When you find out your loved one was arrested and placed behind bars at the local jail, your first instinct might be to call the jail to find out the bond amount. This is a common and natural response, but what if you call and find out that the person is non-bondable? What does this even mean? Why would this happen? Here are a few things to understand about this term and why it occurs.

What Non-bondable Really Means

When a person is arrested and has no bond, it means they are non-bondable. In other words, the court is not setting a bond amount for this person. This person has no other option but to stay in jail.

Why This Happens

Most people are able to get out of jail after being arrested by paying bail, but there are times when the court does not decide to offer bail to a person, and there are several common reasons for this. The first reason is due to the crime in question. If the crime is extremely serious and if the person would be a risk to society, the person might be better off staying in jail. By staying in jail, he or she would be away from society, and this would make the general public feel safer.

The second reason is due to the history of the person's criminal offenses. If a person is a repeat offender, or if he or she is on probation or was out on bail, the court does not have to offer bail to the person. There are a variety of other reasons, too, and it is up the court's discretion to make this decision.

How You Can Respond

When there is no bond, the person will have to remain in jail until the case ends or the judge changes their mind. This person can petition the court to reconsider this decision, but the person would need to have good reasons for making this request. If the judge agrees with the person, the judge could then set a bail amount for them

While there are times when a person is non-bondable, you should understand that this is not the normal way this goes. Most people are able to pay a bail amount to get out, and if you find out that your loved one has bail, you can pay it or use a bail bondsman for help paying it. For more information on the process, contact local bail bonds services.