Shackelford County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

A magistrate. The clock gives officers 48 hours, start to finish, to bring the prisoner to that hearing, and a camera hookup from the cellblock is fine (CCP art. 15.17). Justices of the peace are magistrates under CCP art. 2A.151. This county's Justice of the Peace sits at 309 South 2nd Street, Albany, TX 76430, 325-762-9430. District and county judges can fill the role as well.

That short session in front of the magistrate covers three jobs:

• naming the charge, then warning the person about silence and the right to counsel
• walking them through a request for a free lawyer and lending a hand with the form
• fixing bail for that individual, leaning toward the gentlest rules that will still get them to court with the public protected (art. 17.028)

Before bail on any Class B or tougher charge, the magistrate looks over a state public safety report. Think of it as a printout of past cases and missed court dates. Lawmakers kept risk scores and suggested dollar amounts out of it (art. 17.022). Staff on the jail line know the hearing time; call 325-762-9555.

In Texas, "bail" covers every way out of jail before trial. Families here mostly run into three forms of it:

• Cash bond. A friend or relative puts up the whole amount. It is returned, less fees, after the case closes.
• Surety bond. A bondsman signs on to cover the full sum if the person flees. You pay a fee up front, and you keep none of it.
• Personal bond. Nobody hands over cash. The person's own signature on a promise to appear does the work.

Signature-only release is barred for a list of charges. That list takes in the violent crimes article 17.03 spells out, a convicted felon found with a gun, and some breaches of a protective order. Picking up a new charge while on probation for violence also rules it out. One more group needs the trial judge's personal OK: burglary, organized crime, and several drug felonies.

Conditions can ride along with any bond. When the charge is a second DWI, drunk driving with a kid aboard, or a drunk-driving crash that hurt or killed someone, expect a breath-alcohol lock wired into the ignition of whatever they drive (art. 17.441).

No price chart covers the whole state. Instead, a magistrate sizes each bond for one person, weighing a short list of points from article 17.15:

• enough money to make sure the person returns
• never so high that it just punishes or crushes
• the type of crime alleged and its details
• the size of the person's paycheck and savings
• safety for the alleged victim, law officers and the town
• any prior record, and U.S. citizenship status

State law names just two dollar caps. They matter when police made the arrest on their own, with no warrant, and the question of probable cause hasn't been answered yet. On a misdemeanor, the person walks out by the 24th hour with bond set at $5,000 at most. Felony suspects get 48 hours and a ceiling of $10,000. Anyone too broke for that amount goes home on a personal bond. At the state's request, the deadline can stretch, though never past 72 hours in total (art. 17.033).

Fine-only tickets are easier. A magistrate is allowed to write out a court date on paper instead, and let the person leave without any bond (art. 15.17). For the figure on your person's charges, ring the jail at 325-762-9555.

A deposit kiosk in the public lobby takes cash bonds for people held inside, 24 hours a day. The lobby is in the Shackelford County LEC / Jail, 791 W. US Hwy 180, Albany, TX 76430.

1. Ring 325-762-9555 with the inmate's full legal name and birthday in hand.
2. Note the bond amount listed for every charge, and make sure a magistrate has already fixed it.
3. Ask if a warrant or hold from any other agency is waiting.
4. At the kiosk, pay in cash (a $4.00 fee is added) or by credit card (card fees are added).
5. Hang on to the receipt. Release paperwork takes a while, so plan to wait.

Texas tells a sheriff or jailer accepting bail to run a criminal history check first. Violent charges are different: the dollar figure there must come from a magistrate, not the jailer (art. 17.22). If you are using a bondsman or the magistrate allowed a personal bond, ask the staff how that paperwork gets signed.

Case files live at the courthouse, so that is where to ask about bond once charges are filed.

• County and District Clerk (felony, Class A and Class B files), Shackelford County Courthouse, 1st Floor, 225 South Main Street, Albany, TX 76430, 325-762-9415. Hours run Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. On Friday the office closes at 4:00 p.m.
• Justice of the Peace (Class C tickets, which can bring a fine but never jail), 309 South 2nd Street, Albany, TX 76430, 325-762-9430, same hours. Personal bonds are the default in this kind of court (CCP art. 45A.107).

Call ahead. Ask whether the office can accept a cash bond on your case, which kinds of payment it allows, and how long the release takes once the money is in.

The lobby kiosk at the jail runs day and night. It takes cash, with a $4.00 fee, or a credit card, with card fees on top. The jail also names an online site and mailed money orders, but those load an inmate's commissary account. They do not post bond.

At the Justice of the Peace window, staff take Visa, MasterCard or Discover for a $5.00 fee. Cashier's checks, money orders and cash work there too. Personal checks are refused, and cash sent by mail is never accepted.

