When someone you care about gets arrested in Dallas County it can be a tough time. Jail is something that most people do not think about until it happens to someone they know in Dallas County. The whole thing can be very confusing. It feels like too much to handle but if you know what to expect from the Dallas County arrest procedure it can make things a little easier for you and your loved one, in Dallas County.
The Initial Phase: From Arrest to Magistration
When someone gets arrested they are taken to the Dallas County Jail complex to get booked. This Booking and Processing process can be really slow. It takes a lot of time, usually many hours. They have to do a lot of things like give their information, get their fingerprints taken, have their picture taken and make sure their personal stuff is safe. After all this the person is officially a Dallas County Jail inmate and their time in the jail starts. The Booking and Processing is a step for the Dallas County Jail inmate.
Before they are given a place to stay inmates have to go through Health and Risk Screening. This screening is to see what kind of help they need. They check if they need any medicine and where they should be housed. The Health and Risk Screening also checks if they can get a Personal Recognizance Bond, in Dallas County. If they can get a Personal Recognizance Bond they can get out fast without having to pay any money. The decision to give them a Personal Recognizance Bond is based on how much of a risk they are.
The next step is your court appearance. The judge tells you what you are charged with and what your rights are and the judge decides how much bail you need to pay to get out. You cannot get out on bail until the judge sets this amount and that can take a day or even longer on weekends when the court is closed. The Magistrate is very important because you have to see the Magistrate before you can pay your bail and get out.
Life Inside the Dallas County Jail
Classification and Housing: When the bail is set for the inmates they have to go through classification. The staff at the jail looks at the inmates’ charges and their history. Life in jail is very structured. The inmates have to follow a daily routine. They have to wake up at a certain time, they have to be there for headcount, they have to eat their meals at the same time every day and they have to go to bed at the same time every night. The jail staff makes sure that the inmates follow the routine.
When it comes to Communication, Visitation and Commissary things can be really tough. Communication with the world is very limited. Inmates have to use phone lines that are watched. They have to pay for these calls. The families have to take care of this and give them the money they need.
The rules for visitation are very strict. They can be different depending on the facility. Some places allow people to visit in person and some allow video visits. Either way you need to show your ID and wear proper clothing.
Inmates can buy the things they need like food and soap from the Commissary. They use the money that their family puts into their account to pay for these things. The Commissary is like a store where they can get what they need.
Daily life at the Dallas County Jail is very routine. They have a lot of rules that everyone has to follow. The Dallas County Jail has some programs for the inmates. Most of the time the inmates are just waiting. They are waiting for their court dates or to hear something about their case. This waiting is very hard on the inmates. It is also hard on their families. The families need to know the inmate’s number, where they’re what is going on with their case. A lot of times the families have to ask bondsmen for help. When someone is in the Dallas County Jail their whole life is put on hold. They cannot go to work. Take care of their family. This is why it is so important to have help, from a lawyer, family or bondsman. The Dallas County Jail is a place and the inmates need all the support they can get from the people on the outside.
Release on Bail and Ongoing Obligations
When someone posts bail they do not get to leave. It usually takes an hour to finish all the paperwork. After the person is released from jail they have to do what the court says. The person who posted bail has to go to all of their court dates. They also have to tell the court if they move to a house. Sometimes the court says they have to go to counseling or follow the rules of a restraining order. If the person who posted bail does not do what the court says they might have their bail taken away and get arrested again. Even though the person is out of jail they still have to deal with their court case and follow all the rules of bail.
Understanding the procedures, forms, and waiting periods of the Dallas County Jail provides families and defendants with a clearer map through this challenging process.