Welcome to the Michigan Department of Corrections searchable database, which we call the Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS). This advisory is intended to help you use OTIS, understand how the information is presented and what it means. The advisory will also offer some useful hints about finding information.

CMIS, OMNI, OTIS AND THE HISTORY OF ELECTRONIC DATA COLLECTION IN THE MDOC:

The MDOC has been collecting offender data electronically and into one database since 1980. The primary system used since that time is known as CMIS, which holds information about all current and past prisoners and parolees. The CMIS database is not available online, but it is available through the Michigan Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA). Requests for the database should be sent to:

FOIA Coordinator Michigan Department of Corrections 206 E. Michigan Ave. Grandview Plaza P.O. Box 30003 Lansing, MI 48909

Starting in 1997, the MDOC began to implement a new database, known as OMNI. OMNI will eventually replace CMIS as well as several other databases within the department. OMNI also includes information about probationers, a group of offenders who are NOT under the jurisdiction of the MDOC but who are merely supervised by the department. OMNI is also being used to store offender photographs, something CMIS did not do.

With the evolution of the department's electronic data storage came the desire, both within the department and among important constituencies, especially taxpayers, to put more information online. As a consequence, OTIS was created so that a wide variety of Internet users could have access to the data.

In 2008, the Michigan Legislature allowed removal of offenders from the website after three years had elapsed from the discharge date. If an offender resumes supervision with the MDOC, all public records will be available on the website until the three years has again elapsed from the discharge date of the most recent MDOC jurisdiction or supervision date.

SEARCH RULES:

OTIS is designed such that users must at a minimum enter either an offender's last name or an offender number in order to query the database, unless searching for Escapees or Absconders. In this case, the name and offender number fields may be left blank to list all offenders of either category.

An asterisk (*) may be used as a wildcard in the last name field to broaden the search, provided that at least 3 leading characters are also supplied. For example, entering "Smi*" in the last name field will return a results set which will include all last names that begin with the letters "Smi". If less that 3 characters are entered with a wildcard (ex: "Sm*"), OTIS will conduct the search using only the leading characters entered ("Sm"), and will likely return no matching records.

An asterisk (*) may also be used as a wildcard in the first name field. There are not leading character restrictions with the first name.

Users may also enter additional information to refine the search process. Available search fields include: gender, offenders age (plus or minus 3 years), race and offender status. Users may enter information in any or none of these fields as desired. Generally, the more information entered, the faster OTIS will return search results. If an offender number is entered, OTIS will ignore any additional search criteria entered and perform the search on offender number alone.

OTIS additionally allows an offender search by scars, marks or tattoos. To utilize this feature, enter a one or two word phrase in the Scars, Marks or Tattoos field for which you wish OTIS to search. OTIS will perform an exact match text search. For example, if 'blue diamond' is entered in this field, OTIS will return only those offenders who have the text 'blue diamond' in their identification information. Offenders with the text 'diamond - blue' would not be included in the results, as it is not an EXACT match. Wildcards are not recognized in the scars, marks or tattoos search.

Only the current, legal name of the offender is used in the search process.

An offender’s MDOC number is unique. Searching by the number will return information on one prisoner and is the most accurate way to find a particular offender.

WHAT THE HEADINGS MEAN:

Listed below are explanations for each title heading found on the return information about an offender or list of offenders who fit the search criteria. To accommodate as much information as possible, some headings may be abbreviated.

• OFFENDER NUMBER: This number is unique to every offender whose pre-sentence investigation (PSI) is handled by the MDOC (all dispositions in circuit court). The number is generated when the PSI is created or it remains the same for offenders who are about to be re-sentenced.

• LAST NAME: An offender’s last name at time of commitment.

• FIRST NAME: An offender's first name at the time of commitment.
  
  
• DATE of BIRTH: An offender’s date of birth.
  
  
• SEX: An offender’s gender.
  
  
• RACE: An offender’s race or ethnicity.
  
  
• MCL NUMBER: The number listed for the Michigan Compiled Law (MCL) is for the crime of the controlling sentence (the sentence used to determine when an offender is eligible for parole or discharge) of most recent conviction. By clicking on the number, users will be taken to an excerpt of the statute.
  
  
• LOCATION: An offender's location or place from which the offender is being supervised. In cases of escapees and absconders, the location is the place where the offender was last being supervised before escape (it does NOT necessarily refer the place from which the offender escaped or absconded; in fact, very few if any escapes actually take place from a prison or camp).

• STATUS: This column indicates whether an offender is currently a prisoner, parolee, probationer, escapee, absconder or has discharged from the supervision of the department.

• EARLIEST RELEASE DATE: This is the prisoner's ERD. It should not be considered as the definite release date. In fact, the vast majority of prisoners do not have a definite release date, relative to the minimum portions of their sentences. The ERD refers only to that date at which a prisoner is eligible for parole, if all appropriate time off for good behavior is earned and if the prisoner is not serving a life sentence. This date changes if the prisoner accumulates misconducts for violating prison rules.

  Alternately, this column represents the Supervision Release Date for probationers.
  
  

• MAXIMUM DISCHARGE DATE: The date shown represents the potential maximum and assumes that the prisoner receives any available good time or disciplinary credits, relevant to the controlling sentence. A prisoner will be released from prison on this date because the Parole Board declined to parole the offender. The MDOC does not have the legal authority to imprison an offender beyond his or her maximum date. Several months prior to this date, the warden of the facility in which the person is housed will determine how much, if any, time for good behavior will be awarded (but only for those offenders who are eligible for good time or disciplinary credits). The maximum date could be increased by the amount of time the warden does not grant.
  
  

• DATE PAROLED: The date shown represents the date the offender left prison, camp or, if the offender was under supervision other than that of a secure correctional, the date when parolee status was conferred.