Skamania County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Skamania County bail and bond: the Stevenson jail, release hours, and the courts
Adults arrested in Skamania County are held at the Skamania County Jail, run by the Sheriff's Office at 200 Vancouver Avenue in Stevenson. The number is 509-427-9490. The courts and the jail all take mail at PO Box 790. Look up the person with Skamania County Inmate Search. A person who qualifies can post the full bail with the courts or the jail, or hire a bail bond company.
How do I reach the Skamania County Jail?
Call the Sheriff's Office at 509-427-9490. The jail is at 200 Vancouver Avenue, Stevenson, WA 98648, and letters to people inside go to Skamania County Jail, P.O. Box 790, Stevenson, WA 98648. Sheriff Summer Scheyer leads the office.
If your relative does not appear in Skamania County Inmate Search, ask the desk whether he has been booked yet.
What happens during booking?
Staff take fingerprints and photos, tell the person the charges, inventory his property and screen his health, including any prescriptions. Someone who does not qualify for book-and-release waits in a holding cell until a housing spot is assigned. Money he has with him goes into his inmate account.
First classification places everyone at maximum security until housing is decided, which is routine and says nothing about the charge.
Will he be able to call us after he is booked?
Yes. At booking a person gets up to two essential calls of three minutes each, paid for by the jail. They are meant for reaching a lawyer, arranging bail, or telling family. After housing is assigned, he cannot return to the booking area to use that phone.
Because the time is short, have the full legal name and a clear plan ready if he reaches you.
How is bail paid in Skamania County?
A person who is eligible and has a bail amount can pay the full amount to the courts or to the jail, or reach a bail bond company. The booking desk and the jail telephone system give out bail bond company contact information. Bail details for a given case come from the jail at 509-427-9490.
Ask the desk which court holds the case before you bring money.
May the jail staff tell me which bondsman to hire?
No. Custody staff are not allowed to suggest or refer a bail bond company. Choose an agent yourself and verify the license with the Department of Licensing at 360-664-1809, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fee you pay a bondsman is not returned.
How long does release take after bail is paid?
Releases for posted bail, paid fines or court orders happen between 8:00 a.m. and noon, or 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. Releases after business hours are handled in the order received, and delays happen. A person cannot ask for early release.
When does a jailed person go before the judge?
Court appearances run from 9:00 to noon and 1:00 to 3:00. People are taken as their case is called, depending on the court day and which judge or commissioner is available, so staff cannot tell him ahead of time when he will go.
Under Washington's rules, a judge must find probable cause within 48 hours of a warrantless arrest, counting weekends and holidays, and a first appearance must happen no later than the close of business on the next court day.
Which Skamania County court will handle his case?
Skamania County has a Superior Court for felonies, a District Court for misdemeanors, and two city courts, Stevenson Municipal Court and North Bonneville Municipal Court. Mail for North Bonneville's court goes through the District Court. The District Court's phone is 509-219-0165 or toll-free 877-793-8935.
The clerk's office is at 240 Vancouver Avenue in Stevenson. All of the courts take mail at PO Box 790.
What release terms might a judge use?
Washington starts from a promise to appear. The judge can add the least restrictive conditions that work, such as no-contact orders, check-ins, travel limits or electronic monitoring, and can require bail. Work release needs a court order, and furlough can only be approved by the courts.
A family member or the lawyer can ask the judge for a furlough in writing or through the attorney.
Who helps if the arrest involved domestic violence?
The county's domestic violence and sexual assault advocate line is 509-427-4210. Officers must arrest when they have probable cause of a recent assault on a household member or a violated protection order, and the person is held until a judge acts, usually within one judicial day.
Is bail ever refused?
Yes, in narrow cases. The Washington Constitution lets a judge deny bail for capital offenses and offenses with a possible life sentence, after a hearing with clear and convincing evidence of dangerousness. Drunk driving with a prior inside ten years also means a hold until a judge releases.
Does the county accept a house as security?
Licensed property bond agents may write them. Ask the agent which Skamania County court approved its property bonds, because the Department of Licensing requires agents to keep that list.
