Cass County Inmate Population Overview
Cass County has one local detention facility in the official facility map: Cass County Jail, operated by the Cass County Sheriff's Office. It holds people arrested by sheriff deputies, city police, state police, and other agencies when those people are booked into local custody. The jail population includes pretrial detainees waiting for arraignment, bond, hearing dates, or case resolution, plus people serving a county jail sentence. It does not include people transferred to the Michigan Department of Corrections, federal prisoners in Bureau of Prisons custody, or immigration detainees in ICE custody.
The public record trail is split for that reason. Cass County's corrections page links inmate status to Michigan VINE person search. Formal charges are tracked through Cass County courts and MiCOURT. Sentenced state prisoners are searched through MDOC OTIS, while federal and immigration custody use separate federal systems. This split matters more in Cass County than in counties with a live sheriff roster, because no official county-published current inmate table was located in the research.
Cass County Jail Population Statistics
The strongest county-level population series located for Cass County is the Vera Institute Incarceration Trends county data, which is based on federal jail data and includes Cass County, Michigan, FIPS 26027. That file reports a 2019 jail population of 125 and rated capacity of 116. It also reports 94 pretrial detainees, 31 sentenced jail inmates, and 490 admissions for 2019. Those are historical data points, not a current 2026 head count.
A current county dashboard, annual jail report, or public live count was not located in the official Cass County material reviewed. The county board minutes provide two useful 2020 spot counts during the COVID period: 40 inmates on May 7, 2020, and 55 inmates on June 18, 2020. Those figures should not be mixed with average daily population figures. They are meeting reports from specific days.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Total jail population | 125 | Vera county CSV, 2019 |
| Rated capacity | 116 | Vera county CSV, 2019 |
| Historical occupancy | About 108% | 125 population / 116 capacity, 2019 |
| Pretrial custody | 94 | Vera county CSV, 2019 |
| Sentenced custody | 31 | Vera county CSV, 2019 |
| Admissions | 490 | Vera county CSV, 2019 |
| County population estimate | 51,677 | U.S. Census QuickFacts, July 1, 2025 estimate |
Cass County Inmate Population Trends
The Cass County inmate population trend is not a clean line. The Vera series shows a local jail population near or above rated capacity in several years, including 2010 through 2013 and again from 2017 through 2019. It also contains very low 2015 and 2016 values that the research flags as sharp outliers needing codebook-level caution before using them to claim a policy change. The best use is a careful table with the source and a plain caveat.
By 2019, the dataset reported 125 people in Cass County Jail against 116 rated capacity. The later 2020 board-minute counts were far lower, but those were spot counts in the early COVID period. No official 2021 through 2026 Cass County jail dashboard was located. State prison context also moved separately: MDOC reported 32,778 incarcerated people statewide at the end of calendar 2024, down from a 2007 peak of 51,554.
| Year / Date | Jail Population or ADP | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 115 | Vera county CSV; rated capacity 116 |
| 2013 | 122 | Vera county CSV; matches other BJS-derived references |
| 2017 | 113 | Vera county CSV; rated capacity 116 |
| 2018 | 125 | Vera county CSV; rated capacity 116 |
| 2019 | 125 | Vera county CSV; 94 pretrial and 31 sentenced |
| May 7, 2020 | 40 | Cass County Board minutes spot count |
| June 18, 2020 | 55 | Cass County Board minutes spot count |
Who Makes Up Cass County Jail Custody
The most useful breakdown in the research is custody status. Vera's 2019 Cass County fields report 94 people in pretrial custody and 31 serving sentenced jail custody. That means the county jail count was weighted toward people whose cases had not reached final disposition or who were still waiting on bond, hearing, or transfer decisions. A booking record or VINE custody result is not a conviction record. Court records after the arrest control whether the prosecutor filed charges, whether those charges changed, and how the case ended.
