Steps to Take After a Friend’s Arrest

Being the first call that your friend makes after having been arrested can be overwhelming. Regardless of the reasoning behind the arrest, there’s no doubt that the circumstances are stressful and, if you’ve never been in this situation before, confusing. When you’re the first call that your friend makes from jail, there are a few things that you need to make sure to do.

In today’s blog, we are going to touch on a few of the steps that you will want to take after your friend has been arrested. We hope that the steps that we cover today will not only help you when you need to take action but that they help your friend receive the assistance that they need in this difficult time. That being said, let’s get started.

Keep Calm

While this first step might seem rather easy, it can actually be the most challenging. The moment that you get that call from your friend, there are sure to be quite a few emotions that you need to process. There’s the stress of getting them out of jail and everything that needs to be done for it to happen, the surprise of hearing from a friend in jail, and everything else that is sure to follow — but the important thing is that you remember to keep your cool.

Rather than let everything get the best of you, find ways to calm yourself down so that you can proceed with a clear head. Deep breaths are a great way to slow your heart rate down and remind yourself that you are entirely capable of handling the situation at hand. The steps that we cover below will be the things that you should make sure to do after you’ve talked to your friend on the phone.

Gather Information

One of the most important things that you’re going to need to do is collect information. If you are at the scene when your friend is arrested, you should talk to the officer to see why your friend is being arrested in the first place. At times, the charges are obvious and to the point, while other times the charges are a bit foggy and confusing. By asking the officer, you can determine what lead to the arrest in their opinion.

On the other hand, you will also want to get some information about where your friend is going to be taken. What jail are they going to be taken to is a great question to ask. Aside from that, you’re also going to want to ask them how much their bail is set at. This information is going to play a significant part in how you move forward, so make sure to ask a lot of questions when you get the chance to talk to them.

Be Supportive

The situation that you’re dealing with is plenty stressful, but it’s more than stressful for the friend of yours that has been arrested. The best way to handle this situation is to be as supportive as possible. Remain calm while you talk to them on the phone and continue to assure them that you’re doing everything in your power to ensure that they’re released in a timely manner.

Once all is said and done, continue to be supportive. The support that you provide them should not end at the point of the release. Do not hold the arrest against them, but remain positive and hear them out when they need to talk about it.

Reach Out to a Bail Bondsman

As soon as you know the bail amount that has been set, you’re going to want to contact a bail bondsman. This is often the best way to get the bail amount efficiently, but you can also count on the individual that you’re working with to help make the process as smooth as possible. The bail bonds company should be helpful in telling you how to move forward and what you can expect once the bail has been posted. If this is your first time posting bail, this alone is extremely valuable.

There are, however, a few steps that you’re going to need to work through with the bail bondsman. That being said, the sooner that you reach out to them, the better. Learn more about those in this blog post. You can also learn more about the process of working with a bail bonds company here.

ASAP Bonding is happy to be a leading bail bond company in the Lawrenceville area. If you’re in need of help posting bail, contact our team today, and we’d be more than happy to get you taken care of!