Address:
380 McDow Road
Columbiana, AL 35051
Phone:
205-670-6066
Call 205-670-6066 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Shelby County inmate locator.
Please call the jail at 205-670-6066 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Shelby County 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 Shelby County
Because Shelby County and Alabama can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Shelby County Jail at 205-670-6066, 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 Shelby County Jail or the Shelby County Court Clerk these specific questions:
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 Shelby County 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 Shelby County 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 Shelby County Jail where the defendant is being held, but usually to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office or to the Shelby 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 Shelby County 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 Shelby County Jail
If you are a landowner in Shelby County you may be able to post a property bond. Property within Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby County Jail.
Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Shelby County 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 Alabama state licensed Bail Bond firm.
Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.
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, Shelby 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 Shelby 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.
Because Shelby County and Alabama can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Shelby County Jail at 205-670-6066, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, and do this right after an arrestee has been booked.
Ask the staff at the Shelby County Jail or the Shelby County Court Clerk these specific questions:
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.
Postcards
The Shelby County Jail 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 Shelby County Jail also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates.
Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & Resident Number
c/o Shelby County Jail
P.O. Box 1240
Columbiana, AL 35051
Legal Mail
Send all legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Resident Number
c/o Shelby County Jail
P.O. Box 1240
Columbiana, AL 35051
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 Shelby County Jail 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 Shelby County Jail 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 & Resident Number
c/o Shelby County Jail
P.O. Box 1240
Columbiana, AL 35051
To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Shelby County Jail follow these steps:
For all information, tips and to see the hundreds of available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Shelby County Jail, or to see how deposit money so that your inmate can purchase their own commissary, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Shelby County.
To send a secure email message to an inmate in Shelby County Jail follow these steps:
For all information on how to Text/Email an Inmate in Shelby County Jail, the costs, rules, policies and more check out our Secure Messaging Guide for Shelby County.
To register and sign up for a remote visitation account with Inmate Canteen to communicate with your Shelby County Jail inmate, follow the instructions below:
For all the information you need to know, including instructions, policies, tips and solutions to possible issues regarding visiting with an inmate (both at the facility and remotely) in Shelby County, visit our full page guide.
NOTE: All video visits are recorded and stored. Whatever you talk about, can and will be used against your inmate in court. Never discuss their pending criminal case!
Also, be warned that some video visits providers are collecting voice prints for a database which law enforcement agencies are building.
To register and sign up for a remote visitation account with Inmate Canteen to communicate with your Shelby County Jail inmate, follow the instructions below:
Instructions for Inmate Video Visitation:
- Register or Log in to your account
- Select Shelby County Jail and the inmate you wish to visit.
- Select the "Video Visit an Inmate" option
- Follow the prompts on screen to schedule the visit.
For all the information you need to know, including instructions, policies, tips and solutions to possible issues regarding visiting with an inmate (both at the jail and remotely) in Shelby County, visit our full page guide.
NOTE: All video visits are recorded and stored. Whatever you talk about, can and will be used against your inmate in court. Never discuss their pending criminal case!
Also, be warned that some video visits providers are collecting voice prints for a database which law enforcement agencies are building.
For all information, tips and to see the hundreds of available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Shelby County Jail, or to see how deposit money so that your inmate can purchase their own commissary, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Shelby County.
Shelby County Jail offers NCIC tablets to rent to inmates that they can use for video visitation and calls, phone calls, instant messaging, education and entertainment.
They can also be used for commissary ordering.
To find out more bout how much tablets cost to rent, and what programs, entertainment, education and other things it can be used for, check out our Tablet Page.
To visit an inmate in Shelby County you need to do the following:
Shelby County Jail uses the services of NCIC for remote video visitation. In other words, you can visit your inmate in jail by using your home computer, as long as it is equipped with a microphone and camera that supports video.
When available, the jail also provides use of ‘video visit kiosks’ in the Shelby County Jail lobby if you do not have a computer at home. These ’on-site’ video visits are FREE.
Costs
NCIC Video Visitation fees are subject to change, but the cost to you is roughly $7.50 ($0.25 per minute) for a 30-minute visit + an additional fee of $2.00 for the connection.
On-site (at the jail) video visits are FREE.
How to set up your Video Visit
Your inmate will be notified by the Shelby County Jail staff of the date and time for the visit. Be sure to be in front of your computer and connected to NCIC at least 15 minutes before the start of the visit.
NCIC Customer Service
Phone - 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069
Email – [email protected]
For all the information you need to know, whether it be 'in person' at-the-jail visitation or remote video visitation with your Shelby County inmate, go to our Visit Inmate Page.
For complete information on depositing money in an inmate's account, check out our Inmate Money page.
To receive phone calls from an inmate in Shelby County follow these instructions:
Shelby County Jail 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:
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 Shelby County Jail, families can also leave secure voicemails for inmates to listen to.
Fees
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 Shelby County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, fees, limits and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.
