Search Cass County Booking Releases

Cass County booking releases are maintained by the Cass County Sheriff's Office in Cassopolis. This southwest Michigan county sits near the Indiana border, and the Sheriff's Office handles all county jail bookings, inmate records, and custody status information. Use the search tools below to find current inmates or look up recent booking records from the Cass County Jail.

Cass County Sheriff's Office and Jail

The Cass County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and keeps all booking release records for Cass County. Cass County is in the southwest corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, sharing a border with Indiana to the south. The Sheriff's Office is the single source for all county-level booking records, custody information, and jail roster data.

When someone is booked into the Cass County Jail, staff create a booking record that documents the arrest. This record includes the person's name, date of birth, the date and time of booking, charges, and custody status. Bond amounts and scheduled court dates may also be part of the record. The Sheriff's Office maintains the jail roster and updates it on a regular basis.

You can contact the Cass County Sheriff's Office by phone or in person at the courthouse in Cassopolis for booking information. For records that are not available online, a formal FOIA request is the standard way to get copies.

Cass County Booking Records Lookup

VINELink is the primary tool for looking up booking releases and inmate status at the Cass County Jail. It covers most Michigan county jails and updates custody information in near real time. The service is free and available 24 hours a day.

To search for a Cass County inmate, visit VINELink, choose Michigan, and enter the person's name. The search returns current custody status, booking date, and basic charge information. If the person has been released or transferred, the system may reflect that change quickly. You can also set up notifications through VINELink to be alerted when someone's custody status changes, without having to check the site manually.

For state prison cases, use OTIS rather than VINELink. Someone sentenced to a Michigan Department of Corrections facility would not appear on the county jail roster. The two systems cover different populations, so use the right tool based on the type of sentence involved.

VINELink for Cass County

VINELink works well for anyone trying to track an inmate at the Cass County Jail. It lets you search by name and shows current custody status without needing to call the jail or visit in person. The service is available in English and Spanish.

One of the most useful features is the notification system. You can register a phone number, email address, or both. When the inmate's status changes, such as a release, transfer, or court appearance, VINELink contacts you automatically. Family members, attorneys, and victims all use this service. It covers most Michigan county jails, including Cass County, and all Michigan Department of Corrections facilities.

TTY access is available for users who are hearing impaired. Multiple cases can be tracked under one account. Registration is free at vinelink.com.

Note: VINELink only shows people currently in or recently released from custody. It does not show conviction history or past case information from court records.

State Prison Records Through OTIS

People sentenced to state prison in Michigan appear in the OTIS database, not in the Cass County Jail system. OTIS is maintained by the Michigan Department of Corrections and covers all state facilities, parolees, and probationers supervised by MDOC.

Search OTIS for free at mdocweb.state.mi.us. You need at least the person's last name or their MDOC number. The system shows current facility, sentence details, earliest release date, and parole status. Status codes like PRISON, PAROLE, and DISCHRG explain where the person is in the corrections system. Records stay available for three years after a person is discharged from MDOC supervision.

OTIS does not cover county jail inmates, juvenile records, federal prisoners, or people discharged more than three years ago. For those cases, VINELink, the county Sheriff's Office, or federal systems apply.

Requesting Booking Records Through FOIA

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act at MCL 15.231 sets the rules for public access to government records. This law covers booking records, incident reports, and other documents the Cass County Sheriff's Office holds. Most booking records are public and available on request.

Your FOIA request should describe the record clearly. For a booking record, include the person's full name, approximate date of the arrest, and any case or booking number you have. Submit the request in writing by mail, email, or in person at the Sheriff's Office. The office must respond within five business days, though they can extend that by ten days for complex requests.

Fees may apply for labor and copying. If you qualify based on income, you can submit an Affidavit of Indigency to waive up to $20.00 of the total processing fee. This waiver is available up to twice per calendar year. Some records may be withheld if an investigation is active or if releasing them would violate privacy protections under FOIA exemptions.

What a Cass County Booking Record Shows

Booking releases from the Cass County Jail contain a standard set of information. Each record shows the person's full legal name, date of birth, and a booking number assigned at intake. The booking date and time are recorded, along with the charges or allegations that led to the arrest.

Custody status tells you whether the person is still in jail, has been released, or has been transferred. Bond amounts appear on most booking records, showing whether bail has been set and what the amount is. Housing location within the jail may also be listed, though this detail is sometimes withheld for safety reasons.

Physical description data, like height, weight, and gender, may appear depending on what the Sheriff's Office publishes. A booking record reflects what happened at the time of arrest. It does not indicate guilt or a conviction. Charges can be dropped or changed as a case moves through the court system.

For full conviction history, the Michigan State Police ICHAT system covers felony and serious misdemeanor convictions from all 83 counties but does not show county jail booking records on its own.

Michigan Booking Tools

The OTIS search page at the Michigan Department of Corrections is where state prison and parole records live. This screenshot shows the interface you will use for state-level inmate searches related to Cass County residents sentenced to MDOC facilities.

The FOIA statute page at the Michigan Legislature site shows the full text of MCL 15.231, which is the law that governs public records requests in Michigan. Knowing this law helps when making a records request to the Cass County Sheriff's Office.

Communities in Cass County

Cass County includes Cassopolis (the county seat), Dowagiac, Edwardsburg, Marcellus, and other townships and villages. None of these communities currently have dedicated pages on this site. Booking releases for all Cass County residents are processed through the Cass County Sheriff's Office in Cassopolis.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Cass County in southwest Michigan. Each runs its own jail and booking records system through the local Sheriff's Office.