Muskegon County Jail – Muskegon, MI

Muskegon County Jail is located in Muskegon County and is the primary jail for this county. Know someone locked up in Muskegon County Jail? This page will tell you information about everything related to Muskegon County Jail,like: How to locate an inmate at Muskegon County Jail. Find mugshots and inmate photos. The jail’s address and phone number. Bailing out of jail. Intake procedures and booking. Muskegon County court information. And much more…

The prospect of getting arrested and going to jail is a daunting and scary prospect, not only for the person who gets locked up, but also that person’s family and friends. This guide is meant to give you information and advice that you’ll need to make the process a lot easier. If you have specific questions, just ask them, and also any feedback or comments that would be a benefit to others is much appreciated.

Do you have a family member or friend that is in jail and need to find out where they are?

Do you know somebody who has been arrested and you need to locate them?

To search who is in jail at Muskegon County Jail you will have to go to their website and use the inmate search.

The Muskegon County Jail Inmate Search has information on persons who are in jail, which includes custody status, how much their bail is, and times you can visit. Also, you can find info for anyone who has been arrested or discharged in the past 24-hour period. Inmates are shown in alphabetical order by their last name. You will be able to find the information quicker if you enter your friend or family member’s full name, date of birth, or inmate ID Number.

If your friend or loved one is at another county jail you can check our Michigan county jail guide: Michigan Jails

A mugshot, also called a jail intake photograph, is a picture that the police take during jail intake processing. They take one full face and a profile picture. Your name and jail ID number will appear on the photos, and they are stored.

Mugshots of Muskegon County Jail prisoners can be searched on the website, or you can go in person to the Muskegon County Jail. When viewing mugshots online you have to input the prisoner’s name, and the booking date, if you have it.

Do you want to get your mugshot removed from the Muskegon County Jail website? This may not be possible, as your mugshot is public record. You have to file a Petition to Expunge with the court. This means that your arrest record will be sealed, so no one will be able to access them. It is difficult to do this, and you will most likely need the services of a lawyer.

To learn more about removing your mugshot, the various mugshot sites, and the websites that offer to remove your mugshot for you: How To Get Your Mugshot Taken Down

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Obviously, once you are arrested and put in jail, your only thought is about when and how you will get out. After you’ve been booked, your bail amount will be set by the magistrate. If no bail is set this may mean that you will either get released, pending trial, or you must remain in jail until your trial.

If you are released you will have to agree to go to your court date, and until that day you won’t be allowed to go out of town.

Usually, an inmate at Muskegon County Jail will be given time off in exchange for good behavior when they respect the rules and act right while incarcerated.

If you follow the rules, you may be granted work release. You will either have to stay jail at the end of the day when you’re finished at your job, or you may have the chance to live in a halfway house instead of the jail.

Bail is the amount of money that you are required to pay in order to be released from jail until you go to court. The amount you will have to pay depends on what crime you are charged with and how serious it is. Someone you know will need to put up ten percent of the total that was determined in order for you to be released from jail. If you fail to show up for your court date, the person that bailed you out of jail will lose that money.

You have to call the jail or the county courthouse. If you have all the pertinent information, such as name, address and date of birth, they’ll tell you how much their bail is. Also, you can find out how much their bail is on the jail website.

Having to bail a friend or family member out of jail is no fun, but fortunately, it’s really easy if you have the money. First of all, figure out if it is a Cash Only Bond situation. If so, you will not be able to use a bondsman. Cash only – they won’t take checks. Once you have paid the bond, the person will get released. If the conditions of bail are not violated, you’ll get the bail money back.

If the amount of bail set is large, or you can’t afford it yourself, you will need to use a bail bondsman. They will generally charge you a fee of 10-15% of the total bail amount, and in most cases charge a minimum of $100. The money you pay to the bail bondsman is non-refundable and bondsmen usually only accept cash. If the bail has been set really high, the bondsman may use your personal assets as collateral.

To find a bail bondsman click here: Find a bail bondsman

Have you ever used the services of Bail Bondsman to bail someone out of jail? If so, leave a comment below and tell your story, and let us know how things turned out.

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• Time Off For Good Behavior
• Work Release
• Time Served
• Pre-Trial Release Programs
• Get Out on House Arrest
• Own Recognizance

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The jail intake process takes you through each of these steps:

• You will be placed in a waiting area or cell. If there are a lot of arrests, you may not be processed immediately.
• You must answer a bunch of questions, like what is your full legal name, address, birth date and a contact person.
• They’ll also ask you about your medical and psychological history.
• You will be issued an inmate ID number.
• You will get fingerprinted.
• You will get your mugshot taken.
• All personal property will be taken from you and stored until you are released.
• They will let you use the phone to get in touch with a member of your family, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If you think you will get released quickly, you might get to keep wearing your own clothes, but if you are not expected to make bail quickly you will be given a jail uniform – the jumpsuit.

