Holmes-Humphreys County/Regional Correctional Facility Inmate Bail & Bonds
Holmes County bail and bond: the shared Lexington regional jail and what to do first
People arrested in Holmes County are taken to the jail that serves this county, the Holmes-Humphreys County Regional Correctional Facility in Lexington. Holmes shares it with Humphreys County. Before you phone anyone, check the Holmes County Inmate Search. It shows whether your person is booked, what the charge is, and what the bond amount reads. The Circuit Clerk in Lexington, 662-834-2476, helps with court dates.
1. Is the Lexington regional facility also a state prison?
It is a regional facility. The Mississippi Department of Corrections lists it among the regional centers, where the state partners with local authorities to house state inmates. The local authorities operate those centers.
A name on a roster does not tell you the case type. Use the Holmes County Inmate Search for a local arrest. If he was already sentenced to state prison, the Department of Corrections main line is 601-359-5600.
2. Which counties share the Lexington facility?
Holmes and Humphreys are the two partner counties, and the facility's name says so. If you are searching for a Humphreys County prisoner, use the Humphreys County Inmate Search instead.
For a Holmes arrest, the Circuit Clerk at 662-834-2476 is the first call about court.
3. How fast must a judge see someone arrested in Holmes County?
State rules require a first appearance no later than 48 hours after a warrantless arrest. The judge confirms the charge, rules on probable cause, sets release terms, and explains the right to a lawyer.
If no hearing is announced by day two, call the Circuit Clerk at 662-834-2476 and ask which judge holds the file.
4. Which conditions can come with a release order?
Rule 8.4 requires every released person to appear when ordered, commit no crime, report any change of address, and meet with a public defender or retained lawyer as directed.
The judge may add conditions such as a designated supervisor, travel limits, no contact with named people, a curfew, treatment, drug testing, schooling, or electronic monitoring.
5. How do I pay a bond for a Holmes County arrest?
Security for a bond is cash, certified funds, or a surety's undertaking deposited with the clerk. The committing court decides whether a cash bond is allowed. For the window and the total, ask the Circuit Clerk at 662-834-2476.
Bring a photo ID, the person's full name, and the booking number from the search.
6. How much should a bondsman cost me?
A licensed Mississippi bail agent charges 10 percent of the bond or $100, whichever is greater, plus a $50 processing fee. The Mississippi Insurance Department issues the licenses.
Read the contract. It should state the fee, any collateral held, and what happens if the person misses court.
7. Is there a cheaper option through the court?
A judge may accept a cash deposit bond of 10 percent of the bond or $250, whichever is greater, with a notarized affidavit (Rule 8.1). Unlike a bondsman's fee, that money is a deposit with the court. Ask the clerk at 662-834-2476 if your judge allows it.
8. Can we pledge land near Lexington for the bond?
The owner of Mississippi property worth the bond after exempt property and debts can sign for it. Rule 8.1(f) does not require the land to sit in Holmes County. Call 662-834-2476 before you hire anyone to value it.
9. What would keep a judge from granting bail?
A capital charge may be held without bail. A person already out on a felony bond who is accused of a new felony punishable by more than five years loses the old bond under Rule 8.6. A domestic violence case requires a judge's decision before any release, with a possible wait of up to 24 hours.
10. Is there a Holmes County public defender phone?
At the first appearance, tell the judge you cannot pay for a lawyer. Rule 5.2 directs the judge to appoint one. The Circuit Clerk, 662-834-2476, can tell you who holds the appointment.
11. Where would a Holmes County teenager be held?
Holmes County's Youth Court decides. Any juvenile detention center a child is sent to must be licensed by the Department of Public Safety.
Call the Circuit Clerk at 662-834-2476 with the child's full name and birth date to ask about the court date.
12. What should a friend carry to pay a bond?
A government photo ID, the person's full legal name, and the booking number from the Holmes County Inmate Search. Bring the exact amount. Keep your copy of any receipt.
If the amount on the screen looks wrong, ask the clerk at 662-834-2476 before paying.
