Ottawa County Jail – West Olive, MI

Ottawa County Jail is in Ottawa County, Michigan and is the primary correctional facility for the region. Are you looking for someone incarcerated at Ottawa County Jail? This site will tell you about everything related to Ottawa County Jail,like: How to locate an inmate. Find mugshots. The jail’s address and phone number. Bailing out of jail. Ottawa County Jail intake procedures. Court records. And much more…

The prospect of getting arrested and going to jail is a daunting and scary situation, not only for the person who gets arrested, but also that person’s family and friends. This guide is designed to give information and advice that you need to make getting locked up easier. If you have questions, please feel free to ask it, and any feedback or comments that would be a benefit to others is appreciated.

Do you know someone that is incarcerated and need to find out where they are?

Do you know a family member or friend that’s been arrested and you want to find out what jail they’re in?

To search who is in jail at Ottawa County Jail you have to visit their link and do an inmate search.

The Ottawa County Jail Inmate Roster has information on people currently in custody, including status, bail amount (if applicable), and schedule for visitation. Also, you are able to find info on anyone who has been arrested or released in the last 24 hours. Prisoners are listed alphabetically by their last name. You’ll be able to get their arrest information faster if you enter the arrestee’s name, date of birth, or inmate ID.

If your friend or family member may be locked up at a different jail you will want to check our Michigan county jail guide: List of all county jails in Michigan

A mugshot, or jail processing photo, is the photograph taken by the police when you are processed at the jail intake. A mugshot is actually two photos one frontal photo and one profile photo. Your full name and jail booking number will be in the mugshot, and they’re kept on file.

Mugshots of inmates can be found on the Ottawa County Jail website, or you can see them at the Ottawa County Jail. When viewing mugshots online you will need to enter the first and last name, and the arrest date, if you have it.

Are you trying to get your mugshot erased from the Ottawa County Jail site? This will be difficult, as your mugshot is a matter of public record. To get your mugshot taken down you will need to file a Petition to Expunge with the court. Basically, this means that your arrest record would be sealed, and unavailable to the public. Unfortunately, this happens very rarely.

Read our in-depth tutorial about removing your mugshot, the various mugshot websites, and the websites that offer to remove your mugshot for you: How To Get Your Mugshot Taken Down

Return To Main Menu

Naturally, once you are incarcerated, your main thought is about when and how you will get out. After you’ve gone through the booking process, a bail amount will be determined by the magistrate. If you don’t get a bail set this may mean that you will either be released, or you are kept in jail until your court date.

If you are released you will have to agree to go to your court date, and until then you can’t leave town.

Typically, a prisoner can earn time off for good behavior if they follow the rules and act right while they are in jail.

If you do exhibit good behavior and the jail believes you can be trusted, you may be allowed to participate in a work release program. You will have to return to jail each day after work, or you may be permitted to live in a halfway house instead of jail.

Bail is how much money that you are required to pay in order to be released from jail until your trial. The amount you have to pay is dictated by how serious your crime is. Someone will have to pay ten percent of the total set so you are able to be released. If you don’t go to court, whoever posted your bail won’t get the bail money back.

To find out how much bail money you will need to bail someone out of jail will have to call the jail or the county courthouse. If know the person’s info, including name, address and date of birth, they’ll let you know what their bail is set at. You can also find out how much their bail is on the jail website.

Posting bail to get out of jail is never fun, but in some cases, its simple to do if you have the money. To start with, find out if their bail is a “Cash Bond Only” situation. If it is, you will not be able to get a bondsman. They only accept cash at the jail, so you have to take cash – they can’t take a check. Once you have paid the bond, the prisoner will be released to your care. If this person doesn’t violate any of the terms of their release, you will get this money back.

If the amount of bail set is large, or you just can’t afford it, you should look into the services of a bail bondsman. Bail bondsmen usually charge a fee of 10-15% of the total amount of bail set, and sometimes with a minimum of $100. The amount you pay to the bondsman will not be returned to you and must be paid in cash. If the bail is extremely high, the bail bondsman might use your assets as collateral for the bond.

