Roscommon County Jail Roster Overview
The Roscommon County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and posts a public inmate roster online. That roster is powered by JailTracker, a booking system linked straight from the official Sheriff page. It lists people held in the Roscommon County Jail on South Second Street in the village of Roscommon. The roster reflects current local custody. It updates as staff book new arrivals and release people who post bond or finish a sentence. Sheriff Edward Stern leads the office, and Laurie Beck serves as Jail Administrator. Because bookings happen around the clock, the online list can change hour to hour.
The county roster covers local custody only. It does not track people moved into state prison. Once a person is sentenced and transferred, the record shifts to the Michigan Department of Corrections. Federal detainees, immigration holds, and inmates housed for other counties may not appear the same way. The roster is also not a court file. It shows booking charges, not final verdicts or sentences. For the full case, the court record is the better source.
The county's official Jail and Inmate Information page explains local custody rules and the tools that support the roster. That page anchors the mail rules, deposit options, and the sheriff's inmate search link families rely on.
The page groups jail rules in one place, so senders can check mail and money steps before an inmate's first phone call home. It pairs with the JailTracker roster to cover both custody status and daily contact.
How to Use the Roscommon County Inmate Roster
The roster lives on the JailTracker platform. A direct link sits on the Sheriff's Office page, and the search runs in any web browser. No account or login is needed to look someone up. The steps below walk through a basic name search from start to finish.
- Open the Roscommon County JailTracker roster from the Sheriff's Office page.
- Accept any disclaimer, then complete the captcha that confirms you are a real visitor.
- Type the inmate's last name. Add a first name to narrow a common last name.
- Review the list of matches, which shows booking dates and current custody status.
- Click a name to open the full profile with charges, bond, and court details.
Spelling matters. A middle name, a nickname, or a small typo can hide a match. If a search returns nothing, try the last name alone before you assume the person is not in custody.
Roster Search Fields
JailTracker keeps its search simple. Name fields do most of the work, and a couple of filters help when a name is common. A captcha step blocks automated scraping before any results load. The table lists the inputs the public roster exposes.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Name | Text | No | Main search field for a name lookup. |
| First Name | Text | No | Narrows results for a common last name. |
| Offender Name Search | Text | No | Combined name box used by the roster. |
| Search Type | Dropdown | No | Sets how the roster matches a query. |
| Released Since | Dropdown | No | Filters people released within a recent window. |
| Captcha | Challenge | Yes | Confirms a human before results appear. |
| Search | Button | n/a | Runs the query against current bookings. |
A booking number is not a basic public search box, so most visitors look people up by name. Staff can confirm a booking number by phone if a family member already has one.
Roscommon County Jail and Sheriff Contacts
Some questions cannot be answered by the roster alone. Staff confirm custody, explain bond, and clear up booking details by phone. The jail and the Sheriff's Office share the same building on South Second Street in Roscommon. Use the jail line for custody and inmate questions, and the sheriff line for general office matters.
Roscommon County Jail
111 S. Second St
Roscommon, MI 48653
989-275-9070
Jail Administrator: Laurie Beck. Call to confirm visiting rules.
Roscommon County Sheriff's Office
111 S. Second St
Roscommon, MI 48653
989-275-5101
Non-emergency dispatch: 989-275-0911. Fax: 989-275-5843.
The Sheriff's Office page names the command staff and links the inmate search. Sheriff Edward Stern and Undersheriff Benjamin Lowe lead the office, and the jail fax shares the sheriff's fax line.
Note: Dial 911 for any emergency; the jail and non-emergency dispatch lines are for custody questions and routine reports, not urgent incidents.
What a Roscommon County Inmate Profile Shows
A roster result is a summary. Click through, and the profile fills in with booking and case detail pulled from the jail's records. The exact mix depends on what staff enter and which fields the county chooses to display. The table below maps the common fields to what each one tells you.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Booking Number | Internal ID for the booking event at the jail. |
| Booking Date and Time | When the person was booked into local custody. |
| Arrest Number and Date | Reference for the arrest tied to the booking. |
| Arresting Agency | The agency that made the arrest, such as the sheriff or a township department. |
| Charges | Charge description, arrest code, and offense date as booked. |
| Charge Status | Where each charge stands at the jail level. |
| Bond Amount and Type | Money required for release and the bond type set. |
| Case and Court | Court case number, court name, and scheduled court time. |
| Warrant and Hold | Warrant number where shown, plus any hold type keeping the person in custody. |
| Final Release Date | Date and time of release once the person is no longer held. |
These fields are booking data, not a verdict. A charge listed at intake can be reduced, dropped, or amended later. The full case file, plea, and sentence live in the county criminal court records once the court opens a case.
Booking Process in Roscommon County
Booking starts after an arrest. Deputies or officers bring the person to the jail on South Second Street. Intake staff record identity, take fingerprints and a photo, and log the charges from the arrest. They inventory personal property and screen the person for health and safety needs. Classification then sets housing based on the charges and other factors. Personal property is held during custody and is not released while a person is inside.
