A professional bail agent's life is very, VERY busy one! Being a pillar of your community and an integral part of the criminal justice system is a significant responsibility. Take a look below at the profile of a professional bail agent for an idea of what we do.

"The successful bail agent is a multi-talented individual, capable of exercising and assuming many different personality traits and abilities required to ensure successful closure of the tasks at hand. Professional Bail Agents make more varied decisions and perform more diverse tasks in a single day than most workers do in a month. Writing bail bonds demands a high level of productivity, quality underwriting, accurate record keeping, attention to detail, and good follow through.

The Professional Bail Agent is a professional businessman. He is expected to act responsibly within the boundaries set by high moral and ethical business traditions. These time honored traditions provide a valuable service to the criminal justice system, while at the same time protecting an individual's eighth amendment rights. Commercial bail allows a defendant in a pending criminal matter to await trial, and at the same time to enjoy the freedom that accompanies the presumption of innocence. This is a judicial service which is FREE to the taxpayers of our nation.

To succeed, a Bail Agent must be an effective marketing expert. To start and stay in this business, a strategic plan must be devised to ensure that the bonding company is constantly exposed and promoted to the public. Business will not simply fall in your lap because you are a licensed bondsman! Failure to be included on the jail lists and to market your services will result in lost premium revenue, and disappointment. A solid marketing strategy is the base on which a bail bonding company must be built. A company that can penetrate, capture and then maintain a significant market share will come out on top.

The successful Bail Agent is a legal study. He must be fluent in all of the federal and state statutes regulating and affecting his business. Each state has it's own laws governing rebating, gratuities, licensing, continuing education, bail forfeiture, bail agents' power of arrest, etc. YOU MUST KNOW THESE LAWS, to the point that they become second nature to you.

The successful Bail Agent is an accomplished strategist. He must possess the ability to simultaneously juggle multiple tasks, orchestrating these diverse tasks into favorable results. Immediate contact with a defendant in need, reliable underwriting, impeccable record keeping, meeting financial responsibilities, and keeping an eye on minimizing operational costs, are examples of these tasks.

The successful Bail Agent is also a statistician. Updating and maintaining detailed records is an absolutely necessary ingredient for success in this industry. Attention to detail contributes proportionately to the bottom line. Sloppy, inaccurate, and incomplete records are a serious danger to the bail bond writing process.

The successful Bail Agent must be a 'Pillar of the Community', an example of good will to his fellow man. Repeat business from a family, a neighborhood, or members of the business community is directly related to the Bail Agent's professional demeanor, personal dedication to every customer's satisfaction, and excellence in performance of his duties. A satisfied client is the Bail Agent's MOST potent form of advertisement.

Seventh, the Professional Bail Agent is a sensitive and compassionate counselor. A Bail Agent often deals with family members who have suddenly found themselves thrown into crisis. Those family members may be in need of orientation and guidance in a system alien to them. Proper attention to their need for direction and understanding will build your reputation immeasurably.

The successful Bail Agent is also a part-time psychologist. When making the decision to bond a client (underwrite), a Bail Agent must be a good judge of character. Hardened criminals will inevitably attempt to fool you and stack the deck in their favor. If a defendant is a repeat offender, or accused of certain crimes, you can safely assume that truthfulness and responsibility are NOT of paramount concern to him or her. Through accepted investigative interview techniques, a Bail Agent can usually discern the truthfulness of a defendant, determine his risk of flight, and ensure the quality of the collateral pledged to guarantee appearance. ALWAYS REMEMBER, you can be fooled, costing you dearly in TIME and MONEY.

A successful Bail Agent is like an emergency room doctor. Criminal activity is not confined to normal business hours. Crime happens at all times of the day and night. Like a doctor, a Bail Agent must make himself available to his clientele 24 hours per day. No defendant wants to hear an answering machine or voice mail when he is incarcerated. They want OUT, NOW! The resulting personal interruptions at late hours or during family gatherings, are often compensated for by the personal, professional, and financial rewards one receives by being the BEST Bail Agent in town. Remember, if you don't help your client, SOMEONE ELSE WILL! FOCUS, INTENSITY, PERSEVERANCE AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL will pay BIG dividends in the commercial bail industry.

The successful Bail Agent must also be a serious investigator. Bail Agents are responsible for the production of a defendant in court. Unfortunately, this requires that from time to time, a Bail Agent will have to arrest his principal and return him to the custody of the court. The Bail Agent must be able to conduct a detailed interview with the defendant when bonding him, then effectively utilize the habitat information obtained in that interview to 'skip trace' the defendant. The Bail Agent must be comfortable tracking defendants into a variety of neighborhoods, using public and private sources of information, informants, and whatever other legal means necessary to apprehend the absconder. Skip tracing soon becomes an 'Art'. Being able to locate an individual by the clues that he leaves behind is an admirable ability.

Lastly, the successful and professional Bail Agent must operate with integrity and within the confines of the law. He must adhere to a code of ethics as well as safe business practices.

So, . . . a true professional Bail Agent is an individual of many talents and dimensions, all of which are required to assume proficiency in this segment of the insurance industry."