Southfield Inmate Population Database
Southfield inmate population records run through the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, which manages the county jail in Pontiac. The Southfield Police Department handles arrests in the city, and people taken into custody are booked at the Oakland County Jail at 1201 N. Telegraph Road, Pontiac, MI 48341. This page covers how to search for Southfield inmates using the CLEMIS regional locator, how to contact the jail, and what state tools are available when someone has been transferred to a Michigan Department of Corrections facility.
Southfield Overview
Oakland County Jail and Southfield Inmate Population
Southfield Police Department handles all arrests within city limits. Once a person is taken into custody, they move to the Oakland County Jail in Pontiac for booking and longer-term housing. The jail sits at 1201 N. Telegraph Road, Pontiac, MI 48341. Oakland County Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard oversees all jail operations. The facility is one of the larger county jails in Michigan and holds roughly 1,664 inmates on a typical day across pre-trial and sentenced populations.
Southfield is one of Oakland County's most densely populated cities, so it contributes a meaningful share of the daily county inmate population. The jail handles all case types from traffic and misdemeanor holds to serious felony detainees. Anyone who gets sentenced to state prison will be transferred out of Oakland County to a Michigan DOC facility, at which point they no longer appear in the county jail system.
CLEMIS Inmate Locator for Southfield Records
Oakland County uses the CLEMIS Criminal Justice Information System regional inmate locator. You can search by name at apps.clemis.org. CLEMIS covers Oakland County and several surrounding counties in southeast Michigan. Search results show where the inmate is currently housed, their booking date, and current status. The system is well-maintained and updates regularly as new bookings come in throughout the day and night.
Start with the last name when searching. If you do not get results, try searching the last name only and scanning through the list. Bookings usually appear within a few hours of processing. If you recently heard about an arrest and the person is not in the system yet, try again a few hours later. You can also call the Oakland County Sheriff's Office at (248) 858-1800 to ask directly.
Note: CLEMIS does not include people held in Michigan state prisons. For those records, use OTIS.
Oakland County Sheriff's Office Contact
All inmate population inquiries for Southfield arrests go through the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. Use the contact information below to reach the jail or ask about a specific inmate.
| Office | Oakland County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Jail Address | 1201 N. Telegraph Road, Pontiac, MI 48341 |
| Phone | (248) 858-1800 |
| ocso@oakgov.com | |
| Sheriff Website | oakgov.com/sheriff |
| CLEMIS Inmate Locator | apps.clemis.org |
When calling or emailing about an inmate, include the full name and date of birth. This makes it much faster for staff to locate the correct record, especially for common names.
Michigan OTIS Search Interface
The Michigan OTIS search interface is where you look up Southfield residents who have been sentenced to state prison. This system is free and separate from the county jail roster.
OTIS results are updated regularly as people are transferred or released. Check the Michigan DOC website for facility-specific visitation and mailing policies after you locate the person in OTIS.
OTIS: Michigan State Prison Inmate Search
If a Southfield resident was convicted and sentenced to a Michigan state prison, they leave the Oakland County jail and enter the MDOC system. OTIS at mdocweb.state.mi.us is free to use. Search by name or MDOC number. Results show the facility, earliest release date, and a photo when available. The Michigan DOC website has a full list of all state facilities and policies on visitation, mail, and inmate services.
ICHAT, the Internet Criminal History Access Tool at michigan.gov/msp/services/ichat, provides public conviction and arrest history for Michigan residents. A small fee applies for most ICHAT searches, but the information covers more than just current custody status.
VINELink Custody Alerts
VINELink is free and confidential. You can sign up to get automatic alerts when someone's custody status changes. The service covers both Oakland County jail inmates and Michigan state prison inmates. Register at vinelink.com or call 1-800-770-7657. Alerts go out by phone, text, or email. The person in custody does not know you registered. This is useful if you need ongoing status updates without calling the jail manually every day.
FOIA Requests for Southfield Jail Records
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, found at MCL 15.231, gives you the right to request records from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. Write a request that names the person, the date of the incident, and the specific records you want. The office must respond within five business days. A fee may apply for copying. County jail authority runs under MCL 801.1, and operating standards fall under MCL 800.31. Court records for Southfield cases can be searched through MiCOURT at courts.michigan.gov, covering the 6th Judicial Circuit Court.
Oakland County Inmate Population
Southfield is part of Oakland County, and all city arrests go to the Oakland County Jail for booking and custody. The county page covers jail operations in full detail, including the CLEMIS system, visitation rules, and county-wide resources.
Nearby Cities
Other qualifying cities near Southfield with inmate population pages: