Michigan Department of Corrections (MI DOC) — Inmate Records & Recent Arrests

Michigan DOC: Using OTIS to Find Someone, Plus Visits & Money

This page holds the inmate records we have on file for the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). Michigan runs a statewide prison system, and the person you are looking for could be housed at any of its facilities and may be transferred during their sentence. The records below are a historical directory of custody entries we hold — a starting point for identifying the right person and taking the next step — not a live count of any single facility, so confirm anything current against the state's official search. For more on this facility — history, programs, and what to expect — see our full facility profile.

Finding someone with OTIS

Michigan's public search tool is the Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS). To search, you enter at minimum the person's last name or their MDOC number. OTIS has a specific scope worth understanding: it contains information about prisoners, parolees, and probationers who are currently under MDOC jurisdiction or who have been discharged but are still within three years of their supervision discharge date. If more than three years have passed, the record will no longer appear. On this page you can browse the records we hold by last name (A–Z), gender, or age, then confirm the current facility and MDOC number through OTIS before you plan anything.

What OTIS does not cover

An important limitation to keep in mind: OTIS does not include people held in county jails or city lockups, or those sentenced only to jail rather than prison. So if your loved one was recently arrested and is awaiting trial in a county jail, you will not find them in OTIS — you would use that county sheriff's inmate search instead. OTIS is specifically the state prison and supervision system's database. Knowing this saves confusion: a blank OTIS result often just means the person is in local custody rather than state prison, not that no record exists.

Getting approved to visit

Visitation in Michigan requires being on the prisoner's approved visitor list, which involves submitting an application that the prisoner initiates. Each facility sets its own visiting days and hours, and identification and dress rules are enforced at the gate. Some institutions offer video visitation in addition to in-person visits, which helps families who live far from a facility. Once your person is assigned to an institution, confirm that facility's specific schedule and requirements, get your application approved, and bring valid photo identification. Confirm the schedule before you travel in case it has changed for operational reasons.

Sending money

Michigan uses approved electronic vendors to add money to a prisoner's account, typically online, by phone, or by mail, and deposits generally post within a few days. Funds let a person buy commissary items — hygiene products, snacks, writing materials — and cover phone and messaging costs, and for many families this steady, practical support is the most useful thing they can offer between visits. Always include the correct MDOC number so the deposit reaches the right account, and allow processing time before the balance is available. A small, regular balance is usually more helpful than an occasional large deposit.

Writing to a Michigan prisoner

Mail is a reliable way to stay connected, but every piece is inspected for contraband, and Michigan, like many systems, has tightened its incoming-mail procedures over time. Address your letter with the prisoner's committed name and MDOC number, include a clear return address, and follow the current mail policy on photos, cards, and page limits, avoiding stickers, glitter, or adhesive that could get a letter rejected. Because the rules can change, when in doubt keep it simple and check the current policy for your person's facility. Our letter service handles formatting and postage so your correspondence meets facility requirements.

Phone calls and messaging

Calls are placed by the prisoner out to numbers on their approved list, so set up and fund an account with the facility's phone provider in advance and make sure your number is approved so their calls connect. Many Michigan facilities also offer tablet-based electronic messaging, which can be faster than paper mail for short notes. For families who talk frequently, lower-cost calling arrangements can meaningfully reduce the expense over a long sentence, and pairing calls with visits and steady mail keeps the connection strong.

Programs, parole, and reentry

Because MDOC holds sentenced people, many families are also navigating classification, program participation, and parole rather than a pending trial. Michigan offers education, vocational, and treatment programming, and engagement can matter both for daily life and, in some cases, for a person's parole prospects. Staying closely involved — encouraging participation and helping plan the practical pieces of reentry, such as housing and identification — is one of the most effective things a family can do, and consistent contact is associated with smoother transitions back to the community.

What the records here can and cannot tell you

A directory like this reflects custody entries captured from public data at a point in time, not a live feed from inside a facility. Because Michigan's prison system moves people between institutions as their classification and program needs change, a person may appear here after a transfer or release, and individual fields can be incomplete — a middle name dropped, an ID recorded differently, or an age tied to an earlier booking date. None of that reflects anything about the person; it reflects the limits of the public source. Use an entry as a strong lead, then confirm the current facility and status through OTIS. If someone you expect to find does not appear, they may still be in county custody, in transit, or newly received, so wait a day and check again or search by last name only.

Next steps

Confirm your loved one's MDOC number and current facility through OTIS, then use this page to keep track and take the next step — get on the visiting list, set up deposits so basics are covered, and open a steady line of mail. If OTIS does not list your person, they may be in a county jail rather than state prison, so check that county's inmate search. Everyone listed here is presumed innocent or is serving a sentence after conviction; a listing here is not a judgment. Verify anything time-sensitive with the facility before you travel or send anything.

Sources: mdocweb.state.mi.us/otis2/, www.michigan.gov/corrections/otis