How do I look up someone in jail?
If you get a call from a loved one saying they’ve been arrested and jailed that can be a very stressful call to receive. You might not remember everything that’s said or it could be all you have is a voicemail from the inmate to go by. Whatever the situation, to get a person bailed out, you’ll need to have the right information to do so. At the very least you’ll need to have that person’s full name available, but to speed up the bail bond process, it’s better to have their name, the charges, and where they are being held, including state and county. If possible, it helps to have the booking numbers, although the bail bondsman can look that up as well. How do you get this information? A jail records or arrest records search will be necessary. This search isn’t as hard as it sounds.
Many city and county law enforcement agencies, such as those in Halifax, Roanoke, and Rocky Mount, VA, have inmate search portals on their websites or those portals can be accessed through their websites if the jail is privately run. If the person is out of state, most states have inmate lookup databases like VINE available as a resource. Most jails also have phone numbers to call to get the information.
If you are unable to find the information but want to get started right away on the bail bond process in Halifax, Roanoke, and Rocky Mount, VA, A-1 Affordable Bail Bonds has the resources to help you. Anytime you need help with bail bonds in the area, you need to look no further than A-1 Affordable Bail Bonds, as ours is at the apex of bail bonds services in the area. To get the process started, give us a call at 434-237-2245.
How long does it take for an inmate to show in the system?
If you’ve learned a loved one has been arrested to find out where they are being held and on what charges, you’ll want to search jail records so you’ll have enough information to supply a bail bonds agent. Of course, one problem can hinder your search—the person arrested won’t immediately show up in the system. It could take as long as 24 to 48 hours for the person to be booked and processed into the jail. Once they have been fully processed, they should show up in the system, and you or a bond agent will be able to look them up. It could take one or more days to get them released, as they still have to be arraigned and bail has to be set.
Why can’t I locate an inmate?
When you search jail records, it’s possible you might not find the inmate you are looking for. There are several reasons for this. If it’s immediately after an arrest, the person taken into custody may still be going through the booking process and may not have been processed into jail yet or entered into the system. If they are arrested by city police, they might be in the city holding cells awaiting transfer to county jail. Some smaller police departments may not have a resource to look up an inmate in a city jail that’s awaiting transfer to a county facility. And, of course, depending on how long it takes for a person to be arraigned, they may have already posted bail themselves or have been released on their own recognizance.
How can I find out if someone has been arrested for free?
When you want to find out if someone has been arrested in Virginia, you can search the State Records website. Here you can find information about past arrests or warrants and several other public records. It’s free to make the search but you may have to pay a fee for more detailed searches or to download the information. You’ll have to also know the person’s legal name, or even birthdate, as the search may pull up all records of people with the same name. The person you’re looking for also has to have been processed through local systems to obtain the information. You can also call or go to the local police precinct or sheriff’s department to check on arrests or jailings. Again, the person has to have been processed to show up in the system.
Can police tell me if someone has been arrested?
Finding out if someone has been arrested isn’t an easy task. You can talk to friends or associates or check their last likely location. Going to the police might or might not help. You’ll have to know which police precinct made the arrest. If you call or go to the police precinct in which you believe that person might have been arrested, you can ask the person at the front desk if your loved one or friend has been arrested. If they have been processed at that police station there should be an arrest record available. To get the information, especially in a large precinct, you’ll have to have the person’s full legal name, not just the name you know the person by. At a smaller police station, you may be able to describe a person, but you’ll still need to have their legal name. You may also search jail records, but the person has to be processed and they may not show up in the system for 24 to 48 hours.
Once someone is processed and a bail hearing is held, you can get help with the bail bonds process in Halixfax, Roanoke, and Rocky Mount, VA, by getting in touch with A-1 Affordable Bail Bonds. To get the process started, all you need to do is call 434-237-2245.