If you need a bail bondsman click here: Find a bail bondsman

Have you ever had to use a Bail Bondsman for yourself, a family member or friend? If you have, post a comment below and tell about it, and let us know how things turned out.

Click here to leave a comment

• Time Off For Good Behavior
• Work Release Programs
• Released For Time Served
• Be Released on a Pre-Trial Release Program
• Get Released on House Arrest
• Get Released on Your Own Recognizance

Return To Main Menu

The jail intake procedure includes each of the following steps:

• You will be placed in a holding cell. If the jail is busy, you will have to wait, sometimes for many hours, before you get processed.
• Firstly, you must answer a bunch of questions, such as your full name, street address, birth date and contact person.
• They’ll also ask you about your medical and psychological history.
• You will be given an inmate number.
• You will be fingerprinted.
• You will get your mugshot taken.
• Any property you have will get taken away from you and stored until you are released.
• They will allow you to make a phone call in order to call family, friends, or bail bondsman.
• If you think you will get released quickly, you might be able to keep wearing street clothes, otherwise you will have to change into a jumpsuit.

Have you been arrested and gone through jail intake? If you have, please share your experience. How long did you have to wait in the holding cell? How were you treated? Do you know any tips that will help other people that get arrested to get through the procedure?

Click here to leave a comment

Once bail has been posted, you will get released from jail. The discharge process can take between 10 minutes to hours or even all day long. In simple terms, the faster bail is posted, the sooner you will get let go. Also, how fast you get released can depend on if you have a cash bond or if the magistrate still needs to decide on your bail amount. For minor charges, you will get booked and released on your own recognizance. If you have served a sentence in jail and are given a date of your release, plan to be released that morning.

for your arrest, or if you need to start a jail sentence, it is recommended that you follow the law and go down to the jail and turn yourself in. For a warrant, report to the jail processing area, and let them know that believe that there could be an outstanding arrest warrant out for you. They will check to see if you have a warrant, and if they verify that there is a warrant for your arrest, you will be taken into jail custody. When reporting to serve a sentence, report at the exact time and date that the sentence order states. Be sure that you don’t show up late. Only bring approved items when you go to jail, such as your driver’s license or state issued ID, prescription medication, and the sentencing order from court.

In order to have visitors, inmates need to provide each visitor’s full name to the jail before anyone can visit them. This information will go in a Visiting log as an Authorized visit. Each visitor must provide proof of identification. Visitors that arrives for visitation late or any visitors that are not approved to visit will not be able to attend visitation.
Jail visitation policies change often, so it would be wise to double-check the official site before you try to go to visitation.

All phone calls from jail are collect calls or through a pre-paid phone account. Jail phone calls are much more expensive than regular phone calls. There is no limit to how often you can use the phone, but inmates must keep in mind lots of people want to use the phone – so you have to share. If you are under any sort of disciplinary procedure, phone privileges may be limited or cut altogether.

Phone Number: (616) 738-4095

All mail has to be mailed using the US Postal Service. You must not use any other form of delivery. You must write or type the prisoner’s name, inmate ID, and the address of the jail on the letter that you send. Do not mail a package, padded envelope, bag, or an envelope with any metal in it. All mail received by the jail will be opened and read and inspected by the jail administration, and the mail will be returned to the sender if the jail decides it is inappropriate.

Use this address when sending a letter to someone incarcerated at Ottawa County Jail:

Ottawa County Jail
12130 Fillmore Street
West Olive, MI 49460

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Ottawa County Jail
12130 Fillmore Street
West Olive, MI 49460

The mail policy at Ottawa County Jail changes often, so it would be best to review the the Ottawa County Jail website before you send a letter to an inmate there.

