Michigan Inmate Search

There are a total of 83 state prisons and county jails in Michigan. The state prison population is nearly 38000 while the county jail population is almost 10000. The Michigan Department of Corrections typically operates all state prisons alongside juvenile facilities. A vast majority of county jails in Michigan are situated in the Lower Peninsula, with only a few in the Upper Peninsula. This state relatively has a high incarceration rate of 655 per 100000 citizens. The latter is attributed to Michigan's strict sentencing laws, mandating long prison terms for most offenses.

Inmate records in Michigan contain personal and official information regarding persons housed in correctional facilities in Michigan. Personal data comprises identifying information such as the offender's full name, gender, age, race, date of birth, nationality, ethnicity, and physical description (eye color, hair color, height, weight, tattoos, scars, and defining body marks). On the other hand, administrative or official details include the inmate's registration number, booking date and time, mugshots, criminal charges, custody status, court dates, sentence information, arresting agency, bond or bail amount, fingerprint, and projected release date.

Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, these records are open for public inspection unless confidential. Some inmate records remain confidential, available to only authorized parties, for instance, medical records. The general public can access or obtain inmate records from legal custodians upon request. The Michigan Department of Corrections primarily maintains and disseminates inmate records at the state level. You can also get them from your local sheriff's office or police department.

Let us look at avenues you can use when searching for an incarcerated loved one in Michigan:

Michigan State Prisoner Lookup

As mentioned above, the Michigan Department of Corrections is responsible for the safety and custody of all state-run correctional facilities in Michigan. Therefore, this is the first place to start your search if you believe your loved one is serving time in a state prison. To conduct an inmate search, go to the "Offender Search" option on the website's menu. It directs you to the "Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS)."

OTIS contains information regarding prisoners, probationers, and parolees, currently under supervision or discharged but are still within three years of their supervision discharge date. Remember, this tool does not contain information on inmates convicted but not sentenced or information on offenders in county jails or city lockups.

Click "Start Offender Search" to begin your search. This site requires you to submit the inmate's name, sex, age, race, status, and MDOC number.

Michigan County Jail Inmate Search

The County sheriff's office and local police department are responsible for the safety and custody of all county jails and city lockups. Typically, county jails house detainees and offenders awaiting trial, bond, or serving short sentences of less than a year. Anyone arrested within Michigan is first brought to a county jail before appearing in court.

Most county jails in Michigan keep their database of offenders currently in custody or recently released. You can visit the jail's or sheriff's office's official website to view their online inmate roster. These rosters contain a list of inmates currently at the jail facility. Some jails provide an online search tool requiring you only to submit the inmate's name and ID number.

Call the jail or sheriff's office if you still cannot find your incarcerated loved one.

Michigan Federal Prisoners

Michigan has two stand-alone federal facilities overseen by the North Central Regional Office. In total, there are 1287 incarcerated federal prisoners in this state. To locate an inmate in these facilities, visit BOP and search using the "Find an Inmate" search tool.