Transfers & Finding Someone in Michigan (MDOC)

State prison or county jail

Under Michigan law (MCL 769.28), a sentence with a maximum of one year or less is served in the county jail, and almost all detention before trial happens there as well; a felony sentence longer than one year is served in an MDOC state prison. So if a person’s case is pre-trial or the sentence is short, look to the county jail, which sets its own visiting, mail, and phone rules.

Reception: where it begins

Everyone entering MDOC is processed first at a reception center — men at the Charles E. Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson, and women at Women’s Huron Valley in Ypsilanti. Reception involves medical, psychological, educational, and security screening and usually takes about 30 to 45 days (the full process can run a couple of months) before transfer to a permanent prison. Personal visits from family and friends are not allowed during reception — only attorney, clergy, and Ombudsman visits — though letters and phone calls are possible. Because women’s reception is at Women’s Huron Valley, and it is also the only women’s prison, women often remain there.

Finding someone

Use the Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) to look someone up by name or MDOC number. OTIS shows current prisoners, parolees, and probationers, but drops people more than three years after discharge. If a person does not appear, they are most likely in a county jail — contact that county.

Staying notified

Michigan participates in MI-VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday), a free service that alerts registered users to a transfer, release, or escape. Register by phone, at vinelink.com, or through the VINELink app.

Transfers between prisons

A prisoner can be moved between facilities for security level, programming, medical needs, or capacity, and moves are not always announced in advance. If mail comes back or a scheduled visit is affected, re-check OTIS to confirm the current location.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Know Your Rights.