Bondsmen set their own terms, so get each fee in writing before you sign. If the kiosk rejects your card or cash, ring the jail at 325-762-9555 to ask about other options that day.

A bail bond board becomes a legal must only after a county tops 110,000 residents. Those boards license bondsmen and tack the approved names up at booking (Occupations Code 1704.105). In a county without one, a sheriff may hang a roster of sureties whose finances checked out (art. 17.141). To learn which ones this jail accepts, dial the Sheriff's Office on 325-762-9500.

• Bondsmen charge whatever they choose, since Texas sets no limit, and that money is gone for good.
• Ask for a written receipt for every dollar. Bondsmen may not troll the cellblock for business (Occupations Code 1704.304).
• Put your request for collateral in writing after the case wraps up. Your truck title or deed is due back to you inside 30 days of that letter (Occupations Code 1704.301).
• Even the defense attorney of record may step in and sign as surety (Occupations Code 1704.163).
• A bondsman can quit the bond. First, though, the defense lawyer gets a heads-up, along with the prosecutor in felony cases. Sworn papers follow, as article 17.19 requires.

One bond settles one case. These other papers can still hold the person:

• A family violence charge. When the magistrate fears more harm at home, release lags four hours behind payment. A written order may lengthen the delay to two days, under article 17.291.
• Paper from a different county. A magistrate in Albany has the power to accept that county's bail and ship the bond over (art. 15.18). Without that, the person waits for transport.
• Parole. State parolees arrested on a so-called blue warrant remain in custody while their violation is decided, under section 508.254 of the Government Code.
• An immigration detainer. Texas jails are bound to obey one. The exception is someone who shows papers backing up citizenship or legal residence (art. 2A.060).
• Federal charges held by the U.S. Marshals Service.
• Mental health. Jailers who notice signs of mental illness must notify a magistrate in 12 hours or less, and that can lead to an evaluation (art. 16.22).

Pay nothing until jail staff at 325-762-9555 have checked for every hold.

Yes, but rarely. Nearly every case carries a constitutional right to bail. Capital cases with strong proof are the long-standing exception (art. I, §11). Other sections allow denial after some repeat felonies or a felony while on bail (§11a), after breaking safety terms of release (§11b), or after violating a family violence order (§11c).

Proposition 3 passed in the statewide vote of November 4, 2025, and became art. I, §11d of the constitution. It covers human trafficking and a group of violent crimes: murder, capital murder, and kidnapping, robbery or sexual assault in their aggravated forms. Indecency with a child is on it. Aggravated assault joins the list when the victim was gravely injured or the attacker used a firearm, knife, club or explosive. A hearing happens only if the prosecutor asks. If the state shows likely flight (preponderance of the evidence) or danger (clear and convincing evidence), the constitution says bail "shall be denied." Any judge who grants it anyway has to write down why.

Lawmakers also gave prosecutors two new tools in 2025. They can ask a district judge to take a fresh look at felony bail (art. 17.029). With some violent charges, the state is even allowed to appeal bail it considers too low (art. 44.01). Felony prosecutors for this county work for the 259th District Attorney, P.O. Box 507, Anson, TX 79501, 325-823-2742. The County Attorney handles misdemeanors from the 2nd Floor, 225 South Main Street, Albany, TX 76430, 325-762-9410.

A defense lawyer can put a written motion before the judge seeking a smaller bond or looser terms. Arm the lawyer with proof: a pay stub, a lease or deed nearby, relatives in town, and an honest budget. Bail that crushes a family's budget is exactly what article 17.15 forbids.

Time is on the person's side too. When prosecutors aren't ready for trial and the person is still behind bars, the law requires release on personal bond, or bail cut down, once this many days pass (CCP art. 17.151):

• felony charge: 90 days of waiting
• misdemeanor where the jail range tops 180 days: 30 days of waiting
• misdemeanor with a jail term of 180 days at most: 15 days of waiting
• fine-only charge: 5 days of waiting

There are exceptions. Motions in felony and Class A or B cases go to the County and District Clerk, 225 South Main Street, Albany, TX 76430, 325-762-9415.

Right after the warnings, the magistrate offers help asking for a court-paid lawyer. That paperwork must land with the judge who appoints lawyers within a day (art. 15.17). Counties below 250,000 in population then get three working days to pick an attorney (art. 1.051). That attorney then owes the client a real effort at contact within one working day, per article 26.04.

According to the state's Indigent Defense Commission, a regional public defender covers this county:

• Concho Valley Public Defender's Office, 1st Floor, Edd B. Keyes Building, 113 W. Beauregard St., San Angelo, TX 76903, 325-229-4671. Ask that office which types of cases it accepts from here.
• Texas Indigent Defense Commission, 209 West 14th Street, Room 202, Austin, TX 78701, 512-936-6994. Every county's appointment plan is on its site.

