Finding out that a friend or family member has been handcuffed and taken to jail can have you feeling as if you've lost your breath.

But the good news is that you don't have to go through this alone- and there are ways to make sure your loved one gets out of jail fast.  If you've received an "I've been arrested" phone call, be sure to keep these three things in mind.

• Assume this is the only time you'll get to talk to them.   The one phone call that you hear about on television is a myth- some defendants are able to dial out a number of times before they're taken away from the payphone (this is definitely the exception to the rule).  If the jail is very busy, chances are there will be a long line of people waiting to contact family members.  Other times the defendant may be relocated to an area where they don't have access to a payphone.   Always assume the first phone call is the only one you'll get, so use the time wisely.  Find out where they're being held, their booking number, the crime they've been accused of and how much their bail is.  Ask if there is anyone they need you to contact; do you need to call them out of work or arrange to pick up their kids from school?  Reassure then you're working to get them out as fast as possible.
  
  
• Posting bail bonds is the quickest way to get your loved out of jail.  When you work with a local bondsman you'll be working with someone who knows the ins and outs of the jail like they do the back of their hand (they probably even know some of its staff members).  The bondsman will know what hoops the jailers want them to jump through and will be best able to stay on top of the booking process.  As soon as the detention center says they're ready to accept a bond, your agent will be running out the door to get it posted.

• Freed from jail does not mean freed of responsibility.  Just because the defendant has been released on bail bonds that's not to say their legal troubles are over.  They'll still need to go to court on a set date and time in order for their case to be decided by the judge.