Clare County Inmate Population Records

Clare County inmate population records are kept by the Clare County Sheriff's Office in Harrison, Michigan. The county jail holds all local detainees. You can call the jail to ask about someone in custody, use VINELink to get status alerts, or check OTIS for those who have been transferred to state prison. This page explains each method and what you can find through official Michigan public record tools.

Clare County Jail

The Clare County Jail is in Harrison and holds all county detainees. The Sheriffs Office operates the facility and manages all aspects of the local inmate population. Bookings come from arrests anywhere in Clare County. The jail holds people awaiting trial, those serving short misdemeanor sentences, and those waiting to be transferred to state prison after sentencing.

Call the Sheriff's Office at (989) 539-7166 to ask about someone in custody. The address is 255 E. 5th St., Harrison, MI 48625. Fax is (989) 539-7167. Staff can confirm custody status, give you basic booking info, and explain how to set up a visit. Under MCL 801.1, the Clare County Sheriff holds authority over all jail operations. The facility follows state jail standards under MCL 800.31, which set rules for inmate health, safety, and rights.

Michigan Sex Offender Registry and Clare County

The Michigan Sex Offender Registry is a public database run by the Michigan State Police. It covers registered offenders statewide, including those from Clare County. People on the registry may or may not be in custody at any given time. The registry shows their last known address, offense details, and registration status. It is a separate tool from the jail inmate population list.

The image below shows the Michigan sex offender registry interface, which is one of several public record tools available to look up individuals with criminal histories in Clare County.

Visit michigan.gov/msp/services/sex-offender-registry to search the public registry for Clare County and all of Michigan.

The registry is updated regularly. It is separate from the current inmate population at the Clare County Jail, but may list people who have previously been in custody there.

OTIS: State Prison Inmates from Clare County

When someone from Clare County receives a sentence of more than one year, they leave the local jail and enter Michigan Department of Corrections custody. At that point, they no longer appear in the Clare County jail inmate population. Use OTIS to find them. The Offender Tracking Information System is free and covers all MDOC-supervised offenders.

Search OTIS at mdocweb.state.mi.us. Enter a name or MDOC number. The results show the current facility, the offense, and the projected release date. If a person has been released on parole, OTIS may show that as well. For current Clare County jail inmates, call the Sheriff's Office at (989) 539-7166. OTIS does not cover county-level detainees.

VINELink for Clare County Inmate Status

VINELink lets you register for alerts about a specific person in custody. It covers both the Clare County Jail and Michigan state facilities. When someone's custody status changes, VINELink sends you a notification. You choose how you receive it: phone call, email, or text. The service is free.

Register at VINELink.com or by calling 1-800-770-7657. VINELink is commonly used by victims of crime, but anyone can sign up. It is a good way to stay informed without repeatedly calling the jail. Coverage is statewide, so it follows an inmate even if they are transferred from the Clare County inmate population to a state facility or another county.

Note: VINELink notifications may lag slightly behind the actual custody event. Call the jail to confirm urgent status changes.

Court Records Tied to Clare County Inmate Cases

The 55th Circuit Court handles felony criminal cases in Clare County. District courts manage misdemeanors and lower-level charges. When someone ends up in the Clare County inmate population, there is almost always a court case attached. Court records show the charges, the plea, and what the judge ordered.

You can search Clare County court records online at MiCOURT. The tool is free and covers courts statewide. Enter a name or case number to get results. You will see docket entries, hearing dates, and case outcomes. Under MCL 15.231, Michigan FOIA allows you to request specific court documents from the Clare County circuit court clerk in Harrison.

Criminal History Searches in Clare County

ICHAT is Michigan's internet criminal history access tool, run by the State Police. You can look up public conviction records from any Michigan court, including those in Clare County. Results include felony and misdemeanor convictions. Arrests that did not result in conviction are not shown.

Go to michigan.gov/msp/services/ichat to run a search. There is a per-search fee. ICHAT does not show current custody status. For that, use VINELink or call the jail. ICHAT and MiCOURT work well together: MiCOURT shows active cases and docket history, while ICHAT confirms formal convictions in Clare County and statewide.

FOIA Requests at the Clare County Sheriff's Office

Under Michigan FOIA law at MCL 15.231, you can request booking records, jail logs, and incident reports from the Clare County Sheriff's Office. The office must respond within five business days and can extend that by ten days if needed. They can charge a fee for copying and staff time.

Write a request that clearly identifies the records you want. Include the person's name, the dates involved, and what type of document you are looking for. Mail or deliver your request to 255 E. 5th St., Harrison, MI 48625. Records tied to ongoing investigations or involving juveniles may be withheld under FOIA exemptions.

Cities in Clare County

Clare County includes Harrison and several smaller townships and villages. No cities in Clare County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. See our cities directory for all qualifying Michigan cities.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Clare County. If you are unsure which county has someone in custody, check these nearby jurisdictions as well.