Clinton County Inmate Population

The Clinton County inmate population is held at the county jail in St. Johns, run by the Clinton County Sheriff's Office. You can search for people in custody by calling the jail, using VINELink for status alerts, or checking OTIS if the person has been sent to state prison. Clinton County sits near Lansing in mid-Michigan, and many cases involve the county's circuit and district courts. This page explains each public record tool and how to use it to find inmate information.

Clinton County Jail and Sheriff's Office

The Clinton County Jail in St. Johns holds all county detainees. The Sheriff's Office runs the facility and manages daily operations. All arrests made in Clinton County result in booking at this jail. The inmate population includes pretrial detainees, people serving short sentences, and those waiting to be moved to a state prison after sentencing.

The jail address is 1347 E. Townsend Rd., St. Johns, MI 48879. Reach the Sheriff's Office by phone at (989) 224-5204 or fax at (989) 224-5205. Staff can tell you whether someone is in custody, give you basic booking details, and explain visitation options. Under MCL 801.1, the Clinton County Sheriff holds authority over all jail operations, including intake, housing, and discharge. State standards under MCL 800.31 apply to facility conditions, inmate care, and rights.

Clinton County is close to Lansing, which means the jail sometimes handles court-related transfers for cases involving state agencies or the courts in the capital area. Call ahead to confirm where a person is being held if you think they may have been moved.

Michigan Courts and Clinton County Cases

Michigan's court system manages the criminal cases that drive the Clinton County inmate population. The 29th Circuit Court in St. Johns handles felony cases. District courts handle misdemeanors. Every criminal case from arrest through sentencing creates a public record that you can search online or in person at the courthouse.

The screenshot below shows the Michigan Courts homepage, which is the gateway to court services including case search, e-filing, and public record access for Clinton County and all other Michigan courts.

Start at courts.michigan.gov to access Michigan court services, or go directly to MiCOURT for case lookups.

MiCOURT is free and covers all Michigan courts, including those in Clinton County that generate criminal cases tied to the local inmate population.

OTIS: Finding State Prison Inmates from Clinton County

When a Clinton County court sentences someone to more than one year in prison, that person is transferred to MDOC custody. They leave the local jail inmate population and go into the state system. OTIS is the only way to find them at that point. The Offender Tracking Information System is free and available to anyone.

Go to mdocweb.state.mi.us. Search by first name, last name, or MDOC number. You will see the current facility, the offense of conviction, and the projected release date. OTIS also shows parole status for those who have been released but are still under supervision. It does not include people held in the Clinton County jail. For those, call (989) 224-5204.

VINELink Custody Alerts for Clinton County

VINELink gives you automated alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. It covers both the Clinton County Jail and all Michigan state prison facilities. The service is free. You register your contact details and choose how you want to receive notifications: phone, email, or text.

Sign up at VINELink.com or call 1-800-770-7657 to register by phone. Victims of crime use VINELink most often, but anyone can sign up for any person in custody. If someone is transferred from the Clinton County inmate population to a state prison, VINELink will follow them and continue to send you alerts. This makes it useful even when custody moves between facilities.

Note: VINELink notifications are not always instant. For urgent matters, call the jail or MDOC directly to verify current status.

Requesting Clinton County Jail Records

Michigan FOIA law at MCL 15.231 gives you the right to request public records from the Clinton County Sheriff's Office. This includes booking records, jail logs, and incident reports related to the inmate population. The office must respond within five business days of receiving your request.

Write a letter or email that identifies the specific records you want. Include the person's name, the dates, and the type of document. Send it to the Clinton County Sheriff's Office at 1347 E. Townsend Rd., St. Johns, MI 48879. If the request involves many documents, the office can extend the deadline by ten days. They may charge a fee for copying and staff time. Records related to active investigations or minors may be withheld.

Criminal Conviction Records in Clinton County

ICHAT lets you search Michigan public conviction records online. The Michigan State Police runs this tool. It covers convictions from Clinton County courts and all other courts in the state. You can find felony and misdemeanor convictions, but not arrests that did not result in a conviction.

Search ICHAT at michigan.gov/msp/services/ichat. There is a small fee per search. ICHAT does not show current custody status. For that, use VINELink or call the jail directly. Combine ICHAT with MiCOURT to get both conviction history and active case information for people in or recently released from the Clinton County inmate population.

MDOC and State Supervision in Clinton County

The Michigan Department of Corrections handles all state prison sentences and parole supervision in Clinton County. When someone receives a state prison sentence in Clinton County courts, MDOC assigns them to a facility based on security level and available space. After release, MDOC continues to supervise parolees in the community. Under MCL 800.31, all MDOC operations must meet state standards for inmate care and facility management.

If you have questions about a state prisoner originally from Clinton County, the MDOC website at michigan.gov/corrections has contact information and policy details. OTIS is the fastest way to locate a specific person under MDOC supervision.

Cities in Clinton County

Clinton County includes St. Johns and several townships. No cities in Clinton County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. Visit our cities directory to see all qualifying Michigan cities.

Nearby Counties

These counties share borders with Clinton County. Inmates from neighboring areas may be held here or transferred based on court assignments and capacity.