Have you ever been arrested and gone through the jail intake procedure? If so, please tell your story so other people can learn from your experience. How long did you have to wait in the holding cell? Were you treated fairly? Can you share any things that might help other people that get arrested get through jail processing?

Click here to share your story

When you pay your bail, you will be allowed to leave jail. Getting discharged takes anywhere from 30 minutes to many hours. In other words the faster you post bail, the sooner you can get out of jail. It also can depend on whether or not you’ve got a bond amount or if the magistrate still needs to determine the bail amount. For minor offenses, you will simply be booked and get released without having to post bail. If you have served a sentence in jail and have a discharge date, you should expect to be released between 9am and noon.

issued for your arrest, or if you must start your sentence, it is recommended that you follow the rules and turn yourself into the authorities. If you have a warrant, go to the jail intake area, and tell the intake officer that believe that there could be an outstanding warrant for your arrest. They will do a check to find out if there is an arrest warrant for you, and if so, you will be taken into jail custody. If you have a jail sentence to serve, report at the time and date that the sentence order lists. Make sure that you don’t show up late. Only bring things that are allowed when you go to jail, for example your driver’s license or photo ID, any prescription medication you might take, and a official sentencing order.

Inmates must give each visitor’s full name to the jail in advance. Your visitors will go in the visitors log as an authorized visitor. All visitors have to provide acceptable photo identification. Anyone arriving late or that does not have a visitation order will not be allowed to visit the inmate.
Visitation procedures at Muskegon County Jail change often, so we suggest that you review the official Muskegon County Jail jail site before you try to visit an inmate.

Phone calls that inmates are allowed to make from jail are made through a jail approved pre-paid phone account or phone card . Phone calls made in jail are usually pricier than regular phone calls. There is no limit to how often you can use the phone, but bear in mind that a long line can form at the phones, because everyone wants to use the phone, too. If you break the rules and are disciplined, your ability to use the phone may be limited or forbidden completely.

Phone Number: (231) 724-6275

All inmate mail is required to be sent using the actual US Postal Service, and not courier or delivery, or hand delivered. You can’t use any other method of mail or package delivery. You should write or type the prisoner’s name, prisoner number, and the address of the jail on the outside of the letter that you send. Do not mail a package, envelope with padding, plastic or paper bag, or an envelope with any metal in it. All mail received by the jail is opened and examined and read by staff, and will get returned to the sender if the jail decides it is inappropriate.

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

Muskegon County Jail
25 West Walton Avenue
Muskegon, MI 49440

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Muskegon County Jail
25 West Walton Avenue
Muskegon, MI 49440

The mail policy changes frequently, so it would be best to double check the the Muskegon County Jail website when send a letter to someone in jail there.

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If you have been arrested, you still have rights, one of these is the right to request an attorney. You won’t get many phone calls in jail, so make sure you get a friend or family member to locate a lawyer for you. You may be asking yourself ‘I don’t need a lawyer – I can just represent myself’ You can represent yourself if you really want to, but, an attorney will advise you about your rights, help protect your best interests and help you navigate through the complicated court system. The faster you hire a lawyer to represent you and work on your situation, the better your chances.

For more detailed information on this, click here: How to Find a Lawyer

If you can’t afford a lawyer, a Public Defender will be assigned to you. Also, the Public Defender’s Office has access to independent investigators, forensics experts as well as social workers. Public Defenders are full-fledged attorneys that are admitted to the State Bar and are completely licensed to represent you in court and practice law.

Have you or someone you know used a court appointed attorney or Public Defender? What was your experience?

Muskegon County court records are public record and are available upon request to anyone who requests them – not just the person who they pertain to. Court records are comprised of a file containing a sheet called a docket sheet and each of the documents and motions that have been filed in your case. You have the ability to access your court records via the online service, or by going to the Clerk of Court where the case was filed.

A Clerk of Court is an official part of the court who maintains the records. The Clerk of Court also administer the oath for any court participant who must be under oath, and read the court verdict when the jury has finished deliberations. All court records relating to your case are kept and available to you at Muskegon County Clerk of Court office.

Court fees and costs are the fees and charges from your case, such as for example filing fees, motion fees and various court charges. If you can’t afford to pay these fees and have court appointed legal counsel or a Public Defender, you may not have to pay them.

The Muskegon County court magistrate is the judge that rules over your case. Magistrates are judges that do different functions, like setting bail amounts, writing arrest warrants, and presiding over first court appearances and detention proceedings.

