Madison Parish Correctional Center Inmate Bail & Bonds

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Madison Parish

Louisiana • Madison Parish • Bail & bond help

Madison Parish bail and bond: finding the jail and paying a bond in Tallulah

Madison Parish arrests are handled by the sheriff in Tallulah. Two lockups sit in town: the Madison Parish Jail at 404 East Green Street and a larger contract detention center on Treatment Plant Road. Because more than one place may hold a person, start with the Madison Parish Inmate Search to see the booking and any bond amount. Then call the East Green Street jail at 318-574-1833 for questions the search cannot answer, such as where a person is sleeping tonight.

Where is someone arrested in Madison Parish actually held?

The state lists three local sites in Tallulah. The Madison Parish Jail is at 404 East Green Street, 318-574-1833. The Madison Parish Detention Center, also called the Correctional Center, is at 158 Treatment Plant Road, 318-574-0584. A private company, LaSalle Corrections, has run that second site for the sheriff since 2014. It holds people from around the state, so a Madison arrest may or may not be there. Look up the name first, then call the East Green Street number.

Back to questions ↑

How do I check a booking without driving to Tallulah?

Type the name into the Madison Parish Inmate Search. A very new arrest can take a few hours to appear. If nothing shows, call the sheriff at 318-574-1831. Ask whether the person was moved to another parish or is held on a warrant from somewhere else. Have the full name and birth date ready.

Back to questions ↑

Who is the sheriff, and where is the office?

The state corrections directory lists Sheriff Chad Ezell at 100 North Cedar Street, Tallulah, LA 71282, phone 318-574-1831. The sheriff runs the jail but does not set the bond. A judge or magistrate does that.

Back to questions ↑

When will a judge set bail after an arrest in Tallulah?

Louisiana law says a person must be brought before a judge promptly, and no later than 72 hours after arrest. Weekends and legal holidays do not count toward that time. At that appearance the judge also arranges a lawyer and may set or review the bail. A person held after an arrest without a warrant also gets a paper review for probable cause within 48 hours. A new booking may show no amount until then.

Back to questions ↑

What judicial district hears Madison Parish cases?

Madison Parish is in the Sixth Judicial District with East Carroll and Tensas. The Madison Parish Clerk of Court keeps the court papers and is at P.O. Box 1710, Tallulah, LA 71282, phone 318-574-0655. The district attorney for the district lists 318-574-1706.

Back to questions ↑

How much will bail be for a typical charge here?

No printed dollar schedule for the Sixth District could be read for this page, so no per-charge figures are given. Louisiana lets each court adopt its own schedule, and a judge may set a different amount after looking at the case. The judge weighs the offense, the evidence, prior record, ability to pay, and the risk of flight or danger. The bail order must be in writing and state one amount for each charge. Ask the sheriff at 318-574-1831 for the amount on the order.

Back to questions ↑

What does it cost to use a bondsman?

For a commercial bail bond, state law sets the premium at 12 percent of the bond or $120, whichever is greater. On a $5,000 bond, 12 percent is $600. Bondsmen are licensed by the Louisiana Department of Insurance. Get the rate, any collateral, and what happens if the person misses court in writing before you sign.

Back to questions ↑

Can I pay the full bail in cash?

Yes, if the order allows it. Louisiana accepts a cash deposit equal to the bail. It also accepts cashier's or certified checks from a state or national bank, and postal or bank money orders. A personal check is not on that list. Ask the jail desk at 318-574-1833 which hours the cashier works and what to bring, since this page found no posted bonding hours.

Back to questions ↑

Can land or a house be used for a bond in Madison Parish?

It can, but it is slow. The owner signs a mortgage on Louisiana land or a house, and the mortgage is recorded in the parish where the property sits. The property must be worth more than what is already owed on it. You hand over a certified copy of the recorded mortgage and a mortgage certificate. Staff may ask for a current tax assessment. Start with the Clerk of Court at 318-574-0655.

Back to questions ↑

Who can be released without paying anything?

A judge may order release on a promise to appear, or on a signature, for some charges. Louisiana bars that kind of release for many serious ones. The list includes crimes of violence, domestic abuse battery, repeat DWI, and some drug distribution charges. A person arrested for a new felony faces a presumption against release on a signature.

Back to questions ↑

Why do the records say no bond for my relative?

A hold may only be temporary. Some domestic abuse cases carry a 48 to 72 hour hold before the judge can set a bail. A prosecutor can also ask to keep a person up to five days, not counting weekends and holidays, for a bail hearing. Capital murder charges can be held without bail. Another parish's warrant or a probation hold also blocks release.

Back to questions ↑

How do I get a free lawyer?

At the first court appearance, tell the judge you cannot afford a lawyer. The District 6 public defender office is at 1602A Felicia Drive, Tallulah, 318-434-4010. The office serves East Carroll, Madison, and Tensas Parishes.

Back to questions ↑

Can the bail be lowered later?

Yes. The court with trial power over the case can raise or lower bail for good cause. A new arrest while out on bond is a reason to raise it. If the amount changes, a new bond must be posted for the new number. A lawyer or the public defender can file the request.

Back to questions ↑

What if my child was arrested in Madison Parish?