Return To Main Menu

When you get arrested, you have certain rights, one of these is that you have the right to request a lawyer. Remember that you may be limited to the amount of phone calls you can make, so it is a good idea to have a friend or family member locate an attorney for you. You may be thinking ‘why do I need an attorney?’ You’re not required to have an attorney in all cases, an attorney can advise you of your rights, look after your best interests and help you navigate through the legal system in your county. The quicker you hire an attorney to represent you and work on your situation, the better.

For more information about how to find a lawyer, read our guide: Find an Attorney

If you need an attorney, but can’t afford a lawyer, you will be given a public defender for a lawyer. Also, the Public Defender has a number of staff such as private investigators, forensics experts and social workers. You will be reassured to know that Public Defenders are full-fledged attorneys who are members of the Michigan State Bar and are completely licensed to practice law and represent you in court.

Have you or someone you know used the services of a Public Defender? Do you think that they did a good job of defending you?

Court records are public records and are available upon request. Court records include a court case file containing a sheet called a docket sheet and each of the documents that have been filed in your case. You can access your court case records using the internet service, or at the Clerk of Court.

The Clerk of Court is an official part of the court that manages court records. The Clerk of Court also administer the oath during court cases, and read the jury’s verdict. All court records associated with your case are maintained at Clerk of Court’s office.

Court costs and court fees are the charges and fees associated with your case, such as filing fees, motion fees and various court charges. If you cannot afford these fees and have a Public Defender, you may not have to pay them.

The Ottawa County court magistrate acts as the judge that presides on your court case. Magistrates are judges that do different tasks, which include determining how much your bail will be, writing arrest warrants, and presiding over preliminary and procedural court proceedings and detention proceedings.

Your pre-sentencing report is prepared with information about the defendant’s background and as much detail about the defendant’s life and public history, which the judge will review and take into consideration when decide your sentence. Information and personal details will be solicited from the defendant, their family, and in some circumstances the victim. Remember that you should ask to receive your own copy of the report before sentencing, so you get the chance to correct any mistakes that it contains.

When you are convicted of a crime, you will then get sentenced. There are several different options for sentencing, including community service, house arrest, and probation, to incarceration in either jail (short term) or prison (long term). Depending on sentencing guidelines and the severity of your crime, you will either be locked up immediately, or you could be given a date that you are required to surrender and report to jail to serve out your sentence.

Return To Main Menu

Are you trying to find out if somebody you know is incarcerated, or has ever been in jail?

To do so, you need to access the jail’s website, and search using:

• Name.
• Birthdate.
• Their booking date.
• or inmate ID.

If you’re not sure if your friend or family member is in jail, you can also call the jail get confirmation.

If you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest, you can check the arrest warrants inquiry online or you are able to call the court directly. This requires a first and last name. Or, you can just go down to the jail and inquire at the information desk. You should know that if there is a warrant for your arrest, you will be taken into custody immediately.

If you have a first and last name, as well as their arrest date, contact the Ottawa County jail, on the phone, in person, or check online. An arrest is public record and the information is available to anyone.

A Civil Process is when you get served with papers, such as warrants. You can find these by getting in touch with the Ottawa County Sheriff’s office, either by phone or through their website.

All convicted sex offenders have to be registered and listed on the sex offender databases required by the area they live in. Those listed on these databases have been convicted of a sex or kidnapping crime. You can access this information online, but you should know that you will not be able to find the actual address, but rather the address block that they live on.

Court Records are public records and available to anyone. These records include a court case file that includes a docket sheet and any documents filed in the court case. You are able to access the court records via the internet, or at Clerk of Court where the case was filed.

Every state keeps a record of people’s criminal history. These databases are connected and you can track criminal backgrounds from other states. You are able to go to the courthouse and check in person or you can check online. It helps to know which county the crime occurred in, and in the event that the crime was in a totally different state, you might have to pay a fee for a more complete search.

A criminal history search you will be able to find out if a person has ever been arrested, charged or convicted for these crimes:

• DWI or DUI.
• Drug Possession.
• Kidnapping.
• Sexual offenses including rape, assault.
• Violent crimes.
• Theft.

