Currently in Indiana, defendants are using a “swipe and go” system for bail. This means they are allowed to pay their own bond with a credit card. Many believe that this system is dangerous and irresponsible. There is no true accountability for those who simply swipe a card to get out of jail.

How can they be trusted to show up for their scheduled court date? This is the hot topic on the minds of law officials in Indiana.

Court Scenarios for Bail Applicants

When someone commits a crime, a judge determines the flight risk and the potential danger the defendant may pose to the community, as they always should. In order to keep our jails from becoming over-crowded, the judge can either release the person on their own recognizance, which is a promise on their part to return for court, or put them in a government-run and taxpayer pretrial program, or set an amount of bail to guarantee that the person will return on his or her court date.

In the third scenario, a private and local bail bonds agent will accept responsibility for the defendant’s return and will charge the defendant and not the taxpayers to provide that service. Once the responsibility is transferred to the bail agent, it is that agent’s job to make sure the defendant returns to court because it is now their money on the line as well. By all accounts, including years of statistics compiled by the U.S. Department Justice, this system works extremely well and cost taxpayers nothing.

Liabilities of Credit Card Bail

The swipe-and-go-system, run by an online out-of-state party, completely removes any transfer of responsibility to a licensed, insured, and bonded bail agent who lives and works in the local Indiana community. It removes the economic interest that a bail bondsmen has in making sure the defendant shows up for court. By doing so, we will see a reduction in the attendance rate, a likely rise in the repeat crimes, and not-to-mention, extra cost to taxpayers for requiring law enforcement to retrieve the missing defendant.

Turning this part of our criminal justice system into a arrangement parallel to buying gas, commit a crime and be out of jail with no hassles and no inconvenience, will have long-term negative consequences; as well as, cost taxpayers more money in the long run without doing anything to keep our neighborhoods safer. A drunk driver in Indiana or a repeat assailant should be considered a very real criminal and a very real threat to our public safety. The swipe -and-go methods simply make it easier, much easier, for criminals to be back out on the streets quicker and with virtually no oversight or real consequence.

Indianapolis Bail Bonds

For more information about bail bonds and the system surrounding the current bail ordinances in Indiana, call Woods Bail Bonds in Indianapolis today. You can reach Jim Woods or a member of his highly qualified and friendly team at 317-876-9600 day or night. We are happy to answer any questions you have about bailing someone out of Hamilton County, Marion County, or any other Indiana county jail. We are here for support and guidance. Call 317-876-9600 anytime for information surrounding the new credit card laws for bail bonds in Indianapolis, IN or any other bail bond topic.