Sunday, February 27, 2011

Credit Bonds Not a Priority for Agents...

Credit Bonds Not a Priority for Agents...
by Mark Cartret, Chairman and Past President NCBAA via Columbus Bail on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 8:46pm
 
Because my association represents the state's bail agents, I felt inclined to respond to the Associated Press story ("Bail bond financing worries lawmen, " Dec. 26) that ran in your newspaper.
The story gave the impression that bail agents across the nation, including North Carolina, promote and encourage defendants to pursue credit bonds.
This is not true. It is true that credit bonds have been a part of our industry and have been beneficial in reducing jail overcrowding, but they're not a mechanism bail agents use as the primary way to do business.
In reality, credit bonds add an additional measure of work for bail agents when it comes to collections.
Bail agents and the bail bonding industry have an overall goal to ensure defendants appear in court. Regardless of the premium they might pay on the bond, if they don't show up for court, the community suffers and bail agents are forced to forfeit the bond.
The North Carolina Bail Agents Association represents a dedicated industry of agents held to strict guidelines by the state. We take our responsibilities to the courts and the communities we serve seriously and work to produce defendants so taxpayers save money.
Mark Cartret
Raleigh
The writer, president of the N.C. Bail Agents Association, is an avid advocate for the private sector working with the Judiciary in an effort to alleviate overcrowding. His family, a longtime member of the bail / pretrial community joined the profession in 1971.

No comments:

Post a Comment