A defendant’s pre-sentencing report is put together to include your background information and information about the arrestee’s life history, which the magistrate judge will review and take into consideration when determining your sentence. Information will be gathered from the person on trial, the defendant’s family, and in some cases the victim in the crime. Keep in mind you are allowed to ask to receive a copy of your pre-sentencing report before your sentencing, and correct any inaccurate information.

If you get convicted of a crime during your trial, you will then get sentenced. There are a number of different options, including community service and probation, to even incarceration in jail or prison. Depending on the severity of the crime, you might get taken into custody, right there in court, or you could be given a date to surrender and report to jail to serve your sentence.

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Are you trying to find out if someone is currently in jail, or has ever been locked up?

You can just visit the jail website and do an inmate search, and search by:

• The inmate’s name.
• Date of birth.
• Their approximate booking date.
• and their jail inmate ID.

If you’re not sure if this person is in jail or not, you can call the jail get confirmation.

If you think you might have a warrant out for your arrest, you can check the court records on the Muskegon County jail website or you are able to call the jail. You have to have the person’s first and last name. You can also go to the local jail and inquire at the information desk. Keep in mind that if there is a warrant for your arrest, you should be prepared to get taken into custody immediately.

If you know the person’s first and last name, and possibly an arrest date, contact the jail, by phone, go there in person, or find out online. An arrest is in the public record and this is accessible to anyone.

Civil processes are when you get served with legal papers, like , subpoenas, and arrest warrants. You can find these by going to the Sheriff’s office, on their website or by phone.

All convicted sex offenders are registered on both a national and state sex offender database. The people on these databases have been convicted in a court of law of a sex crime. You can access sex offenders on the website, but keep in mind that you will not be able to see the exact address, rather the block of the address that they registered.

Court Records are public records and available to anyone. They include a court case file containing a court docket and any of the documents and filings filed in the court case. You are able to access your court records via the internet service ‘Public Access to Court Electronic Records’, or at Clerk of Court office in the jurisdiction where the case was filed.

Each state maintains a record of someone’s criminal history. These databases are all linked and you can track criminal convictions from another state. You are able to go to courthouse and check in person, or you can check online. It helps to know the county, and if the crime was in a totally different state, you may have to pay a fee for a more comprehensive search.

A criminal records search you will get a report detailing any arrests, charges, or convictions that may be on a person’s record for any of the following crimes:

• DUI or DWI.
• Drug crimes.
• Kidnapping.
• Sex offenses which could include rape, and sexual assault.
• Violent crimes like assault or murder.
• Breaking and entering, theft, larceny.

If you do a criminal records check, in most cases will not be able to find out if someone has had:

• Speeding tickets.
• Drivers license revoked or suspended.
• Traffic accidents.
• Moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To find driving records, you must do a driving history search.

Have you ever had to look for criminal records online? How hard was it? Was your search online or did you have to make a phone call to the courthouse? Was the information you received correct? There are many reasons that people search for criminal backgrounds and records, and your story could help other people.

Click here to leave a comment

Most Wanted

The FBI keeps a list of the Top Ten Most Wanted Criminals. In Muskegon County, the Muskegon County Sheriff maintains their own list of the top most wanted criminals in the county.

FBI Top Ten Most Wanted List: Link


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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

While the prospect of getting locked up in the Muskegon County jail is something you wish you could avoid, in time you will settle into the daily routine. Inmates get an alarm to wake up at 6am, and next they’ll do roll call. Next, you will eat breakfast. When you finish eating breakfast you will have 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 Muskegon 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 Muskegon 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 process for sending funds to people in jail can change, so be sure to double check the official Muskegon County Jail site before send funds to someone in jail there.


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.


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News and Media

News

Photos / Pictures

Videos


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Jobs

Types of Jobs at Muskegon County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Muskegon 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 Muskegon County Jail

Requirements:

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


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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.

Click here to tell about all about it


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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.

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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.


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Reviews

Reviews of this Jail

Have you ever been an inmate at this jail? Do you know anybody that is an inmate there? Have you ever visited someone at this jail?

If you have, then we would like you to leave a comment below about it. Write down your jail experience because other people can learn what to expect.

Things you can write in your review:

• Jail conditions.
• Jail and pod facility and layout
• Staff and guards
• Jail food and commissary
• Having Visitors
• Inmates.
• Prisoner safety
• Jail gangs
• Prisoner activities and programs


Click here to write your review

Tell Your Story

Anyone who’s been in jail has a story about it. Why were you locked up? Did you get fair treatment? How was life in jail? What about the other inmates? How did going to jail affect your life?

Click here to leave a comment

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Make some good friends in jail? Trying to talk to somebody you met when you were locked up? Post a message to them below.

Post a message to people incarcerated at Muskegon County Jail


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