When someone you love ends up in jail, you may get the call to bail them out until their court date. It's up to you whether you bail them out or not -- but you should make sure that the decision you make is based on real information, rather than myths. The following are three myths about bail and bail bonds, which are important to get past if you are in the position of needing to bail someone out.

1. Bail always costs thousands of dollars.

If you've seen a lot of crime-related movies, you've probably seen people being bailed out for $100,000 and similar sums. You've probably seen high bail amounts in the news, too. But that's just because the crimes committed in movies, and those that make the news, are serious -- like murder and assault. The less serious the crime and the lower the risk of the criminal running, the lower the bail amount will be. Sometimes, bail is just a few hundred or $1,000. So, ask what the bail amount is before you agree or disagree to bail your friend out of jail.

2. Bail bondsmen are like shady hit men.

If you do not have enough money to bail your friend out of jail, you can contact a bail bond company. They will essentially loan you the money for bail. Some people avoid this option because they think bail bond companies fall into the same category as hit men. But while there may be a few bail bondsmen operating illegally, most are carrying on what is a completely legal business. Bail bond companies are heavily regulated, above-board operations, and there is nothing illegal or shady about borrowing money from them if that's what you need to do.

3. By bailing someone out, you're putting others in danger.

This may be true in some situations. For instance, if your friend is in jail for attempted murder, bailing them out makes it possible that they could try to murder the same individual again. However, in most cases, criminals have made a one-time mistake, and they won't make that same mistake again if they are bailed out. If a judge has determined that it is safe to let someone out on bail, you can bail that person out guilt-free. You can't completely control their actions, so if something does happen, that's not on you -- it's on them. 

For more information, contact your local bail bondsman services.