Smith County Low Risk Detention Center, TX Bail & Bonds

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Smith County Low Risk Detention Center

Address:
2811 Public Road
Tyler, TX 75710
Phone:
903-590-2661

How do Bail Bonds work at Smith County Low Risk Detention Center

Smith County Bail & Bond Procedure

Smith County Pre-Trial Release and Personal Bond Office

The Smith County Pre-Trial Release Office's mission is to provide individuals who have been arrested on Class A, B and C Misdemeanors and certain felonies with an alternative to Smith County Jail while awaiting disposition of their case.
Pre-Trial Bonds have to be approved by the courts.
The offender's bond fees are $20, or 3 percent of the bond amount, whichever is greater.
The person arrested can contact the office at (903) 590-2620 or have a friend/family member call that number.
The person arrested must complete a pre-trial release application.

Minimum Requirements to be approved for bond:

Must be a resident of Smith County or reside within a 50-mile radius.
Must be in jail on local offenses.
Must report to this office every week until your case is disposed of.
Smith County Courthouse Annex
200 E. Ferguson, Room 213
Tyler, Texas 75702

Phone: (903) 590-2620
Fax: (903) 590-2626

Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed for lunch:
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Must appear in court for all scheduled court appearances.
Must report in at the Pre-Trial Office after each court appearance.
Must refrain from unlawful conduct.
Must not already be on Probation or Parole.
Notify the office immediately of any changes of address, telephone number or employment.
Must complete a client travel form in the event you plan on going out of town.

Who do I call to find out the Bond for an Inmate?

Please call the jail at 903-590-2661 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Smith County Low Risk Detention Center.
A bond is set according to a court-approved schedule.
The purpose of the bond is to assure the offender's appearance in court.

Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in Smith County

Because Smith County and Texas can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Smith County Low Risk Detention Center at 903-590-2661, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, right after an arrestee has been booked.

Ask the staff at the Smith County Low Risk Detention Center or the Smith County Court Clerk these specific questions:

Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
Where do I go to pay it?
Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released.

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.

Option 1 - How to Post Bail using Cash for a Defendant at Smith County Low Risk Detention Center

The first option, a cash bond, is to pay the full bail amount in cash, cashier's check, or money order. Personal Checks are not accepted.

Depending on the crime, this amount could be anywhere from $100 to $75,000 or more.

To pay a cash bond, go to Smith County Low Risk Detention Center or to the court where the bail hearing occurred. Going directly to the jail will quicken the release of the defendant as any bail paperwork processed at the court will have to be transferred to the jail.

Cashier's Checks and Money Orders may be made out to Smith County Low Risk Detention Center where the defendant is being held, but usually to the Smith County Sheriff's Office or to the Smith County Court.

To purchase money orders visit any Western Union, Moneygram or Post Office.

Option 2 - How to Post a Private or Surety Bond for a Defendant at Smith County Low Risk Detention Center

In the event that someone does not have the full bond amount available to him or her, there is what is called a private bond or surety bond.

This is an agreement made with a bail agent or bondsman who will post the full bail amount. In return, the defendant and/or cosigner will pay a premium to the bail agent. This premium will be 10-15% of the full bail amount.

For example, if bail is posted at $5,000, then the premium will cost approximately $500-$750.

A bail agent will often require some form of collateral, for example, a lien on a house, a car or jewelry. This is to ensure that if the defendant skips bail, or does not appear in court, the bail agent has some sort of compensation for the full bail amount being paid.

Remember, by making an agreement with a bail agent the signatory takes responsibility for paying the full bail amount if the defendant does not appear in court.

Option 3 - How to Post a Property Bond for a Defendant at Smith County Low Risk Detention Center

If you are a landowner in Smith County you may be able to post a property bond. Property within Smith County may be used as collateral to bail someone out. All owners of the property must be present to sign the bond in order for this to happen.

To find if property located outside of Smith County can be used as collateral, call a local bail or bond agent or contact a defense lawyer.

Click here for additional information on how to post bail at Smith County Low Risk Detention Center.

Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Smith County Low Risk Detention Center?

Anyone over the age of 18 who can produce a valid government-issued photo ID can post bail. Accepted forms of ID include a Photo Driver's License, Passport, or Motor Vehicle issued ID.

In many circumstances, if the defendant has the resources, they can post their own cash bail from jail.

Surety Bonds are arranged by a third party, typically a Texas state licensed Bail Bond firm.

Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.

Smith County Justice System Flowchart

When will the Cash Bail or Collateral be returned to me?

Money or collateral will not be returned until the defendant's court case is finished, so realistically it could take several months to years, depending on the severity of the charges. If a defendant posts his or her own bail, Smith County Court may retain whatever amount of fines or fees have accumulated throughout the trial.

What happens to my Bail or Collateral if the Defendant misses Court?

The Smith County Judge may order a failure to appear warrant for the person's arrest or the Judge may order a Bail Commissioner's Letter be issued that will be sent to the person with a new court date.

If cash bail was paid, the entire amount may be forfeited.

