That is exactly what it means: Sometimes, the courts won't allow you to just post bail, but force you to pay a bondsman. There is no choice. (My brother had this stipulation when he was 17).

And it isn't that you can pay for them out of your pocked. You would have had to go to a business, pay them, and they pay the courts.

The specific question is “can you be his bondsman as I was for my colleague?”

No.

You'd have to go to a 3rd party that is licensed by the state. You can usually find the businesses around courthouses or jails. They are often open 24 hours a day and fairly brightly lit.

Ah. There were a half-dozen of those on the way to the jail. I seem to recall my colleague had a choice of posting $300 with a commercial bond agent who would then post the $2500 with the court or anyone could post the whole $2500 in cash at the jail directly. (Was in Florida in Feb 1997.)

And in some cases, that is allowed, but not always.

I'm to the point I think it is all a scam, and I'm ashamed we've let it get to this point.