Visiting a jail was definitely not something I ever envisioned myself doing except maybe with a church group. I didn't know the first thing about jails or prisons or that there was even a difference.

No one wants to get that anxious call in the middle of the night, "Hey, I've been arrested, I'm in jail, can you come get me?" One thing is for sure, nothing happens quickly when it involves anything within the legal system.

You may get up because now you can't sleep, but you might as well go back to bed, because it's an agonizing wait dependent on how many others are arrested that night or day, and how full the system is. There is no visiting anyone who is in the holding cells. If you have to work in the morning, don't miss work, nothing will happen during the day. But you can phone or use the internet to make bail for your loved one if you are able. The person will have to wait their turn to see a judge in the jail who will charge them with a crime and post a bail demand and a court date. They are then sent back to the holding cell again. This may not occur until 6-7 hours after they are picked up. Once bail has been set, then starts the retrieving process. If the bail is high, a bail bondsman will post a bond for you and you will pay them a fee for this. Example, $5,000 bail will post a bond cost for you around $500 with a service fee attached. This is NON-REFUNDABLE! More than one charge means more than one bail fee. At the courthouse, once they are open, you may post a bond yourself and make payments, and get your money back. The line is long and you must have the credit and ability to do this. Now the prisoner must be processed. By this time, they have been incarcerated for at least 10-12 hours and have had some form of meal offered . They have been exposed to people from all walks of life, stages of health or illness, and they are scared, tired, confused and angry. They wanted to be picked up hours ago when they first called you. Where the *#@ are you? You were ready to pick them up hours ago. Why the heck can't you? Finally around 15 to 24 hours or later, if bond is met or time served, they are finally released out the back door of the jail. Waiting there are friends and family members of others still inside. You may have waited yourself for several hours or you read this article and went to pick them up once they called saying, I am outside now, come get me. I mean really, why should you wait? They can wait on you or take a bus/taxi home. Their ordeal for now is over, or maybe like my situation, had only just begun.

Facts:

1.You may not call and get information about your prisoner. They know nothing to tell you yet and no phone calls are allowed. There cell phone will not be answered.

2. No you cannot come pick up his clothes or lack of, nor his phone, his wallet or anything he had with him.

3. No he will not get his medicine, his glasses, his coat or anything unless it is life-threatening. He will be out within a days time and the best you can do is find a way to put his item(s) needed with the jailer who has his stuff secured so that when he gets out and is handed his things, it will be there.

4. You will need to know a social security number, birthday, birthplace, and any other vital information to help get any questions even heard.

5. You can usually find one kindly soul who will listen to you, talk to you, and then tell you, they are sorry, but they cannot help you. Bondspeople also fit in this category and do have enormous amounts of information to offer you about where the prisoner is in the whole time frame of the jail. Even if you only inquire about posting bond, then can't, they still have information no one else will give you.

6. Bring a towel for your car seat and expect the person to be ravenous and exhausted. Let them eat, sleep and talk later.