President's Message
Welcome to our web site. The Indiana Surety Agents Association (ISBAA) represents the licensed bail agents and recovery agents in Indiana. ISBAA members are trained professionals with the knowledge and resources to supervise and shepherd to court those offenders released from jail while their criminal cases are pending.
The ISBAA has played a key role in preserving the future of commercial surety bail in Indiana. The political environment is ever changing towards the purpose of bail due in part to the economic strains placed on local governments and the ability to find additional funding. The ISBAA has seen some courts in Indiana go to a deposit bond system of releasing defendant’s pretrial.. The deposit bond system is more about collecting the payment of fines, fees, and the cost of taxpayer funded legal representation than it is the traditional guarantee of insuring a defendant appears in court whenever required.
Commercial surety bail bonds are the only viable means of insuring a defendant’s appearance in court when required. Licensed bail agents will locate, apprehend and return fugitives to court upon a failure to appear at no expense to the tax payer. In those few cases where they are unsuccessful the full amount of the bond will be paid to the court. In Indiana, forfeited bond money goes toward the Common School Fund, County Extradition Fund and Police Pension Fund.
Unlike the government operated deposit bond program, bail agents require family members to sign as a guarantor on a bail bond, using personal or real property as collateral. In doing so the defendant is not only monitored by the bail agent but also those family members, friends and associates who have made a financial commitment to secure their release. The Bureau of Justice Statistics has said offenders are least likely to commit another crime when released on a bail bond than any other form of release. Offenders also are less likely to fail to appear for court when released on a bail bond.
When an offender is released on a deposit bond, the defendant is simply giving a promise to appear, knowing they only forfeit the ten percent deposit. The ten percent deposit to the court regarded by many repeat offenders as merely a “cost of doing business”. No one will hold them accountable and most will continue to commit additional crimes against society and our communities.
The ISBAA will continue to work hard to educate law enforcement, judiciary, legislators and the public on the effectiveness of commercial surety bail in seeing that those charged with a crime appear in court. The use of commercial surety bail reduces the recidivism rate and jail over crowding by insuring those charged with a crime are tried in a court of law. No other government funded unsecured released programs can make this claim.
As President of the ISBAA, I encourage everyone to get involved in your local government and make sure Indiana is a state with elected officials who are concerned about the public’s safety and welfare. The use of professional, licensed bail agents are the only effective means of insuring a defendant’s appearance in court. It is up to you all ISBAA members to communicate and educate those involved in your profession.
As time goes on, please remember to visit this website for current updates. The ISBAA is committed to providing information to our members, the media, and anyone else interested in what the profession of surety bail in Indiana is all about.
Sincerely,
Lee C. Sexton
President
