Milwaukee County Central Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Milwaukee County Central Jail

Address:
Criminal Justice Facility
949 North 9th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233

Phone:

414-226-7070

How do Bail Bonds work at Milwaukee County Central Jail

Where and How Can I Pay Bail in Milwaukee County?

Bail can be paid at the Milwaukee County Jail Cashier’s Office, or Kiosk located on Level G of the Criminal Justice Facility.

Criminal Justice Facility
949 North 9th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233

  • Cash, cashier’s checks, money orders and all major credit cards are accepted.
  • A valid form of identification must be presented when paying bail.
  • Bank Cashier’s checks and Money orders must be made out to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office.
  1. You can pay bail 24 hours a day.
  2. You can pay up to $10,000.00 using credit cards at the Kiosk.
  3. You can pay with cash, cashier's check, money order and Visa or MasterCard credit cards. Persons posting bail with a credit card must have a valid picture ID that matches the name on the card. 
  4. If you pay with a Money order or cashier Check, it needs to be verified by calling the bank, so this can only be done during business hours.
  5. Bail Refunds take 3-4 weeks and are handled through the Milwaukee County Circuit Court Clerk. Their number is: 414-278-4538. If you do call,you need the Court case number.
  6. An arrestee can also self-bail.  You can do this by putting money in their commissary account.  Refer to instructions on how to do this at our Inmate Money page.

 

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

Please call the jail at 414-226-7070 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Milwaukee County Central Jail.
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 Milwaukee County

Because Milwaukee County and Wisconsin can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Milwaukee County Central Jail at 414-226-7070, 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 Milwaukee County Central Jail or the Milwaukee County Court Clerk these specific questions:

  1. Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
  2. How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
  3. Where do I go to pay it?
  4. Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
  5. What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
  6. 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 Milwaukee County Central Jail

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 Milwaukee County Central Jail 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 Milwaukee County Central Jail where the defendant is being held, but usually to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office or to the Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee County Central Jail

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 Milwaukee County Central Jail

If you are a landowner in Milwaukee County you may be able to post a property bond. Property within Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee County Central Jail.

Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Milwaukee County Central Jail?

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 Wisconsin state licensed Bail Bond firm.

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

Milwaukee 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, Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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 to Send Money to an Inmate in Milwaukee County

To send commissary money to an inmate in Milwaukee County Central Jail follow these steps:

  • Register with Access Corrections by creating an account.
  • Select Wisconsin, then select Milwaukee County Central Jail, and then the inmate you want to send money to.
  • Choose the amount of money you want to send, and input your payment method.

For all information on how to Send Money to an inmate's account check out our full money and commissary guide for Milwaukee County Central Jail.


 

How to Communicate with an Milwaukee County Central Jail Inmate by Mail and by Email

To mail or email an inmate in Milwaukee County follow these steps:

When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please follow these instructions:

  • All mail sent to an inmate at the Milwaukee County Central Jail must include the sender's name and mailing address in the top left corner of the envelope or postcard.
  • All mail must include the facility's address, as well as the inmate's name and assigned number.
  • Failure to include your return address will most likely result in your mail NOT being delivered and your letter destroyed.
  • The Milwaukee County Central Jail has a zero-tolerance policy regarding mail violations. 
  • All the information you need to understand mail and email policies can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.

Emailing Messages & Photos

Facility_name_1} contracts with GTL GettingOut, the same service that handles iInmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.
 
If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.

Then use the Facility Finder to:
1.  Select Milwaukee County Central Jail,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.

  • Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.  
  • After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message.  Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.
  • You can also send your Milwaukee County inmate photos and videos.

Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call   866-516-0115

Go here to this FAQ to get answers to how the transition to ViaPath from GTL and gettingout will affect your account.

All the information you need to understand mail and email policies for Milwaukee County can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.


 

How Do You Visit an Inmate in Milwaukee County Central Jail?

To visit an inmate in Milwaukee County, whether by video or in person 'at the jail', follow these steps:

Other than 'at the jail' visits between you and your inmate, which is explained and outlined in detail on our Visit Inmate Page, Milwaukee County remote video inmate visitation can be done using the services of GettingOut

There are three ways to remotely visit your inmate in Milwaukee County Central Jail:
1.  Using the GettingOut Kiosk at the jail.
2. Using your computer from home.
3. Using your phone on the GettingOut apps.

To remotely visit an inmate in Milwaukee County follow these steps:
1.  Start by confirming that Milwaukee County Central Jail's Video Visitation is working correctly by looking up Milwaukee County here.

2.  The next step is to create an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account.
4. Last, select Milwaukee County Central Jail, and then the inmate you wish to communicate with.

Other Milwaukee County Services provided by GettingOut:
 - Phone Calls & Voicemail 
 - Email, Photo & Video Sharing
-  Inmate Tablet Rental
-  Deposits

Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Milwaukee County Central Jail Visitation Services you can call them at 866-516-0115.
Frequently Asked Questions

* All the information you need to have complete knowledge about inmate visitation; policies, rules, fees, schedules, tips, dress codes, and children, lawyers and clergy visitation in Milwaukee County, can be found on our Visit Inmate Page.

Milwaukee County Central Jail Phone: 414-226-7070


 

How Inmates Can Use a Tablet to Access Services at Milwaukee County Central Jail

To find out how to get access to a tablet for inmate read the following:

1.  First, Register or Sign In to GettingOut/GTL

2.  Purchase the services you want for your Milwaukee County Central Jail inmate.
3. All inmates have free access to the tablets to read their letters from family & friends, but there are many other services available to keep your inmate busy while incarcerated... such as Games, Books, Music and Movies. These other services come with fees that you can pay for when you pay for phone service.

To learn more about Tablet Rentals for inmates, including the cost, all the services available and everything else you need to know, check out our Tablet Rental Page.


 

How an Inmate Makes a Phone Call to You or Others from Milwaukee County Central Jail

To set up a phone account so that your inmate can call you from Milwaukee County do the following:

1. Enroll in an account with Securus Technologies.

2. Choose one of three account types, Securus Debit, Advance Connect or Direct Bill.
3. Choose [facility_name_1}, then connect with your inmate.
4. If you have any questions, call Securus: 972-734-1111 or 800-844-6591.

To find out fees, how to's, calling times, limits on phone calls and other systems Securus has do that you can communicate with your Milwaukee County inmate, check out our Inmate Phone Page.
NOTE: All of your inmate's phone calls are recorded and stored. It is advised not to discuss their pending case.


 

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Milwaukee County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Milwaukee County Central Jail follow these steps:

  • Register here to create an account with icaregifts for Milwaukee County.
  • Choose Wisconsin, then Milwaukee County Central Jail, and then the products you want shipped to them, and input your payment method. 
  • NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Milwaukee County at any one time.
  • There are a total of fourteen (14) pre-determined icaregift packs available to choose from. 
  • The gift packs for inmates in Milwaukee County range in price from $10.49 for ten pre-stamped envelopes, 2 pens and a pad of writing paper, to $104.99 for a box of 85 snack and food items.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Milwaukee County Central Jail, as well as sending money to the inmate so that they can purchase their own items, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Milwaukee County.


 

Photos of this facility
1 / 4
2 / 4
3 / 4
4 / 4