A first court appearance follows for most in-custody arrests. The 82nd District Court handles arraignment for local cases, where a judge or magistrate reads the charges and sets or reviews bond. Some people post bond quickly and leave within hours. Others stay until a hearing or a plea. If an arrest is based on an outstanding warrant, the booking may show a warrant number, and the person can look up how to resolve it through the county warrant records channels.
Note: Booking charges reflect the arrest, not the prosecutor's final charging decision, which can change once the case reaches the District or Circuit Court.
Jail Mail, Money, and Custody Services
Roscommon County publishes clear rules for mail, money, and property. Letters go to the inmate's name at the jail address. Staff copy letters and photos, then give the copies to the inmate while the originals go into property. That copy-and-property rule surprises senders who expect originals to reach the inmate directly. It cuts contraband risk, so plan to send copies you do not need returned.
| Service | Official Rule or Channel |
|---|---|
| Inmate mailing address | Inmate name, 111 S. Second St, Roscommon, MI 48653. |
| Money deposit online | JailATM, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. |
| Money deposit in person | Cash or credit card at the kiosk in the jail visitation lobby. |
| Money by mail | Not accepted by mail. |
| Letters and photos | Copied and given to the inmate; originals placed into property. |
| Books, puzzles, games | Soft cover only, purchased from an online distributor and mailed with the inmate's name; no drop-offs. |
| Personal property | Not released while the person is in custody. |
| Jail phone | 989-275-9070. |
| Jail fax | 989-275-5843. |
Money moves through JailATM online or the lobby kiosk. No money is accepted by mail, so a cash-stuffed envelope will not reach an inmate account. Books, puzzles, and games must be soft cover, bought from a true online distributor, and mailed with the inmate's name on the package. Inappropriate items go into property and cannot be dropped off in person.
Visitation at the Roscommon County Jail
The jail keeps a visitation lobby, which is where kiosk deposits are made. The official jail page does not publish a public visiting schedule. It does not list visiting days, hours, a video vendor, appointment software, dress code, child-visitor rules, or ID requirements in its visible text. Because those rules are not posted online, the phone line is the verified channel for current visiting information.
Confirm visiting rules first. Roscommon County posts deposit and mail rules online but does not publish a public visiting schedule. Call the jail at 989-275-9070 to confirm current visiting days, hours, and ID rules before you travel.
Jail policies are operational and can change fast. Security incidents, staffing, lockdowns, medical needs, or weather can shift or pause visits without much notice. A quick call before you drive prevents a wasted trip. Attorney visits and special arrangements also run through the jail, so ask staff directly rather than assuming a fixed schedule.
Note: Do not rely on visiting times from another county or an old post, since Roscommon County's current rules come only from the jail phone line.
County Jail Roster vs MDOC OTIS
The county roster and the state offender search are different tools. The Roscommon County Jail roster shows people in local custody now. The Michigan Department of Corrections runs a separate statewide search called OTIS, the Offender Tracking Information System. OTIS covers prisoners, parolees, and probationers under state supervision, plus people discharged within the last three years. If someone leaves the county jail for state prison, that record is where you follow them next.
The state's MDOC OTIS offender search takes a name and returns state supervision status. It is the go-to once a case ends in a prison sentence and a transfer.
OTIS is built for statewide reach, so it will not confirm a fresh local booking that has not moved into state custody. For that, the county roster is still the right tool.
Michigan also explains what OTIS does and does not include. The state's OTIS coverage page spells out that the system does not list every county jail inmate and does not replace a court file or a jail confirmation.
That page matters for expectation setting. A name missing from OTIS does not mean the person is free; they may sit in the Roscommon County Jail instead. For criminal history, Michigan State Police run a separate service. The MSP ICHAT criminal history search shows public conviction history but does not include warrant information, so it is not a jail roster or a warrant lookup. The state also keeps a public sex offender registry for people required to register.
VINE Custody Alerts for Roscommon County
Waiting for a release date is stressful for victims and families. Michigan offers a free notification service so no one has to refresh a roster all day. The service is called MI-VINE, and it can alert you when a custody status changes. It ties into local and state custody data and reaches you by phone, text, or email.
The state's MI-VINE information page explains custody and criminal-case notification for Michigan. It is the official starting point for anyone who wants automatic alerts.
MI-VINE is built with victims in mind, but anyone can register to follow a custody status. It removes the need to keep checking the jail roster by hand.
Registration and searches run through the VINELink portal. The Michigan VINELink search page lets you find an offender and sign up for alerts tied to that record.
VINELink pairs with the county roster well. Use the roster for a snapshot today, and use VINELink to get a heads-up when that status changes.
Mobile Apps and Local Police Tools
Some counties push inmate lookups through a sheriff app. Roscommon County does not. No Roscommon County Sheriff's Office app was found in official county pages or app-store listings, so the JailTracker roster and the jail phone line remain the tools for custody questions. There is no app-only inmate search to download here.
One local agency does run an app. Gerrish Township Police, a department inside Roscommon County, launched a free mobile app for iPhone and Android. The Gerrish Township Police app page describes crime reporting, tips, public-safety news, and other interactive features. It has no inmate lookup, no jail roster, and no warrant search. For custody status, that app will not help; the county roster and the jail line still do the job.
Note: Township police reports and dispatch records can feed the jail, prosecutor, and court systems, but only the county roster confirms who is in custody today.