Our Vision

Have the best positive impact on the community we serve.

Our Mission

Person first success- To become a state leader in appropriate release, intervention, and success for Pretrial clients.

History of Personal Bond in Galveston County

In most Texas counties today, ability to pay financial bond amounts determines which defendants will be released until adjudication/dismissal of criminal charges. In Texas, local jails spend an estimated $90/day per person to house these individuals in local jails, though their actual risk of failing to appear for court or committing another crime after their release has never been fully assessed.  It was also determined lengthy pretrial detention decreases the chances an individual has to be successful once released.  This can lead to an increased change of future recidivism, which can exacerbate public safety issues and criminal justice costs.

Increasingly, however, policymakers, judges, and other stakeholders are asking whether assessing an individual defendant’s success on release might be a better way to ensure court appearance and prevent new criminal activity among people awaiting resolution of their case in lieu of setting arbitrary amounts of money to specific charges as a proxy for public safety.

The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure section 17.42 sets the law regarding Personal Bond Offices throughout the State of Texas.  In Galveston County, the Personal Bond Office was established by the Commissioners Court in 1973 and has seen many different changes over the years.

As of 2019, the Personal Bond Department currently consists of 4 divisions:  Personal Bond, Magistrate Court, Collections, and the Law Library.  Each of these divisions has a manager which reports to the Director of Personal Bond and has its own budget unit. 

Recognition

The Texas Association of Pretrial Services (TAPS) recognized Galveston County Personal Bond and Magistrate Court their Critical Pretrial Agency Award for 2024.

Personal Bond 

A personal bond is a sworn agreement by the defendant that they will return to court as ordered and comply with the conditions placed on their record.

Person First Success

This is based off of the concept we should see the person’s humanity, rather than labeling them by their situation, condition, or diagnosis. Person-centered language is increasingly used in the mental health and substance use fields but has been slower to gain traction in the criminal legal system. Person-centered language helps to avoid the conscious or unconscious marginalization and dehumanization of people through language. Word choice and language matters, particularly for people involved in the legal system, as it can produce and reinforce stigma. This can contribute to exclusion from social and economic resources and services, which is likely to impact a person’s health and wellbeing, the family unit they provide for, and the strain on public resources.

Services

Financial Affidavit & Static Pretrial Assessment

Galveston County utilizes two assessments to provide the Magistrate an individual's ability to pay financial conditions and their likelihood of returning to court and staying arrest free.

The assessments can be found here:

• Financial Affidavit
• Personal Bond Static Pretrial Assessment

Supervision

In Galveston County the magistrate can order personal recognizance or additional levels of compliance and conditions with the personal Bond Office or Cash/Surety options for release.

 Personal Bond Compliance Report 2024

Additional Questions

If you have questions in regards to Magistrate Court or the Collections Office, please visit those pages.

• Magistrate 
• Collections Office