Search Kent County 72 Hour Booking Records

Kent County 72 hour booking records are available through the sheriff's Web Jail Viewer, which shows current inmates with mugshots and charge details. Kent County is one of the busiest jail systems in Michigan, processing over 25,000 bookings per year at the correctional facility on Ball Avenue in Grand Rapids. You can search for recent bookings online for free, call the inmate info line, or use VineLink for custody alerts. If you need a copy of a booking record, the sheriff's office accepts FOIA requests in writing or through their website.

Kent County Sheriff and 72 Hour Booking

The Kent County Sheriff's Office handles all jail bookings at the correctional facility located at 703 Ball Avenue NE in Grand Rapids. This is one of the largest county jails in Michigan. The facility has a capacity of roughly 1,400 inmates and runs an average daily population of about 1,157 people. In 2023, the Kent County jail processed 25,137 bookings. That is a high volume. Every person arrested in Kent County goes through intake at this facility, where staff log their name, charges, bond amount, and booking date to create the 72 hour booking record.

You can reach the Kent County Sheriff at 616-632-6300. For direct inmate questions, call 616-632-6400. The sheriff's office lobby is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. The records division keeps the same hours but takes appointments on Wednesdays from noon to 12:30pm. The main website at accesskent.com/Sheriff/ has links to the jail viewer, forms, and contact info. You can also visit the county site at kentcountymi.gov for more resources.

The AccessKent Sheriff page is shown below, where you can find links to jail services, contact numbers, and other Kent County resources.

This page links to the jail viewer and has direct contact info for the corrections facility.

Kent County 72 Hour Booking Online Search

Kent County runs a public Web Jail Viewer at eisjailviewer.kentcountymi.gov. This tool shows all current inmates in the Kent County jail. You can search by name and see mugshots, charges, bond amounts, and booking dates. The viewer updates throughout the day as new bookings come in and releases go out. It is free to use. No account is needed.

The Web Jail Viewer is one of the best county-level booking search tools in Michigan. It shows more detail than many other county systems. Each listing includes the inmate's full name, date of birth, booking number, charges with statute references, bond type and amount, and a clear booking photo. If you are looking for someone who was recently arrested in Grand Rapids, Wyoming, or anywhere else in Kent County, this is the first place to check. The data covers everyone currently held at the correctional facility on Ball Avenue, regardless of which police agency made the arrest.

The Kent County Web Jail Viewer is shown here. Search by name to find current inmates and their 72 hour booking details.

Results include mugshots, charges, and bond info for each person booked into the Kent County jail.

Kent County also participates in VineLink. This free service lets you search for inmates and sign up for custody change alerts. If someone gets released or moved, you will get a call, text, or email. You can also call Michigan VINE at 800-770-7657 for phone-based lookups at any hour.

Kent County Inmate Lookup and Booking Records

The Kent County inmate lookup page on the county website provides another way to access booking data. You can find it at kentcountymi.gov/1280/Inmate-Lookup. This page works alongside the Web Jail Viewer and may have slightly different search options or layout. Both tools pull from the same jail management system, so the data matches.

The Kent County inmate lookup portal is shown below.

Use this tool to search for anyone currently booked into the Kent County Correctional Facility.

For people who have moved past the county jail and into the state prison system, use OTIS from the Michigan Department of Corrections. OTIS tracks offenders under state supervision but does not cover county jail bookings. The original 72 hour booking record stays with the Kent County Sheriff regardless of where the person ends up later. The Michigan Courts Case Search shows court cases tied to arrests, including hearings, charges filed, and case outcomes.

How to Get Kent County 72 Hour Booking Records

To request a copy of a Kent County 72 hour booking record, submit a FOIA request to the sheriff's office. Under MCL § 15.231, you have the right to inspect public records from any Michigan government office. Booking records fall under this law. Write a short request that describes what you want. Include the person's name and date of arrest if you know it. You do not need to explain why you want the records, per MCL § 15.233.

Mail your request to Kent County Sheriff's Office, 701 Ball Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. You can also submit through the county website. The sheriff has five business days to respond under MCL § 15.235. Copy fees run $0.10 to $0.25 per page. Labor gets charged at the lowest clerk rate. If the total goes past $50, they may ask for a deposit. Indigent requesters get the first $20 waived under MCL § 15.234, up to two times per year.

A typical Kent County booking record shows the person's full name, aliases, date of birth, height, weight, physical description, charges, bond amount, booking date and time, and the arresting agency. Mugshots are public records in Michigan. Kent County shows them on the Web Jail Viewer, and you can also get them through a FOIA request.

Kent County Jail Visitation and Calls

Visitation at the Kent County Correctional Facility runs Thursday through Sunday from 7:30am to 9pm. Check with the jail for specific time slots and rules before you visit. All visitors must follow the facility's dress code and identification requirements. The jail does not allow walk-in visits at random times outside the posted schedule.

Inmate phone calls are outbound collect only through ICSolutions. The rate is $0.16 per minute. Inmates cannot receive incoming calls. If you want to send mail to someone at the Kent County jail, address it to the person's full legal name at Kent County Correctional Facility, 703 Ball Avenue NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Many Michigan jails have moved to digital mail processing, so check with Kent County staff about current mail rules before sending anything.

The Kent County main website is shown below. It links to departments, services, and county resources including the sheriff's office.

Find the sheriff's office page through the county website for the latest contact information and jail policies.

Kent County Criminal History and Background Checks

A 72 hour booking record is different from a full criminal history check. The booking record covers one arrest event. A criminal history pulls up every arrest that resulted in fingerprints being taken. The Michigan State Police run the ICHAT system for background checks. It costs $10 per search. ICHAT shows arrests, convictions, and warrants from across Michigan. It does not show real-time jail status.

Under MCL § 750.491, all official records in Michigan are public property. If the Kent County Sheriff's Office refuses to hand over a booking record without citing a valid exemption, MCL § 750.492 makes that a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500. Courts have consistently ruled that booking photos cannot be withheld on privacy grounds. The Detroit Free Press v. Oakland Cty. Sheriff case confirmed this in 1987.

Cities in Kent County

Arrests made by city police in Kent County are processed at the Kent County Correctional Facility. These cities have their own 72 hour booking pages with local details.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Kent County. Each one runs its own sheriff's office and jail for 72 hour bookings.