Harris County Correctional Institution Inmate Bail & Bonds
Harris County bail and bond: the Hamilton jail and what to ask first
People arrested in Harris County are booked into the county jail on Georgia Highway 116 in Hamilton, one of the Harris County jails. Sheriff runs it. Check Harris County Inmate Search first for custody, charges, and any posted bond. The Sheriff's Office and jail answer at 706-628-4211, and the county lists office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For evenings and weekends, ask that same number what to do.
What is the quickest way to know if he is in the Hamilton jail?
Look him up on Harris County Inmate Search. If his name is missing, the booking could be minutes old, or he might have been taken somewhere else. Call 706-628-4211 and ask. Give the full name and birth date, and write down the name of the person who answers.
What is the address, and why do two numbers appear?
The county's jail page lists 9825 State Route 116, Hamilton, GA 31811, with mail to P.O. Box 286. Another county page shows 9989 Highway 116 for the Sheriff's Office. Call 706-628-4211 and confirm which building takes bond questions before you drive.
Who sets bond in Harris County?
A judge does. The Magistrate Court, led by Chief Magistrate, holds first appearance hearings and issues arrest warrants. It is in the courthouse at 102 North College Street, Hamilton, 706-628-4977, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The page gives no more detail, so call the clerk for the hearing date.
How long until he sees the judge?
Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 17-4-26) requires officers who arrest under a warrant to present the person to a committing judicial officer within 72 hours after arrest. The Magistrate Court sets the first appearance. A weekend arrest can mean waiting until Monday.
How much is bond for common charges?
The county pages post no Harris bond schedule. The Magistrate Court page does not mention bond amounts, and the jail page leaves it to a phone call. The booking record is the safe source. Be wary of a number quoted by someone you do not know.
Can I pay the bond at the jail and when?
Not confirmed. The county jail page lists weekday hours but says nothing about taking bond payments. A third-party site says a bonding window or the clerk takes cash, cashier's checks, and money orders. Phone 706-628-4211 before you go, and ask about nights and weekends.
What about a bondsman?
A licensed bondsman can post the bond for a fee. O.C.G.A. 17-6-30 sets the top fee at 15 percent of the bond's face amount, though $50 per bonded charge is permitted when that is more. Ask the jail whether the sheriff keeps an approved list, and get a written contract before paying.
Do property bonds work here?
Sometimes, though no Harris County rules are published on the pages we reviewed. A court usually must approve the property. For bail restricted offenses, the sheriff of the county where the offense happened approves it (O.C.G.A. 17-6-12). The Clerk of Superior Court at 706-628-4944 can tell you how deeds and liens are recorded.
The roster shows no bond. What does that mean?
He may not have seen a judge yet. Murder, rape, armed robbery, and some other charges are bailable only by a superior court judge (O.C.G.A. 17-6-1). Dozens of listed offenses are bail restricted, which means secured release only (O.C.G.A. 17-6-12). A hold from probation or another county can also stop release.
What does the Superior Court handle?
The county says it hears felony cases, probation revocations, and appeals from Probate and Magistrate Court. The Clerk of Superior Court is at 102 North College Street, 706-628-4944, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ask there for the case number and the next date.
What is the county prison, and is it a different place?
The county directory lists a County Prison at 706-628-4959 apart from the jail. Check with the jail desk whether your family member is held at the jail or the prison. The name on Harris County Inmate Search will tell you the location if it shows one.
Who provides a free lawyer?
The Chattahoochee Circuit Public Defender covers Harris County from 420 10th Street, Suite 001, Columbus, GA 31901, 706-653-4301, open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. That office is in Columbus, a drive from Hamilton, so call before you go. Request court-appointed counsel when you first appear.
Where would a Harris County juvenile be kept?
Georgia's Department of Juvenile Justice assigns Harris County to the Aaron Cohn Regional Youth Detention Center, 7700 Chattsworth Road, Midland, GA 31820, 706-565-4374. Cases are heard by juvenile judges appointed by the Superior Court. A child's file is sealed, so the adult search will not show it.
