Michigan Inmate Search

You can get information about your loved one in the state of Michigan through searches on their official website. If the information you get over the internet is not satisfactory, you can physically visit the facility.  

All the Prisons and Detention Centers in Michigan have a kiosk at the lobby where you can get all the information you need about a loved one.  

The state of Michigan updates its database regularly, and there will be no information for inmates who have been released. The database only carries information about inmates currently incarcerated. Nonetheless, you need to have the prisoners’ full names and their identification numbers. 

The inmate Roster is updated every day to capture all the information of those on parole and probation. The online database will only have information about those on the department of corrections offender lookup. However, you should know that those on pre-trial will not appear. 

The inmate search procedure is as follows: 

• Enter the MDOC offender lookup database to get information about inmates currently incarcerated. 
• In the system you can search for prisoners, probationers, parolees, and probation absconders.  
• Obtain the results you want by adding filters including age, race, and offenders’ sex.  
• Click on the offenders’ number to get more details on their status. 

After a successful search you will get the following details: 

• Location – where the inmate is being held 
• Maximum date 
• Custody status 
• Offender number 

Moreover, you can decide to call the specific facility directly and get all the information you need about an inmate. However, it is important to note that you will have to answer several questions to ascertain that you have some relationship with the inmate. 

Inmate Roster 

The Michigan Department of Corrections runs the Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) which has information about inmates currently incarcerated. OTIS has an inmate roster that has records of paroles, probationers, and prisoners in Michigan. However, the offender lookup does not contain the following: 

• Individuals who were arrested but not sentenced 
• Released inmates who have stayed off supervision for over three years 
• Photographs of those who were discharged before their pictures were taken or those who have not yet have their pictures taken 
• Inmates locked up in county jails since the counties run them whereas MDOC operates State prisons. 

If you are looking for information about an offender who has not been on the department’s supervision for over 36 months, visit the ICHAT Internet Criminal History Access Tool.  

About Michigan State Department of Corrections 

The first prison to be built in the state was the Michigan Reformatory built in 1870. The correctional Facilities Administration runs detention centers and prisons in Michigan, including the Special Alternative Incarceration Facility (SAI). The Deputy Director of CFA has his offices in Lansing from where he oversees the facility's operations. There are two assistant deputy directors each with a group of wardens that help in the daily operations of the prisons. What’s more, CFA manages several peripheral aspects of the prisons including classification and transportation. 

Inmates currently incarcerated in Michigan detention centers are provided several prisoner services, including programming opportunities, educational opportunities, and mental health care. The state has a relatively high incarceration rate of 655 per 100,000 residents. The high numbers are brought by Michigan’s tough sentencing laws that give offenders long jail terms. For instance, the state has a mandatory jail term of 25 years minimum for first-degree murder.  

The Michigan Department of Corrections runs 31 prison facilities and a special alternative incarceration program in the state of Michigan. The number of prisoners under the state's jurisdiction is over 38,053 in 29 correctional facilities, while others are held in local and private prisons. The state has a budget of $2,019,056,200 and 11,941 employees. 

The prisons are categorized into different levels, from level one to level five.  

• Level one houses inmates who have minor offenses and are easy to manage. 
• Level five houses inmates who pose a maximum security risk and are hard to manage.  

However, most convicted offenders are not sent to jail. Instead, most of them are supervised locally through probation, whereas others get jail terms of less than one year in county jails. 

Convicted offenders who have spent time in jail, if eligible, can be paroled. The Field Operations Administration is responsible for probation, supervision, and state parole. The probation and parole officers are located in ten regions of Michigan.  

Michigan department of corrections uses specialized supervision of persons, including the use of sex offender-specific caseloads, electronic monitoring, and veterans’ caseloads. The Parole Board is the sole paroling authority for those under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Department of Corrections.