system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 bail. "Make bail." Like at a court. How does it work? Where does the money come from/go?

As a grown-ass man, I feel like I should know, but I don't. Any legal/procedural experts?
gpt
The basic idea is that you pay a bunch of money to get out of jail, and then get it back when you show up for court. If you run off, you lose the money. It's basically the friendlier alternative to keeping people locked up for the length of their trial.

You get the money where ever you can get it. If you've got enough, you can pay it yourself. Otherwise you can get a friend/parent/relative to pay it for you. Alternatively, bail bondsmen can post bail for you. They typically charge 10%, and they will try to retrieve you if you try to run off.