What if a town police officer made the arrest?
No source describes a holding cell at any town police station. Ask the arresting officer for the report number and the person's location. Then search Harris County Inmate Search again in a few hours, since adults are normally brought to the county jail.
What if he is a no-show in Hamilton?
A judge may issue a warrant and a bond may be forfeited. A bondsman can send an agent after him. See a lawyer, then call the clerk at 706-628-4944 for a new date.
How do I get any money back?
Cash held by the court may be released after the case ends, less fines and costs. For a bondsman's fee, read the contract and ask before you pay. Keep each receipt with the case number.
What do bail scams sound like?
They ask for gift cards, wires, or an app transfer, and they push you to hurry. A real office will not. Deposits to a jail phone or commissary account are not bond. Hang up and call the jail at 706-628-4211.
Does the county search show people in the Harris County Prison?
No. The Harris County Prison is a state facility, and the county inmate search does not cover it. Try the Georgia state inmate search for Harris County Prison names. Anyone at the Harris prison is serving a sentence, which means no bail.
What if the charge is federal?
A federal charge goes to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, not to a county court. Harris County cases are heard in the Columbus Division, 120 12th Street, Columbus, GA 31902; the clerk's line is (706) 649-7816. A federal magistrate judge decides on release, often within a day or two of arrest. Deputy U.S. Marshals move people to and from court, and the person may be housed in a county jail under contract. Once sentenced, look the person up with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
Harris County bond contacts
- Jails
- Harris County jails and bond help: Harris County Jail, 9825 State Route 116, Hamilton, GA 31811; 706-628-4211
- Bond guide
- Harris bail and bond pages
- Custody lookup
- Harris County Inmate Search
- Sheriff
- Harris County Sheriff's Office; 706-628-4211
- Magistrate Court
- 102 North College Street, Hamilton, GA 31811; 706-628-4977; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Clerk of Superior Court
- 102 North College Street, Hamilton, GA 31811; 706-628-4944; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- County prison
- 706-628-4959
- Public defense
- Chattahoochee Circuit Public Defender, 420 10th Street, Suite 001, Columbus, GA 31901; 706-653-4301
- Juvenile
- Aaron Cohn Regional Youth Detention Center, 7700 Chattsworth Road, Midland, GA 31820; 706-565-4374
- State inmate search
- Georgia state inmate search (for the Harris County Prison and other state facilities)
Hours, fees, and rules in Harris County may change, and a judge can set terms that differ from this overview. Confirm with the jail before handing over money. This page is general information only and not legal advice.
How do Bail Bonds work at Harris County Correctional Institution
The Harris County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Harris County.
However if you don't want to use a bail bond agent:
- You can always pay a cash bond yourself, or use your home in Harris 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 Harris County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
- The typical fee for a bond in Georgia is between 10-20% of the bail amount; usually 15% or less. So if an offender has a bail of $10,000.00, their bond will be $1500.00.
- Pay by cash, cashier's check, money order or credit card at the Harris County Correctional Institution, or the courthouse in Harris County where the offense took place.
Call 706-628-4959 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Harris County inmate locator.
Harris County Correctional Institution
Address:
9982 Georgia Hwy 116
Hamilton, GA 31811
Phone:
706-628-4959
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Harris County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Harris County?
Who can set bail in Harris County?
When is bail set in Harris County Georgia?
Does Harris County have bail?
Yes, Harris County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Harris 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 Harris 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 Harris 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 Harris 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 Harris 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 Harris County Correctional Institution 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, Harris 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 Harris 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 Harris County have bail?
Yes, Harris County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Harris 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 Harris 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 Harris County Georgia?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances and the judge set the initial bail, your attorney can request a bond reduction.
In Harris 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 Harris County Georgia?
Yes, Georgia does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Harris County Correctional Institution for more information about the jails in Harris County.
What options are there to pay bail in Harris 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 Harris County Correctional Institution for more information about posting bail in Harris 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 Harris 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 Harris County Correctional Institution 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.