Part of the image problem that bail agents face stems from the fact that the general public doesn’t understand the differing roles of the bail agent and the “bounty hunter” or fugitive recovery agent. In their minds, the roles are one and the same. Many people have never required the services of a bail agent nor encountered a bounty hunter so the confusion is understandable.

In Colorado, a bail agent “means any person who furnishers bail for compensation in any court or courts in this state and who is appointed by an insurer by ‘Power of Attorney’ to execute or countersign bail bonds…” They are also called “Insurance Producers” in that they bind policies of insurance for risk in this state. Insurance producers are licensed by the state and make their living selling insurance policies.

A bounty hunter is a person employed by the bail agent to take a person into custody who has failed to abide by the conditions of the bond.

As a bail agent, I am authorized to recover my own “clients” who fail to appear in court. However, I choose to employ recovery agents for the task and devote my time to bail agent activities. The recovery agents I employ must meet standards of professionalism that I learned as a law enforcement officer. The task must be completed quickly, efficiently and in a professional manner. The person will be returned to jail in a business-like manner with as much dignity as the situation permits.

My duties involve answering the phone and responding to questions from family members who are trying to help someone who has gotten into trouble. I meet with the family, complete bond applications, contracts and post bonds at the jails in order to secure the release of the family member in custody.

When not responding to phone calls, I’m tracking appearances in court and the progress of cases. I deal with attorneys and the courts regarding court appearances and the disposition of cases. Many times, I have been able to stop problems from happening by avoiding communication errors and confusion over court appearance dates. Much of my time is spent in the role of counselor in helping people through the system and in dealing with personal issues.

In my view, the role of bail agent is that of a trusted advisor, a friend who can help good people who want to help those in trouble. Image is important because the family of the defendant has a choice as to which bail agent they use to purchase the bond. The bail agent is in a sales and service capacity and must provide good customer service at a competitive price in order to survive.

The bounty hunter comes into play when things go wrong. Image isn’t as important to them because the defendant does not choose which bounty hunter is going to take them back to jail. The only person that they have to persuade is the bail agent who hires them.

A bail agent helps people get people out of jail and ensures that the victim and defendant each get their day in court. The bounty hunter just puts them back in jail when things go wrong.

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