But, when you do a criminal records check, you generally won’t learn if someone has had:

• Tickets for speeding.
• Lost their driver’s license or license revoked or suspended.
• Been in a traffic accident.
• Minor infractions or moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To search for driving records, you will have to do a driving records search.

Have you ever had to search for criminal records of someone you know? How easy was it? Was your search online or did you have to call the local courthouse? Was it correct? There are many reasons that folks look up criminal records and backgrounds, and your comments could make it easier for others.

Click here to comment

Most Wanted

On a Federal level, the FBI maintains a list of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. In Ottawa County, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department has a list of most wanted criminals, too.

FBI Ten Most Wanted List


Return To Main Menu

Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

While the prospect of spending time in the Ottawa County jail is something you wish you could avoid, you will soon become accustomed to the daily routine. Expect an alarm to wake up at about 6am, and then you’ll have roll call. You will then have breakfast. Following breakfast you will be required to work in the work program that you’ve been assigned to. This could be working in the kitchen, laundry, or some sort of manufacturing job. While this may seem tedious, it may help you when you leave jail, as you are gaining experience in a certain field of work. Other inmates go to school, while some take part in mandated treatment programs. After lunch, there will be another roll call, then back to work. Your evening will be spent either in your cell or a common room. During this time dinner is served and you will be expected to take a shower. After another roll call, it’s lights out. Even though you will be confined to your cell, there may be enough light to read or write letters. Then again, most inmates welcome lights out, and try to get as much sleep as they can.

Most people are frightened at the idea of jail because they don’t know what to expect. If you have spent any time in Ottawa County Jail, your experiences would be welcomed, if it can help another person to deal with it.

Dress Code

When incarcerated, all inmates are expected to wear the Ottawa County Jail uniform. This is normally a jumpsuit or scrubs. Of note to anyone visiting an inmate – you must be properly dressed. Any clothing considered inappropriate will not be permitted.

How To Send Money to an Inmate

You will have your own ‘bank account’ while in jail. This money is used to purchase items from the Commissary. Family and friends can deposit money into this account for you, and any money you earn while in prison will also be deposited into your account. Outside money can be paid in to your account via a money order, cash or check. If someone sends a check or money order, make sure that they write your inmate ID on it. The maximum amount you are allowed in your account is $290 per month.

The rules for sending funds to Ottawa County Jail inmates can change, so we suggest that you double check the the Ottawa County Jail website before you send funds to an inmate.


Commissary

The commissary is the jail store. You can purchase a number of things here, such as toiletries, snacks and writing supplies. Bear in mind that you will probably want to use the commissary daily, and any infractions will get that privilege taken away from you.

Inmate Medications

If you are on any type of prescription medication, you will be allowed to continue taking it while in jail. When you are first processed, you will be asked what medication you take. You will then be referred to the jail nurse or doctor who will be in charge of monitoring your health and prescribing your medication.

Meals

You will get three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. As expected, they are very basic, but healthy. A typical breakfast might be cereal, toast, coffee and fruit. Lunch might be spaghetti, salad, bread and milk. Dinner could be chicken casserole, rice, vegetables, dessert and milk. Contrary to popular belief, prison food has greatly improved over the years, and you might find that it’s not much different from what you would eat at home.

Pods / The Yard

The jail is designed in a ‘pod’ layout, with self-contained housing arranged around an outdoor yard. Each pod has a central control station and a common room, and the inmates take turns in using the yard. The jail is designed this way to keep certain inmates together, and others away from the general population.

Gangs

As with life in general, gangs are a part of prison life. Obviously it is best to avoid becoming a part of this environment as it will only lead to trouble. When you first enter prison, you might find yourself being ‘primed’ to join a gang, or worse, you might get their attention in a negative way. The best thing to do is keep your head down and don’t get involved.


