Stewart County Correctional Institute Inmate Bail & Bonds
Sumter County bail and bond: the Americus jail and your next steps
Adults arrested in Sumter County are held at the Sumter County Jail, 352 McMath Mill Road, Americus. Use Sumter County Inmate Search to see if the person is in custody and what bail was set. The jail line is 229-924-4094. Bond may need a judge first, so the amount can take a day or more to appear.
1. Is my brother in the Sumter County Jail in Americus?
Type his name into Sumter County Inmate Search. It shows whether he is booked and, when a judge has acted, what bail was set. A booking from the last hour or two may not appear yet, so look again later.
For anything the search cannot tell you, the jail desk answers at 229-924-4094. The jail and the Sheriff's Office share one campus on McMath Mill Road.
2. Where exactly is the jail, and who runs it?
The Sumter County Jail is at 352 McMath Mill Road, Americus, GA 31709, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections location list. Sheriff runs it.
Georgia's corrections agency also lists a separate Sumter County Prison at 346 McMath Mill Road. That is a different listing from the jail. Pretrial bonding questions go to the jail line, 229-924-4094.
3. How do I post a bond after someone is arrested here?
Start by looking up the person on Sumter County Inmate Search so you know the amount and the charge. Then call 229-924-4094 and ask where to bring payment and what the office accepts.
The county has not posted a bonding window, hours, or a list of payment types that we could confirm. Do not guess. Ask the jail, and write down the name of the person who answers.
4. What does a bail bondsman cost in Sumter County?
Georgia law sets a ceiling. Under O.C.G.A. 17-6-30(a), a bondsman may take no more than 15 percent of the bond's face amount. A bondsman may still charge at least $50 for each bonded charge, even when 15 percent would be less.
So a $2,000 bond can cost at most $300 in fees. Two charges each carry their own $50 floor. Read the contract before you sign.
5. Can I just pay the whole bond in cash?
Often yes, but ask first whether the jail will take the full amount directly. Georgia limits how often cash bonds can be used by one person or group, at three a year, with an exception for close family (O.C.G.A. 17-6-15).
Cash that nobody claims after the case ends goes to the county after two years and 90 days (O.C.G.A. 17-6-4). Keep the receipt and the case number.
6. Can we put up a house or land instead?
Georgia requires the sheriff of the county where the offense happened to approve the property (O.C.G.A. 17-6-12 and 17-6-1(j)). Sumter's sheriff has posted no property rules.
Gather the deed, a tax value, and signatures from every owner. Then ask the jail at 229-924-4094 whether property outside the county counts and how much equity is needed.
7. What is the bail for a common charge here?
No Sumter County bond schedule is posted online, so this page gives no dollar amounts. Guessing would only mislead you.
Your relative's figure sits on the booking record. A magistrate or superior court judge usually sets it. The criminal calendar clerk at the Southwestern Judicial Circuit, 229-928-4543, can tell you where a case stands.
8. How soon will a judge see my daughter?
Under O.C.G.A. 17-4-26, a judge must see an arrested person within 72 hours. If she is held on a warrant, the hearing is usually the time a judge sets or reviews bail.
If 72 hours pass and no one has seen her, call the Clerk of Superior Court at 229-928-4537 and a lawyer.
9. Why would the record say no bond?
Some serious charges can be bailed only by a superior court judge, and Georgia widened its list of bail-restricted offenses in 2024 (O.C.G.A. 17-6-1). So a magistrate may have no power to set a figure.
A probation hold, a parole hold, or a warrant from another county also blocks release. A lawyer can ask the right judge for a bond hearing.
10. Which offices and courts handle Sumter County cases?
The courthouse is at 500 West Lamar Street, Americus, GA 31709. Sumter is in the Southwestern Judicial Circuit, with Lee, Macon, Schley, Stewart and Webster. The Clerk of Superior Court has an office at 229-928-4537.
Circuit court administration is 229-928-4553. Say which court you need, because each office has its own staff.
11. My son was arrested by Americus police. Where do I look?
Ask the arresting department whether he was moved to the county jail. Whether a city police department keeps its own holding cell is not published, so do not assume one.
After a few hours, check Sumter County Inmate Search again. Towns in the county without a police department rely on the Sheriff's Office.