No one may be threatened with jail for asking for a lawyer (CCP art. 26.04(r)).

Most local cases stay in town. Here is each court and office:

• Shackelford County Courthouse, 225 South Main Street, Albany, TX 76430, 325-762-9400. Felony trials here go before the 259th District Court. The constitutional County Court takes the misdemeanors that can mean jail time. Open Monday to Thursday 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., closing at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
• 259th District Court office, P.O. Box 429, Anson, TX 79501, 325-823-2721. This district also covers Jones County.
• Justice of the Peace (fine-only offenses), 309 South 2nd Street, Albany, TX 76430, 325-762-9430.
• U.S. District Court, Abilene Division (federal charges), 341 Pine Street, Room 2008, Abilene, TX 79601, 325-677-6311.

When the case wraps up with every condition kept, the receipt holder gets the cash (art. 17.02). If the case closes with a guilty finding or deferred adjudication, the clerk is allowed a cut of 5%, with $50 as the ceiling (Local Gov't Code 117.055). Whatever that defendant still owes in fines or court costs may come out of it, too.

Skipping a court date puts every dollar in danger. A judge starts the loss with a judgment nisi, Latin for a ruling that stands unless someone shows cause (art. 22.02). Bondsmen are let off if the person is arrested and jailed again soon enough: within 180 days on a misdemeanor case or within 270 days on a felony case, per article 22.13. Skipping court also becomes its own crime, as minor as Class C or as heavy as a third-degree felony, matching the first case, as Penal Code section 38.10 provides.

For a refund, phone the County and District Clerk at 325-762-9415, then bring the receipt and a photo ID to the counter.

Money sent to someone in the jail lands in an inmate trust account. Before they leave, ask about that balance and the items taken at booking. The jail is at 791 W. US Hwy 180, Albany, TX 76430. The Sheriff's Office, 325-762-9500, can explain how the leftover balance is paid out and when things can be picked up.

Carry a photo ID. Picking up on their behalf? You may need a note they signed. See our inmate money page to learn how commissary balances usually get refunded.

Federal arrests from around Albany land in Abilene, home of one of the Northern District's federal courtrooms. The federal courthouse is at 341 Pine Street, Room 2008, Abilene, TX 79601, 325-677-6311.

• A federal magistrate judge rules at the first appearance on release versus detention (18 U.S.C. 3142). Bondsmen play no role in that choice.
• Choosing a bed for a federal defendant before trial is a job for the U.S. Marshals Service. Their Abilene branch is at 341 Pine Street, Room 207, Abilene, TX 79601, 325-672-2147, and knows which lockup is housing each federal detainee.
• After a federal prison sentence, track them on the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

An ICE request can keep someone in the county cells past their bond. Posting bond resolves the state case and nothing more. The usual sequence:

1. The federal immigration agency, ICE, sends the Albany jail Form I-247A, its written hold request.
2. Deputies may then hold the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, giving ICE time to arrive (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. State law makes the jail follow that request and tell the person the reason. Papers that back up citizenship or lawful presence end it (art. 2A.060). Since a 2017 statute, no Texas town or county may adopt a policy that hampers this federal work (Gov't Code 752.053).
4. Because of a 2025 law, any sheriff who runs a jail must land a 287(g) pact with ICE, and the due date is December 1, 2026. Where this county stands is a question for the Sheriff's Office, 325-762-9500, on a weekday.
5. The ICE office responsible for North Texas sits in Dallas at 8101 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75247, 972-367-2200. To find someone, the ICE Online Detainee Locator will want two facts, the full name and country of birth. An A-number from immigration papers also works.

State jail felonies are punished in a state jail facility, with terms from 180 days up to two years (Penal Code 12.35). Third degree through capital felonies are served under TDCJ, the state's prison agency. The wait after sentencing is usually spent in the Albany jail. Once TDCJ takes them, intake workers sort them and pick a fitting unit.

• Once moved, they show up on the TDCJ inmate search, by surname or state ID number. It updates each business day.
• Each unit's visiting and letter rules appear on the Texas state prisons page we keep.

Texas treats 10- to 16-year-olds as children in court. Seventeen-year-olds are handled like grown-ups (Family Code 51.02). Youths don't post bail like adults. Officers must notify a parent quickly. Detained children get a hearing quickly. The limit is two working days, shrinking to one when the arrest falls at the end of the week, on a Friday or Saturday. A judge appoints the child's lawyer ahead of time (Family Code 54.01).

Abilene hosts the nearest juvenile lockup listed by the state, the Taylor County Juvenile Detention Center, 889 South 25th Street, Abilene, TX 79602, 325-691-7462. Youth cases here are brought by the County Attorney. That office, 325-762-9410, knows which center has the child and the time of the next hearing.