School Boards Want Less Relief for Forfeited Jail Bonds

LILLINGTON, NC - School boards in North Carolina are unhappy that so many people are forfeiting on fines and jail bonds. More than $60 million of school funding in North Carolina comes from fines and jail bonds, but in many cases the money is not collected, leaving schools strapped for cash. Tony Woods, president of the North Carolina Bail Agents Association, notes that new rules are needed because friends and family of criminals are not held to the same standards as a bondsman. Bondsmen are not allowed to forfeit, while friends and family of the accused often are.

Billboards on the Way to County Prison Show the Competitive Side of Bail Industry

LANCASTER, PA - In Lancaster County, the route to the jail is paved with a big billboard advertising bail-bond services. East King Street has a billboard for Bail USA Inc., located about two blocks away from the prison. The company notes that the location is strategic, since the population of Lancaster County and its jail is increasing, creating a demand for bail bonds.

Bail Bondsman Says Relationships and Location are Secrets to Success

CLEARWATER, FL - Action Plus Bail Bonds is owned by Frank Kopczynski. Kopczynski has become successful in his business, and credits his office’s proximity to the nearby Pinellas County jail as one key to his success. Kopczynski’s previous career as a hospital administrator also gave him the business acumen, marketing knowledge and people skills to transfer careers smoothly. He notes that people skills and an ability to develop long-term relationships with people have been most important. Action Plus Bail Bonds opened in April 1988.

Muncie Bail Bondsman Tries to Halt Bail Skipping

MUNCIE, IN - Bondsman Jeff Catron, owner of Bad Boys Bail Bonds, is worried about the rate at which felons are skipping out on bail. The U.S. Department of Justice notes that almost one in four defendants on bail do not appear in court as promised. Catron says that the secret to stopping bail skippers is to create a big information database of criminals. Catron notes that lots of information is the best defense against those who want to disappear.

Bondsmen and City of Houston Frustrated with Maximus

HOUSTON, TX - Houston city officials and legal professionals are frustrated with Maximus, the company hired by the city to computerize municipal courts. The city is threatening to sue Maximus over headaches and delays. The $10 million system was supposed to make life easier for residents, lawyers and bail bondsmen, but has caused delays and mix-ups. The computer upgrade was supposed to be completed by the end of 2004, but bugs still remain in the system. Simple tasks such as setting cases for trial and processing bonds often take much longer than they should. Processing bonds takes 19 computer screens, each of which can take up to 10 seconds to load.