Return To Main Menu

News and Media

News

Photos / Pictures

Videos


Return To Main Menu

Jobs

Types of Jobs at Ottawa County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Ottawa County Jail, overseeing the day to day operations and administration of the jail. An inmate is unlikely to have much interaction with the Deputy Sheriff, unless they have committed an infraction. Detention Officers are responsible for the custody and care of the inmates. They maintain order in the jail, and handle security. A Detention Officer is assigned to a certain pod, and therefore is responsible for the same inmates each day. They get to know the inmates on a certain level and are well equipped to handle any problems that may occur.

Apply for a Job at Ottawa County Jail

Requirements:

• You have to be over the age of 21.
• You have to possess a High School Diploma or GED
• You have to be a US Citizen.
• You have to pass a Criminal, Credit and Driving History background check.
• You have to pass a drug test.
• You have to have a good level of fitness.
• You have to be in good health.
• You have to have a valid Driver’s License
• An applicant for Deputy Sheriff must possess a Law Enforcement Certification.


Return To Main Menu

Family Resources

There are resources for families of both the perpetrator of the crime and the victim. The social and emotional impact of crime is far reaching, affecting many. Families can receive professional counseling, court related assistance, social services assistance and help in navigating the criminal justice system.

If you are a family member, which resources did you find to be particularly helpful? Please let us know, as this will be helpful to other families in the same situation.

Post A Comment


Return To Main Menu

Victim Resources

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.

Victim’s Rights

The Victim Rights Act grants victims the following rights:

• You have the right to protection from the accused.
• You have the right to notification.
• You have the right to attend proceedings.
• You have the right to speak at criminal justice proceedings.
• You have the right to consult with the prosecuting attorney.
• You have the right to restitution.
• You have the right to a speedy trial.
• You have the right to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

The definition of victim includes:

• Spouses and children of all victims.
• Parents and guardians of minor victims.
• Parents, guardians and siblings of mentally or physically incapacitated victims or victims of homicide.
• Foster parents or other caregivers, under certain circumstances.

There are a number of services and programs designed to help victims and their families. You can find out about these services by contacting the courthouse, or local law enforcement agency.

Victim Notification

The Department of Justice Victim Notification System (VNS) is a system that provides victims with information pertaining to their case and/or any defendants in the case. You will receive a Victim Identification Number (VIN) and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will allow you to access VNS via the internet or by phone. Here, you will find information about future court hearings, historical court events, and detailed information about the defendant. This will include criminal charges filed, the outcome of charges, sentence imposed, custody location, projected release date and any other release information. The VNS website is updated daily. You will also receive any ongoing information by mail or email.

Have you, a family member or friend ever used the Victim Notification System? If so, was it effective? Did you get the information in a timely manner? Was the system difficult to use? We would like to hear from you, so please post any comments here.

Click here to leave a comment

Sex Offender Information and Search

All people registered as sex offenders are registered on either a national or state sex offender database. The people on these databases have been convicted of a sex or kidnapping crime. You can access this information online, but bear in mind that you will not get the exact address, rather the block that they live on.

Domestic Violence

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are services to help you. Your county will have a Domestic Violence Services office. They provide free and confidential services, such as emergency shelter information, legal advocacy, support groups and domestic violence education. They will work to help you create a safe and violence-free life, and heal from the trauma of abuse.

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.


Return To Main Menu

Reviews

Reviews of this Jail

Have you ever spent any time at Ottawa County Jail? Do you know someone that spent time there? Have you ever been to visit someone at this jail?

If so, then please write a review about it. Write down what you experienced so that others can find out what to expect.

Things you can include in what you write:

• Jail conditions.
• Jail, yard and pod facility and layout
• Guards and jail staff
• Food and commissary
• Visitation Days
• The other inmates.
• Safety
• Gangs
• Activities and programs


Write Your Review

Tell Your Story

Everbody that’s been incarcerated has a story about it. How’d you get locked up? How did the guards treat you? How was life in jail? Were the other inmates cool? How has this experience impacted your life?

Speak Your Mind

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Did you make friends in jail? Are you trying to send a message to somebody you met in jail? Post a message to them below.

Send a message to someone at Ottawa County Jail


Return To Main Menu
1361