Individuals with past felonies and/or criminal records are being released from jail through the use of unsecured bail bonds. They are not required to pay money nor have liens put on any personal property in exchange for temporary release from jail. They simply sign a contract agreeing to show up for their scheduled court date, and agreeing to pay the set bond amount for failure to appear. Not only are they liable for the entire bond amount if they fail to show up for their hearing, warrants are issued for their arrest.
The problem with this scenario is that it is not likely to catch or find a defendant on the streets once they skip bond. In fact, the chances of law enforcement tracking down these individuals are small unless they are involved in additional criminal activity and arrested on separate charges. This means guilty felons and criminals are free to roam the streets after committing a crime, without any obligation to return to court.
In other circumstances, cash bonds are frequently being granted in courtrooms all across Indiana. This means the defendant pays the court bail money directly for temporary release from jail, without having to go through a third-party system. If they fail to appear for their hearing, they forfeit the money paid and a warrant is issued for their arrest.