48 – 72 hours depending on the classification of the crime the defendant is accused.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Clayton County must pay or do to stay out of jail until the first court appearance.
The agreement to bail acts as a promise that the arrested will return to court for court dates and trial. Bail usually refers to a dollar amount, but bail can also mean something that has to be done, or a condition such as reporting to an officer of the court, a curfew, restraining orders or attending a treatment program.
Bail is usually a significant enough amount of money and/or condition that the person will be negatively impacted and has incentive to return to court and not flee. A flight risk usually means that the person would flee the area, and not necessary that they are going to take an airplane.
If a judge in Clayton County feels that the arrested will return to court for further proceedings, the arrested could be released under a conditional release without needing to pay bail money. This is called Released on Own Recognizance, or ROR.
Conditions for ROR might be to obey all court orders and laws, maintain contact with the lawyer, report changes in residence or have no contact with the victim. Family support will show the court that there are people who will make sure that the defendant makes it to court.
A bond proceeding is the determination of how much bail is to be paid and usually happens before arraignment. A Bond hearing is a determination by a magistrate to determine an amount a person may pay to be released while the case is pending. Sometimes certain crimes will have preset bonds, that can become payable the moment an arrest is made.
The minimum bond in Georgia is $1,000. If a court seeks a bond lower than that then it must be an OR bond, meaning the accused shall be released on their own recognizance, with no money down. During bond proceedings, the defendant is not required to have an attorney but has the right to an attorney if the defendant want one.
If the judge or bail schedule determines that the defendant would be a danger to the public if they were released, bail can be denied, and the person will be detained in the Clayton County Jail until the case is resolved or goes to trial.
Bail can be denied if the defendant did not comply with bail conditions from a previous arrest. Bail is usually denied in cases of violent offenses.
What is the difference between Bail and Bond?
Bail and bond are used interchangeably to mean the same thing but technically, they are different.
The bail is the amount to be paid and a bond is a signed document promising payment of the bail amount with certain conditions.
Think of a bond as a loan to pay for the bail.
The bond payment is always written to the court in your municipality, Clayton County or district directly and does not go through the defendant. Chances of obtaining a bond from a bond company or clerk of court are better if family is involved.
The thought of being in jail can cause the arrested to panic and try to secure a bond immediately.
DO NOT panic and take the time to understand all the options.
More courts are now trying to work with defendants to make bail work and might provide non-monetary options or even reduce the bail.
Payments to a bond company are not refundable. It is a long process to get back property title or money that was given to the clerk of court or bondsperson to secure the bond. This could put your loved ones into a difficult financial situation.
Another reason not to unnecessarily rush into securing a bond is that if the court notes that you came up with the money to pay a bond company, they may assume you have resources to pay a defense attorney and decline public defense.
On the other hand, as anyone who has ever been involved in their criminal defense understands, fighting your case while ‘out on the streets’ gives you a much better chance of either winning, or getting a more favorable sentence.
What are the different types of bonds in Clayton County?
Based on a review of information from the arrest, the judge or bail officer will determine and notify the accused of which types of bonds are available to them.
To describe the types of bonds, let’s use an example of buying your neighbor’s car. Your neighbor decides the price of the car and how they would be paid.
Similarly, the court (meaning a police or bail officer, clerk of court, bail magistrate or judge) determines the bail amount and how it would be paid.
Here are different options that the seller of the car or the court might consider:
You could pay full asking price for the car in cash. This is similar to paying cash bail. The full amount of bail would be paid to the town or county clerk or at the jail. Cash, cashier’s checks and credit cards are usually accepted.
You could sign an agreement on your own or with another person to pay for the car at a future date knowing that your neighbor would know where to find you if you stopped payment.
This would be similar to a cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond which are bonds to where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible for making sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up.
Surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
You can put a deposit down for your neighbor’s car and sign an agreement that the car will be paid off at a later date. Cash percentage in lieu of bonds is when the defendant pays a percentage of the bail amount, usually 10%, to the court which then holds the money until the case is over.
The amount is returned to the person who paid the 10% after the case is over. In most cases, the full amount is not returned if there are court fees or fines due. This is a type of surety bond if another person signs the bond paperwork.
You could sign an agreement that if the car were not paid off, that your neighbor would get your house or something of value.