How do I get an appointed lawyer?
Ask the judge at the first appearance, since the court must provide a lawyer there. The county contracts with private attorneys to defend people who cannot pay: the Law Office of Christopher R. Lanz in Superior Court and Gregory S. Cheney, PLLC in District Court.
Where are Skamania County teens held?
Skamania County has no juvenile detention center of its own. Clark County's Juvenile Department provides temporary detention, normally short stays. To learn where a youth is, call the Sheriff's Office at 509-427-9490.
How do I collect his belongings after release?
Fill out a Property Release Form at least 24 hours before the pickup. It is valid for 30 days. The person who picks up must carry valid photo ID and may have to wait. Property left behind goes to the Sheriff's evidence unit and is disposed of after 30 days.
What if the court date was missed?
The judge may issue a warrant and forfeit the bail. For a surety bond, a court must notify the bondsman in writing within 30 days, or the forfeiture is void. Phone the clerk right away.
How do I steer clear of bail scams?
The jail never asks for gift cards. Money put on an inmate's account is not bail. Get the phone numbers yourself, such as 509-427-9490, and use no one who contacts you first.
Key contacts
- County jail
- Skamania County Jail, 200 Vancouver Avenue, Stevenson, WA 98648; 509-427-9490
- Bond instructions
- Jail bail and bond guide
- Custody lookup
- Skamania County Inmate Search
- Mailing address
- PO Box 790, Stevenson, WA 98648
- Clerk
- 240 Vancouver Avenue, Stevenson, WA 98648
- District Court
- 509-219-0165; toll-free 877-793-8935
- Advocate
- Domestic violence and sexual assault line, 509-427-4210
- Juvenile
- Clark County Juvenile Department temporary detention; ask the Sheriff's Office, 509-427-9490
- Bail bond licensing
- Department of Licensing Bail Bond Program, 360-664-1809
Release hours and payment steps can change, so confirm them with the Sheriff's Office before you drive to Stevenson. This is plain-language guidance, not legal advice.
Skamania County Jail
Address:
200 Vancouver Ave.
Stevenson, WA 98648
Phone:
509-427-9490
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Skamania County
Does Skamania County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Skamania County?
Who can set bail in Skamania County?
When is bail set in Skamania County Washington?
Does Skamania County have bail?
Yes, Skamania County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Skamania County?
Bonds in Skamania County are available in several forms including release on own recognizance, citation release, cash bail, property bond, and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Skamania County?
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is set according to a bail schedule. For more serious offenses a judge will set the bond following a hearing.
When is bail set in Skamania County Washington?
For minor, non-violent offenses when bail is set according to a bail schedule the defendant will be informed of bail during the booking process. For more serious offenses a bail hearing will be scheduled, usually on the next court date not including weekends or holidays.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Skamania 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.
Washington State's suggested bail schedule, though a judge has the authority to set bail above or below the suggested amounts:
If a judge in Washington 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 Skamania County Jail 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, Skamania 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 Skamania 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 Skamania County have bail?
Yes, Skamania County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Skamania County?
Bonds in Skamania County are available in several forms including release on own recognizance, citation release, cash bail, property bond, and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Skamania County?
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is set according to a bail schedule. For more serious offenses a judge will set the bond following a hearing.
When is bail set in Washington?
For minor, non-violent offenses when bail is set according to a bail schedule the defendant will be informed of bail during the booking process. For more serious offenses a bail hearing will be scheduled, usually on the next court date not including weekends or holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Skamania County Washington?
Yes, your attorney can file a motion to reduce or modify bail.
In Skamania County Washington, 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 Washington could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Skamania County Washington?
Yes, Washington does offer online bail payment. Contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail: Go to the Skamania County Jail for more information about the jails in Skamania County.
What options are there to pay bail in Skamania County Washington?
Cash, cashier’s check, credit card, debit card, surety or via the inmate’s jail account. Contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted and fees involved: Go to the Skamania County Jail for more information about posting bail in Skamania County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Washington?
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 Skamania 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 Washington?
The Skamania County Jail 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 at 10%, by the state and cannot be negotiated.