13. What can we do if bail is too much?
A lawyer can file a motion to lower the bond or ask for conditions, such as check-ins or drug testing, in place of money. Rule 8.5(b) lets the court modify conditions for good cause. Gather proof of a home and a job.
14. Does paying into his jail account count?
No. Deposits to a jail account are for phone time and commissary. They do not buy release.
15. What if he misses his court date?
The bond is forfeited under Section 99-5-25, and a bondsman can surrender him under Section 99-5-27. Money forfeited on the bond comes back within 18 months, less extradition costs and attorney fees, if he is surrendered or appears. Tell the clerk, 662-834-2476, the same day.
Holmes County bond contacts
- Serving facility
- Holmes-Humphreys County Regional Correctional Facility, Lexington, MS
- Bond page
- Facility bail and bond page
- Custody lookup
- Holmes County Inmate Search
- Circuit Clerk
- Brenda Travis, P.O. Box 718, Lexington, MS 39095; 662-834-2476
- State prison questions
- Mississippi Department of Corrections, 601-359-5600
These are plain notes on Holmes County bail and bond. A lawyer can speak to the details of your own case.
Holmes-Humphreys County/Regional Correctional Facility
Address:
23234 MS Hwy 12 East
Lexington, MS 39095
Phone:
662-834-5016
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Holmes County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Holmes County?
Who can set bail in Holmes County?
When is bail set in Holmes County Mississippi?
Does Holmes County have bail?
Yes, Holmes County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Holmes County?
Holmes County courts will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. Bail is available in several forms including personal recognizance bond, cash bail, property bond, and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Holmes County?
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is preset and can be set by the arresting officer. More serious crimes require bail be set by a judge.
When is bail set in Holmes County Mississippi?
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is preset and that information will be available during the booking process. More serious crimes require the defendant to appear before a judge. This bail hearing is required to take place within 48 hrs. of arrest, not counting weekends or holidays.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Holmes 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 Holmes 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.
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 Holmes-Humphreys County/Regional Correctional Facility 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, Holmes 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.
The following is a general guideline to bail amounts in Mississippi:
- Manslaughter –$10,000 to $1,000,000
- Drug Distribution and Trafficking -$5,000 to $1,000,000.
- All other non-capital felonies- $5,000 to $250,000
- Misdemeanors - $50 to $2000 plus fines or court costs.
- Misdemeanor DUI and DWLs $500 to $2000.
- Municipal Ordinance Violation: $100 to $1000.
What are the different types of bonds in Holmes 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 Holmes County have bail?
Yes, Holmes County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Holmes County?
Holmes County courts will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. Bail is available in several forms including personal recognizance bond, cash bail, property bond, and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Holmes County?
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is preset and can be set by the arresting officer. More serious crimes require bail be set by a judge.
When is bail set in Mississippi?
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is preset and that information will be available during the booking process. More serious crimes require the defendant to appear before a judge. This bail hearing is required to take place within 48 hrs. of arrest, not counting weekends or holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Holmes County Mississippi?
Yes, your attorney may request a bail reduction at any time prior to the trial.
In Holmes County Mississippi, 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 Mississippi could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Holmes County Mississippi?
Yes, Mississippi counties do offer online bail payment. Contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Holmes-Humphreys County/Regional Correctional Facility for more information about the jails in Holmes County.
What options are there to pay bail in Holmes County Mississippi?
Most all jail and courts accept cash, a cashier or bankers’ check. Some accept a credit card with fees. Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Holmes-Humphreys County/Regional Correctional Facility for more information about posting bail in Holmes County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Mississippi?
Yes. You will get it back from the court or bondsperson after the appropriate requests and formal paperwork are completed with the court, less fees or percentages kept by the bail bondsman.
Can I get bail or a bond with no money down in Holmes County?
No, Mississippi law does not allow 'no money down' bail or bonds. Unless you are released on personal recognizance you can expect to pay at least 10%.
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 Mississippi?
The Holmes-Humphreys County/Regional Correctional Facility 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.