12. Is there a free lawyer if we cannot pay?
Yes. A person who cannot afford a lawyer can ask the judge for a public defender at the first hearing. The Southwestern Circuit public defender is at 510 West Lamar Street, 2nd Floor, Americus, GA 31709, 229-928-4610.
Ask for the appointment early, because a lawyer can also push for a bond hearing.
13. Which youth center holds Sumter County minors?
Sumter County's Juvenile Court is at 500 West Lamar Street, Americus, and its line is 229-928-4569. Judge hears cases for the circuit. A child who must be held goes to the Crisp Regional Youth Detention Center, 130 Haralson Road, Cordele, GA 31015, 229-271-4901.
The state Department of Juvenile Justice lists Sumter among the counties that center serves. Children's files are shielded, so the adult search will not show them.
14. What happens if she misses a court date?
The judge can forfeit the bond and issue a warrant. Call the clerk at 229-928-4537 to learn the new date, and talk to a lawyer that day.
A bondsman may press the person to turn herself in, since the bondsman owes the court.
15. Does the bondsman's fee ever come back?
Georgia's bondsman law, O.C.G.A. 17-6-30, has no refund rule, so the answer depends on your contract.
Ask for any refund promise in writing before you pay.
16. How can I tell a bail scam from the real jail?
The jail will not demand gift cards, crypto, or a money app. A caller who says you must pay within minutes is lying. Hang up and call 229-924-4094 yourself.
Report any suspicious call to the Sheriff's Office.
17. Is the Sumter County Prison the same as the jail?
They are different places. A Sumter jail booking means arrested and waiting on court. The Sumter County Prison is a state facility for sentenced inmates, and it is found through the Georgia state inmate search, not the county search.
What happens with a federal arrest?
Federal cases from Sumter County belong to the Middle District of Georgia, Albany Division. The courthouse is 201 West Broad Avenue, Albany, GA 31701, and the clerk answers at (229) 430-8432. A federal magistrate judge holds the first hearing and sets any release terms. The U.S. Marshals Service keeps custody before trial, so the person may sit in a local jail that rents beds to the Marshals. After sentencing, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
Key contacts for Sumter County bond questions
- Jail
- Sumter County Jail, 352 McMath Mill Road, Americus, GA 31709; 229-924-4094
- Bond guide
- Jail bail and bond guide
- Custody lookup
- Sumter County Inmate Search
- Sheriff
- Sumter County Sheriff's Office, Americus
- Clerk of Superior Court
- 500 West Lamar Street, Americus, GA 31709; 229-928-4537
- Court administration
- Southwestern Judicial Circuit; 229-928-4553; criminal calendar clerk 229-928-4543
- Juvenile Court
- 500 West Lamar Street, Americus, GA 31709; 229-928-4569
- Public defender
- Southwestern Circuit, 510 West Lamar Street, 2nd Floor, Americus, GA 31709; 229-928-4610
- Youth detention
- Crisp Regional Youth Detention Center, 130 Haralson Road, Cordele, GA 31015; 229-271-4901
- State inmate search
- Georgia state inmate search (for the Sumter County Prison and other state facilities)
Fees, hours, and phone numbers change, and a judge can order a different amount. Check with the jail or clerk before you pay. Nothing on this page is legal advice from a lawyer.
How do Bail Bonds work at Stewart County Correctional Institute
The Sumter County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Sumter 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 Sumter 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 Sumter 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 Stewart County Correctional Institute, or the courthouse in Sumter County where the offense took place.
Call 229-928-4582 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Sumter County inmate locator.
Stewart County Correctional Institute
Address:
346 McMath Mill Road
Americus, GA 31709
Phone:
229-928-4582
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Sumter County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Sumter County?
Who can set bail in Sumter County?
When is bail set in Sumter County Georgia?
Does Sumter County have bail?
Yes, Sumter County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Sumter 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 Sumter 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 Sumter 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 Sumter 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 Sumter 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 Stewart County Correctional Institute 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, Sumter 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 Sumter 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 Sumter County have bail?
Yes, Sumter County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Sumter 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 Sumter 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 Sumter County Georgia?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances and the judge set the initial bail, your attorney can request a bond reduction.
In Sumter 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 Sumter County Georgia?
Yes, Georgia does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Stewart County Correctional Institute for more information about the jails in Sumter County.
What options are there to pay bail in Sumter 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 Stewart County Correctional Institute for more information about posting bail in Sumter 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 Sumter 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 Stewart County Correctional Institute 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.