But, the few that put up a fight can present a very real danger to the men and women hired to bring fugitives back to justice.
Most bail bondsmen describe themselves as an extension of the jail, a private extension of the jail.
They provide a service that enables people to get out on bail who otherwise might not be able to. Most bail bondsmen will also admit their business is about making money and getting their investment back, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time, and that's incentive enough to get their man. Bail bondsmen spend a lot of the time on the phone, but when the person bailed out refuses to go back to court, it takes more than a phone call. Bail bondsmen have the legal right to use reasonable force to bring their client in. Bail enforcement agent Kenneth Venghaus, describes the chase as exciting, but dangerous.