A property bond is a bond that the courts might consider in which the bond is pledged in land or home real estate (mobile homes are not accepted).
Usually, the property must be in the same state as the courts, and it must be worth at least 1 ½ - 2 times the amount of the bond.
There are multiple court fees involved to execute a property bond with the courts and a tedious process to get the property deed back. This is another type of surety bond if another person or a bond company is used to secure the bond.
You could also go to a local bank and take out a car loan offering property or anything of value for collateral. You may get someone to co-sign on the loan and offer their property. The bank charges fees, interest and could keep your property if you did not pay the loan back, or even on time.
A professional bondsperson makes money, at least 10% of the bond amount by providing you with a “loan” called a bond. The percent that they charge is fixed by the state and cannot be negotiated. The defendant or surety does not get that 10% or more back even if the terms of the bail are met.
With a property bond, the property deed would need to be signed over to the bondsperson and everyone on the deed would need to be involved.
Since the bondsperson signed off, to be responsible that you show to court as your surety, they can send a bounty hunter to bring you to court if you flee. A bondsperson does not have to give you a bond if the defendant seems to be too much of a risk.
Ask the bondsperson to explain all the costs: percentage, fees or court fees. There is never a reason to rush through signing the paperwork with a bond company. Make sure that everything told to you is in writing and that you understand what you are signing. Ask questions, and if you feel rushed or don’t understand the contract with the bond company, you might want to call another one.
(There have been phone scams where a bond company calls and informs a person that their family member has been arrested and they ask for financial information. A bondsperson will not call asking for money without involvement of the arrested.)
Does Clayton County have bail?
Yes, Clayton County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Clayton County?
Georgia offers several types of pre-trial release including own recognizance, cash bond, property bond & surety. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Clayton County?
In many cases Georgia follows a pre-set bail schedule, so sheriffs & constables are able to accept bail immediately after processing. For those offense where immediate release in not permitted, or when a defendant does not qualify for immediate release, bail will be determined by a judge.
When is bail set in Georgia?
Georgia uses a pre-set bail schedule, meaning the bail is set based on the offense and thus us know to police at the time of arrest. In cases where bail is not pre-set, or the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, a judge of the superior court will determine bail at a bail hearing. This hearing shall be scheduled with 48 – 72 hours depending on the classification of the crime the defendant is accused.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Clayton County Georgia?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances and the judge set the initial bail, your attorney can request a bond reduction.
In Clayton County Georgia, who can pay bail for me?
The person posting bail should be a relative or close friend, called a surety, because they are promising and taking responsibility that you will return to court to get their money back.
A surety is not responsible for court fees or paying off personal debts for the defendant. A professional bondsperson who is approved by the State of Georgia could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Clayton County Georgia?
Yes, Georgia does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Clayton County Jail for more information about the jails in Clayton County.
What options are there to pay bail in Clayton County Georgia?
Cash or security; credit card in some counties. The security may be either cash or property. Bail may be posted at the appropriate county jail or sheriff’s office in which the defendant is charged.
Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Clayton County Jail for more information about posting bail in Clayton County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Georgia?
Bail money is returned to the person who paid the bail; in whole or in part once the case is finished.
There may be fees, restitution (money to pay for damage caused by the crime) or fines that come out of that amount. If you used a bondsperson, you would not get your 10% back. Property is returned by the court or bondsperson after the appropriate requests and formal paperwork are completed with the court.
Can I get bail or a bond with no money down in Clayton County?
The judge or officer who sets bail determines which kind of bail will be an option for you, but a cash bond and PR bonds usually do not require cash down, though you might have to pay court fees.
A cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond are bonds where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible to make sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up. A surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in Georgia?
The Clayton County Jail or court in this jurisdiction can provide you with a list of approved and licensed bond companies, but they cannot recommend a specific company. You are not obligated to use the first company available and can call several companies to compare what kind of bonds that the bondsperson is willing to execute.
The percentage of bail that the bond company can charge is set, usually at 10%, by the state and cannot be negotiated.
The Clayton County Sheriff recommends that you use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in the county.
You can pay a cash bond yourself, or use your home in Clayton County, or in some cases the state of Georgia, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Clayton County, and if they don't, then they take the 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 770-471-1122 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Clayton County inmate locator.
