The Michigan State Prison System

The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) handles the day-to-day management of the state's prison systems. The Correctional Facilities Administration unit has direct oversight of the facilities' management. Michigan state prisons house inmates who receive sentences from Michigan State Courts. The prison system provides a platform to execute the penalty system of incarceration and implement a reformatory process for those serving time.

What Is The Difference Between Jail and Prison in Michigan?

County governments typically run jail operations in the state, while the Department of Corrections in Michigan runs the State Prison systems. Persons convicted of misdemeanor offences or some lower felony classes with penalties that are less than one year usually serve time in county jails in Michigan. Longer sentences than a year are for serious felonies and get placements in the prison facility. Additionally, jails in Michigan have a blanket structure for housing inmates awaiting trial or conviction. In contrast, the Michigan state prison system has an inner stratification of low, medium, and high security prison facilities to accommodate the different categories of prisoners brought to the facility. Note that inmates in Michigan state prisons are convicts of a felony, that is to say, they were found guilty according to the state criminal code regarding the definition of felonies.

How Many Prisons Are In Michigan?

There are altogether 33 correction facilities in Michigan, each falling under one of the five levels of security in the system. The lowest security prison has a rating level I, and the highest is level V:

• Alger Correctional Facility
• Baraga Correctional Facility
• Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility
• Boyer Road Correctional Facility (merged with Carson City)
• Carson City Correctional Facility
• Central Michigan Correctional Facility
• Charles Egeler Reception & Guidance Center
• Chippewa Correctional Facility
• Cooper Street Correctional Facility (JCS) with Special Alternative Incarceration
• Detroit Detention Center
• Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility
• G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility
• Gus Harrison Correctional Facility
• Ionia Correctional Facility
• Kinross Correctional Facility
• Lakeland Correctional Facility
• Macomb Correctional Facility
• Marquette Branch Prison
• Michigan Reformatory
• Central Michigan Correctional Facility
• Muskegon Correctional Facility
• Newberry Correctional Facility
• Oaks Correctional Facility
• Parnall Correctional Facility
• Parr Highway Correctional Facility (consolidated with Gus Harrison)
• Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility
• Saginaw Correctional Facility
• Special Alternative Incarceration Facility (merged with Cooper Street Correctional Facility)
• St. Louis Correctional Facility
• Straits Correctional Facility (merged) with Chippewa
• Thumb Correctional Facility
• Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility
• Woodland Center Correctional Facility

How Do I Search For An Inmate In Michigan State Prison?

The Michigan Department of Corrections uses an Offender Tracking Information System that provides information about prisoners, parolees, and probationers under current supervision. Any individual who has vacated the status for 3 years or more is unlikely to have information on this tracking system. Users generally require the following information to conduct a search on the portal:

• First and last names of the inmate
• Inmate registration number (Michigan Department of Corrections ID -MDOC)
• The sex of the inmate
• Race
• Age
• Descriptive factors like scars, tattoos, etc
• Offender status (active, on parole or probation).

If the inquirer does not have any of this information, contact the defending attorney on the case.

The search usually returns a page listing all inmates with matching information. Inquirers may use the MDOC number to find more information.

The Search should return a page that lists all inmates with matching information. Use the MDOC number to search for more information, such as facility location, karma, basic incarceration profile, supervising agency, and relevant date (date of parole and maximum sentence dates)

The following information is not typically available on OTIS:

• Information about the county jail inmates column refers to the county jail authority for that information.
• Information about persons arrested and convicted but yet to receive a sentence
• Information that is exempt under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.
• Photographs of offenders that have exited the system before electronic photographs came into use, or persons yet to have their mugshot photographs taken.

Are Incarceration Records Public in Michigan?

Yes, incarceration records in Michigan are public information. Incarceration records encompass arrest, criminal history information, and other associated files. The Freedom of Information Act in Michigan gives citizens the right to access these records online without restrictions unless the record in question is under restricted access, either by expunging or sealing the record. However, note that access to hard copies may require some administrative obligations such as eligibility, fee payments, etc.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often simplify the search process by aggregating information from various jurisdictions and providing it to record seekers via a single database. Users are generally required to provide the following information to facilitate a search:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state where the person resides or was accused.

Third-party sites operate independently from government sources and are not sponsored by these agencies. Therefore, the accuracy and validity of the information they provide may not be guaranteed.

How to Look Up Jail Records in Michigan?

County or municipal governments generally run jails in Michigan. The agencies responsible are the sheriff’s department and the city police department. Accounts of arrests, jail custody, and copies of jail sentences issued by the court are available at the relevant sheriff’s or police department. Inquirers may obtain these records by visiting the offices or querying them via the county government's website.

Can Jail Records Be Expunged in Michigan?

The Michigan Clean Slate Initiative allows persons with criminal records, such as arrest and imprisonment, to have their records expunged seven years after the last incarceration, provided there have been no criminal violations during the window time frame. Certain felonies do not qualify for expunction in Michigan. An example is a felony with a life sentence as the maximum penalty.