How Does an Inmate Make Phone Calls in Smith County Low Risk Detention Center?

To receive phone calls from an inmate in Smith County follow these instructions:

Smith County Low Risk Detention Center uses the services of NCIC for inmate phone calling. It is called a ‘friends & family account”.

In order to receive phone calls from your inmate, you need to do the following:

Register here, or by phone 800-943-2189
Choose Texas.
Choose Smith County Low Risk Detention Center
Select your Inmate.
Enter the phone number your Inmate will be calling.
Fund your Account. ($10-$100 at a time)

NOTE:
1. You cannot receive any calls to your phone number from your inmate until both you and your phone number are registered.
2. When you do receive a call, the number you will view on your phone from the incoming call is: 800-943-2189.
3. When allowed by Smith County Low Risk Detention Center, families can also leave secure voicemails for inmates to listen to.

Fees

Adding funds to your account - $3.00
Cost of phone call of a Prepaid Collect Account - $0.21 per minute
Cost of an interstate (ex. Texas to a different state) phone call NOT Prepaid - $0.25 per minute
Cost of an intrastate (ex. Texas to Texas) phone call NOT Prepaid - $0.25 per minute
Cost if you set up your account (or fund it) by phone using a live agent, you will be charged a one-time fee of $5.95.

NCIC Customer Service
Phone - 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069
Email – [email protected]
Full list of participating jails.

For all the information regarding phone calls with Smith County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, fees, limits and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.

How to visit an inmate in Smith County Texas using Remote Video Visitation

To visit an inmate in Smith County follow these steps:

In addition to visiting inmates at the jail, Smith County Low Risk Detention Center uses a video visitation service called JailATM.
In order to visit with your inmate online or at the Smith County Jail Video Kiosk, you must first register with JailATM.
Once you register, choose the option for 'Video Calls' or Video Visits and you will be prompted for the information required, which will include copies of your state issued ID and more.
Note: While JailATM also offers the following inmate services, Smith County Low Risk Detention Center may or may not allow all of them. Check on the JailATM website to confirm.
Services available through JailATM are subject to change with no notice.
1. You Can Send Money
Smith County Low Risk Detention Center may have an agreement with JailATM so that you can deposit money online or using the kiosk in the Smith County Low Risk Detention Center lobby.
2. You Can Send Gift Packs
Smith County Low Risk Detention Center may have an agreement with JailATM, which ships predetermined Gift Packs of candy, snacks and hygiene products to your inmate. Check the JailATM website to see if they allow these to be sent to your inmate.
3. You Can Email Inmate
Smith County Low Risk Detention Center may have an agreement with JailATM which handles secure messaging between you and your inmate. Check the JailATM website to see if they allow emailing your inmate.
Customer Support: 877-810-0914.

For full instructions on all the benefits of using JailATM to visit a Smith County inmate, visiting an inmate at the jail itself, rates, policies, rules, dress codes, bringing children, attorney and clergy visits and more, go to our official Visit Inmate Page.

Smith County Low Risk Detention Center Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The Smith County Low Risk Detention Center allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature.

Envelopes
The Smith County Low Risk Detention Center also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates.

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID# (call 903-590-2661 for this number)
c/o Smith County Jail
2830 S. Hulen St.
Box 809
Fort Worth, TX 76109

Legal Mail

Send all legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID# (call 903-590-2661 for this number)
c/o Smith County Jail
206 E. Elm Street
Tyler, TX 75702

Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The Smith County Low Risk Detention Center allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address below.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Smith County Low Risk Detention Center standards will be disposed of. No more than three books may be shipped at any one time.
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.

All newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID# (call 903-590-2661 for this number)
c/o Smith County Jail
206 E. Elm Street
Tyler, TX 75702

How to Email an Inmate at Smith County Low Risk Detention Center

Using Jail ATM Digital Messaging with an Inmate at Smith County Low Risk Detention Center - Sending and Receiving Messages.

How It Works:

Once you sign up with Jail ATM instant Messaging you can you can send texts from the cell phone associated with the mobile number you provided at sign-up, and receive text messages from the inmate on the same cell phone. You can only use the phone number you signed up with or it won't work.

To learn more about this email service, check out our full instructions, including fees at our emailing and texting page.

How to Deposit Money Online for an Inmate in Smith County

To deposit money online for an inmate in Smith County Low Risk Detention Center follow these steps:

Register to open an account, or Sign In to JailATM, a service that acts as a bank for inmates in Smith County.
After registering and signing in, select 'Send Money Now'.
Choose Texas, then choose Smith County Low Risk Detention Center
Type in your inmate's last name or their Inmate ID.
Select your inmate.
Input an amount to deposit to your inmate in Smith County Low Risk Detention Center, and then input your payment method.
NOTE: There may be a limit on how much money you can send your inmate in Smith County at any one time.
If you need to phone customer support, call 877-810-0914.

For all information, tips and procedures for sending money to an inmate in Smith County Low Risk Detention Center, or depositing money at the jail, over the phone or by mail, check out our Send Money Page for Smith County.