Michigan Criminal Records

The State of Michigan provides for its citizens a number of sources from which people can access information on criminal records. These include the web sites of the Michigan Internet Criminal History Access Tool (mi-mall.michigan.gov/ichat), the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry (www.mipsor.state.mi.us/), and the web site of VineLink Michigan (state code MI, http://www.vinelink.com/). All of these web sites provide important information with regard to the criminal records that are kept by state authorities, which include the personal details of the offenders that have been convicted or fined in Michigan.

However, there is one source of information on criminal records, which do not only provide information on past crimes, but also information on where the offender is at the present. This can be very helpful, especially for firms that want to gain extensive information on the backgrounds of people, which include those on parole. This is because given that searches for criminal records can only be done statewide, a past offender who may have transferred to another state may not be accurately screened as most firms only conduct searches within the state in which they are based. This source is the web site of the Michigan Offender Tracking Information System or OTIS.

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How does OTIS work?

OTIS is designed to provide information about offenders that were previously or currently under the jurisdiction or supervision of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). Given this, any information on the web site can be verified using the database that is in the web site of the MDOC as well. Usually, a search on this web site would result to information that would contain any information about an offender who is or was incarcerated in any Michigan prison and on where the offender is currently located. In addition tot his, the pictures of all persons who have been convicted in Michigan are also included in the database. However, the images of the people who have ongoing cases or those who have not yet been convicted are not included in the database. Moreover, the criminal records of people who have been convicted in Michigan that were ordered expunged or to be locked would not be included in the database.

In addition to information on past convictions and on ongoing cases, the state authorities in Michigan also provide information on the status of the offenders, which include information on the current whereabouts of the offender. This can be very helpful for firms, as this can help them accurately screen their potential employees given that there is always a possibility that a past offender would transfer states.

Michigan Criminal Records