Limited demographic fields were also present in the 2019 Vera data, but they did not sum neatly to the total jail count. The research therefore treats them as reported fields, not as a full demographic profile. The data reported 85 male jail population and 25 female jail population, along with 80 White, 23 Black, and 6 Latinx jail population fields. Cass-specific felony vs. misdemeanor, age-band, and hold-type breakdowns were not located in official county sources.
- Pretrial detainee
- A person held before the criminal case is resolved, often while waiting for arraignment, bond, hearing, or trial.
- Sentenced inmate
- A person serving a local jail sentence after plea, conviction, or court order.
- Detainer or hold
- A request or custody restriction from another court, county, probation office, federal agency, or immigration authority.
- MDOC custody
- State prison, parole, probation, or recent state supervision tracked by the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Cass County Jail Capacity Laws
Michigan law gives context for capacity and record access without proving a current Cass County overcrowding finding. MCL 801.59a allows a county or circuit to adopt a jail population management plan to reduce or prevent chronic overcrowding. No current Cass County plan, consent decree, or active jail construction order was located in the official research. The 2019 Vera figures show historical pressure, but current conditions require current county confirmation.
MCL 791.262 authorizes MDOC to issue jail and lockup standards. Michigan administrative rules cover topics such as holding-cell capacity, staffing, screening, sanitation, emergency planning, and inmate rights. MCL 15.231, the Michigan FOIA public-policy statute, supports public access to government records, while MCL 15.243 lists exemptions that can affect law-enforcement and custodial-security records.
Population record point: Cass County status lookup, jail records, and court records are separate. VINE answers custody status, FOIA handles many jail records, and MiCOURT tracks formal court cases.
Search Cass County Jail Inmates
Cass County does not appear to publish a county-run current jail roster or booking table. The official corrections page instead links "Inmate Status" to Michigan VINE. That makes VINE the local public custody-status path, but VINE is not the same as a full booking roster. It should not be described as a source for every booking number, mugshot, bond field, charge detail, housing unit, or release date.
When VINE does not resolve the question, the next step is the jail phone line at 269-445-1209. Staff can confirm whether a person is housed in Cass County Jail, released, transferred, or possibly in another system. If the issue is a booking record, arrest report, incident report, or booking photo, the documented channel is the Sheriff's FOIA process through the county's Sheriff's Office FOIA form or sherifffoia@cassco.org.
- Start with the Cass County corrections page or the Michigan VINE person search for current custody status.
- Search by the person's identifying information available in VINE, and avoid assuming that a missing result means no arrest occurred.
- Call Cass County Jail at 269-445-1209 if the arrest was recent, the name is common, or the person may have been released or transferred.
- Use the Sheriff's FOIA form for a booking sheet, booking photo, arrest report, or historical jail record not shown online.
- Switch to MDOC OTIS for sentenced state-prison custody, BOP for federal sentenced prisoners, and ICE ODLS for immigration custody.
Cass County Inmate Lookup Channels
The practical Cass County inmate lookup system is a chain, not a single search box. The county status link points to VINE, while court charges use MiCOURT and state custody uses OTIS. That structure is useful once each system is kept in its lane. A jail inquiry asks where the person is held. A court inquiry asks what charge was filed. A prison inquiry asks whether the person is now under MDOC jurisdiction.
| Question | Best Public Channel | Important Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Current Cass County Jail status | Michigan VINE person search | Not a full sheriff booking roster |
| Direct status or bond check | Cass County Jail, 269-445-1209 | Recent bookings may not appear online right away |
| Booking record or mugshot request | Cass County FOIA | Exemptions and redactions may apply |
| Charges after arrest | MiCOURT D04 and C43 | Court records differ from booking status |
| State prison or supervision | MDOC OTIS | Does not cover county jails or city lockups |
| Federal sentence | BOP inmate locator | Does not prove custody in another system |
| Immigration detention | ICE Online Detainee Locator | No Cass County ICE facility was found |
What Cass County Inmate Records Show
Because no official Cass County current booking roster was located, the public field list must stay narrow. A VINE result may help with custody status and notification. It should not be treated as proof that the public can see every booking detail. Cass County's FOIA process is the better path for a booking sheet, arrest report, incident report, or booking photo. MiCOURT is the better path for charges and hearings after the prosecutor files the case.