Call the Clerk of Court at 318-574-0655 and the sheriff at 318-574-1831 to find the court date and where the child is staying. Juvenile records are private, so the adult search may show nothing. The state Office of Juvenile Justice places Madison Parish in its Tallulah region. If the child is not sent home, a hearing must be held within three days of entering a juvenile detention center or shelter. Ask the clerk which detention center is being used.

Back to questions ↑

Does the state prison nearby mean my relative is in state custody?

Not always. Tallulah has the Louisiana Transitional Center for Women, 318-574-5740, and Bayou Correctional Center, 318-574-0225. Madison Parish also holds sentenced people for the state corrections department. For a person serving a state sentence, use the state offender lookup. For a new arrest, use the parish search above.

Back to questions ↑

What if the case is federal?

Madison Parish is in the Western District of Louisiana for federal cases. Federal charges follow federal release rules, not parish bail orders. Call a lawyer right away, because the parish jail cannot post a federal bond.

Back to questions ↑

What do I do about bail scams?

Never wire money, send gift cards, or pay a stranger who calls offering release. Check every number against the ones on this page, and ask for a receipt that names the case. Cash deposits that nobody claims within one year after the last related case ends are split between the clerk's office and the local government.

Back to questions ↑

Madison Parish bail contacts

Parish jail
Madison Parish Jail, 404 East Green Street, Tallulah, LA 71282; 318-574-1833
Detention center
Madison Parish Detention Center, 158 Treatment Plant Road, Tallulah, LA 71282; 318-574-0584
Bail guide
Bail and bond instructions
Sheriff
100 North Cedar Street, Tallulah, LA 71282; 318-574-1831
Clerk of Court
P.O. Box 1710, Tallulah, LA 71282; 318-574-0655
District attorney
318-574-1706
Public defender
District 6, 1602A Felicia Drive, Tallulah; 318-434-4010
Custody lookup
Madison Parish Inmate Search
State offenders
Louisiana state offender lookup

Phone numbers, hours, and court rules change, and this page is a plain-language guide, not a lawyer's advice. Confirm the amount and the payment steps with the Madison Parish jail desk or the clerk before any money changes hands.

Using GTL/gettingout to make bail payments

How to make a bail payment using gettingout.com/Viapath

  • gettingout.com/Viapath assists you in using their banking system to make bail payment for your inmate.  
  • You can call them at 866-516-0115.
  • Gettingout, also known as Viapath, limits your 24 hour online deposit to $3,000.00. So if the bail is higher, it may take multiple deposits over the same number of days.

Madison Parish Correctional Center

Address:
158 Treatment Plant Road
Rt. 3 Box 3
Tallulah, LA 71282
Phone:
318-574-0584

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Madison Parish


Does Madison Parish have bail?

What kind of bonds are accepted in Madison Parish?

Who can set bail in Madison Parish?

When is bail set in Madison Parish Louisiana?

 

 

Does Madison Parish have bail?

Yes, Madison Parish recognizes most types of bail bonds.

 

 

What kind of bonds are accepted in Madison Parish?

Madison Parish recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. There are several types of bail available including release on own recognizance, cash bail, property bond and surety bond.

 

 

Who can set bail in Madison Parish?

In some cases, the bail is predetermined based on the charges. If this is the case the amount of bail will be provided during the booking process. In cases where the bail is not predetermined, or the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, the bail will be determined by a magistrate at the first appearance.

 

 

When is bail set in Madison Parish Louisiana?

A magistrate will set bail during a first appearance, which is usually scheduled within 72 hours of arrest.

What is Bail?

Bail is what the arrested in Madison Parish 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 bail commissioner in Madison Parish 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. 

If the magistrate 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 Madison Parish Correctional Center 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, Madison Parish 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 Madison Parish?

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 Madison Parish have bail?

Yes, Madison Parish recognizes most types of bail bonds.

What kind of bonds are accepted in Madison Parish? 

Madison Parish recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. There are several types of bail available including release on own recognizance, cash bail, property bond and surety bond.

Who can set bail in Madison Parish?  

In some cases, the bail is predetermined based on the charges. If this is the case the amount of bail will be provided during the booking process. In cases where the bail is not predetermined, or the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, the bail will be determined by a magistrate at the first appearance.

When is bail set in Madison Parish?

A magistrate will set bail during a first appearance, which is usually scheduled within 72 hours of arrest.

Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Madison Parish Louisiana? 

Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances, let the magistrate know.  Your attorney can also request a bond reduction.

In Madison Parish Louisiana, 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 Louisiana could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.

Can bail be paid online in Madison Parish Louisiana?  

No, Louisiana counties do not currently offer online payment of bail. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail: go to the for more information about the jails in Madison Parish.

What options are there to pay bail in Madison Parish Louisiana? 

Payment may be made with cash, money order, property bond, or surety bond. Some accept a credit card with fees. 

Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Madison Parish Correctional Center for more information about posting bail in Madison Parish.  

An alternative would be to contact the Clerk of Court.

Will I get all my bond money back in Louisiana?

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 Madison Parish?

The magistrate 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 Louisiana?  

The Madison Parish Correctional Center 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.

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Madison Parish

Human-verified information Manually curated

Every detail on this page is checked by hand, not scraped. This unofficial directory helps friends and family of incarcerated individuals find critical information — inmate lists, locations, bail resources, visitation hours, rules, and text, phone, email, and mail services — for jails, detention centers, and prisons across the United States.