“A bail bondsman must be available 24 hours, 7 days, holidays and weekends; customers appreciate it”
The Bondsman’s Life: A Holiday Story
Back in 2003 Jason, a bail bondsman licensed for about five years, received a call about a 17-year-old incarcerated inmate at the Bridgeport Correctional Center. This prison is also known as the Bridgeport jail. The young man was being held in lieu of a $75,000 bail bond. The grandmother and father were desperate to get him out of jail as he had never been arrested before.
Released on Bail
As the bail agent met the father and grandmother of young “Johnny”, they were a little calmer and felt positive knowing that the bail bondsman would post bail for the young man ensuring they could be reunited again. Sometimes if an inmate has warrants in other cities or states, these warrants become an obstacle to the bond process. While those cases are rare, they can happen. Fortunately that day everything went fine and Johnny went home to his family.
The Sentence
It turned out, Johnny was ultimately sentenced to time in jail. The grandmother stayed in touch with Johnny and the bail bondsman via letters and calls. She would share how things were going with her grandson in prison.
Around Christmas of 2004, bondsman Jason received a Christmas card from Johnny’s grandmother, Barbara. She sent him a handwritten message with a little update on how Johnny was doing and how thankful she was for everything Jason had done since the day of the bond.
Johnny Turned His Life Around
Since then every year around Christmas time, Jason the bail bondsman received a Christmas card from Barbara. Throughout the years he learned that Johnny had moved to Texas, got married, and had kids. He also learned that the grandmother had moved around to Maine, Florida, and a few other places. Knowing that this young man had turned his life around to be a good citizen made Jason feel good about his job and the importance of being there for people like Johnny and Barbara.
Update
In 2017, the bondsman did not receive his usual holiday card. He sent a letter to the address from the prior year and a few months later he learned that Barbara had passed away.
