Considering that you might have to start from scratch, you might feel overwhelmed about how to find someone in jail. Where do you even begin to look? Who do you ask? Where do you go?
Well, if you have some information about the person who was arrested, that’s a good start. On the other hand, if you know very little about the person or the reasons for or location of the arrest, your search will be a little harder. With a little legwork and patience, however, you can still find someone in jail.
How to Find Someone in Jail Option 1: Get online
In Michigan, the quickest and easiest resource to use to find someone in jail is OTIS: the Michigan Department of Corrections Offender Tracking Information System.
Once you are on the site, you must agree to the basic terms and conditions. Then, you can search for the person by entering the person’s name and other identifiers, such as his or her age, race, and case number, if you have it.
Once OTIS completes the search, it will give you his or her name, case number, and location of the prison he or she is in at that time.
If this happens to be the case, you also could find someone in jail by using the Michigan Sex Offender Registry. You can use this site to search for sex offenders in the general area or for someone specific. Once the registry finds the person, you can obtain a lot of information about him or her and the reasons for the arrest.
If you are looking for a federal prisoner anywhere in the nation, you can find information by simply entering his or her name on the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.
If you do not have complete information about the person you are trying to find, such as you only have his or her first name, you still might be able to find a lot of information by entering other details – such as the date and location of the arrest – on a variety of online databases.
There are plenty of resources online that offer search databases, but make sure you use reputable online sites if you do use that route. Be careful what information you provide and beware of hidden costs and scams.
How to Find Someone in Jail Option 2: Get on the phone
If you know which county the person is in, try the county jails.
The Wayne County Jail, which has two facilities in Detroit and one in Hamtramck, can be reached at 313-967-6672. The Macomb County Jail in Mount Clemens can be reached at 586-469-5151, and the phone number to the Oakland County Jail in Pontiac is 248-858-1800.
If the person was only recently arrested, he or she probably is being held in the local jail, so try phone calling your local police department.
If you are not sure of the exact city where the arrest occurred, consider searching in neighboring cities or counties.
How to Find Someone in Jail Option 3: Get moving
If you still have trouble finding someone in jail, consider going to local law enforcement agencies in person. You might be able to get a hold of the police report, as this is public information. The report would tell you the name of the officer who was involved in the case, and you could request to speak with that officer to see if he or she could provide you with specific details.
If you need more information about how to find someone in jail, or you already know where he or she is but need help otherwise, please feel free to reach out to us. We are available 24/7 at 313-244-0669.
Tags: Jails, Resources for Victims