The Sheriff's FOIA form asks the requester to describe the public records as specifically as possible. Useful details include full name, date of birth if known, arrest date, incident number, arresting agency, and a clear description such as booking sheet, booking photograph, or arrest report. The form also lets the requester choose copy, certified copy, record inspection, delivery method, and email delivery where available.
| Field or Item | Cass County Public Path | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Custody status | Michigan VINE | County-endorsed status and notification path |
| Bond | Jail or court | Some people receive a set bond; others wait for arraignment |
| Charges | MiCOURT D04/C43 | Formal court charge record after prosecutor filing |
| Booking photo | Sheriff's FOIA if not public in VINE | Public-record request path, subject to exemptions |
| Housing unit | Not published | No public Cass housing field was located |
Cass County Jail vs State Prison
Cass County Jail and MDOC OTIS answer different questions. The jail is local custody for new arrests, arraignment, bond, short jail sentences, and people awaiting local court steps. OTIS covers people under Michigan Department of Corrections jurisdiction, including prisoners, parolees, probationers, absconders, and people discharged within three years. MDOC says OTIS does not contain people held only in county jails or city lockups.
Federal and immigration custody are separate again. No Bureau of Prisons institution or ICE detention center was found in Cass County. A person with federal charges may be under U.S. Marshals authority even if housed somewhere by contract. A person with an immigration hold may have a release issue that does not show as a local Cass County sentence.
| System | Who It Covers | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| Cass County Jail | Pretrial detainees and county-sentenced jail inmates | VINE, jail phone, Sheriff's FOIA |
| Michigan state prison | MDOC prisoners, parolees, probationers, and recent discharges | MDOC OTIS |
| Federal custody | Sentenced federal prisoners and some federal defendants | BOP locator or federal court process |
| Immigration custody | ICE detainees | ICE ODLS |
Cass County Jail Bond and Visits
The inmate-services page gives unusually specific local release and fee information. Many arrested people are booked and given a set bond amount. Some must be arraigned before a judge, with arraignments occurring weekday afternoons according to the county page. Cass County lists a $12 booking fee and a $10 warrant fee if the person was arrested because of a warrant. Those fees are added to the bond amount and must be paid before release.
Bonds can be paid online through Express Account or in cash at the Sheriff's Department at any time. A hold or detainer can still prevent release, even if local bond is paid. Video visitation uses The Visitor / ICSolutions. Cass County lists two 30-minute visits per day per inmate, at least 12 hours of advance scheduling, one free lobby-kiosk video visit per week, and a maximum of four visitors per visit.
| Item | Cass County Detail |
|---|---|
| Booking fee | $12 |
| Warrant fee | $10 if arrested because of a warrant |
| Sentenced-inmate charge | $15 per served day plus medical expenses |
| Online bond or funds | Express Account |
| Visit vendor | The Visitor / ICSolutions video visitation |
Cass County Record Sources
The county's corrections page is the local starting point because it links jail services, inmate status, programs, visitation, and the jail mailing address. The screenshot below comes from the official Cass County corrections page, which is also the source that directs inmate-status users to VINE.
That source supports the main lookup distinction: Cass County points status checks to VINE, while records not shown there may require the Sheriff's Office records process.
Cass County Detention Facilities
The facility map resolves to one local detention facility. No separate county work-release annex, city jail, regional jail, state prison, federal prison, or ICE detention center was found inside Cass County in the official sources checked. Local police custody in Dowagiac, Cassopolis, Edwardsburg, or township areas should be treated as short-term law-enforcement custody before transfer to Cass County Jail or release, unless that agency publishes a different process.
- Cass County Jail holds pretrial detainees, people awaiting arraignment or bond, and county-sentenced jail inmates for Cass County.
Cass County Inmate Population FAQ
How large is the Cass County inmate population?
The best located historical figure is 125 people in the Cass County Jail population from the Vera county data for 2019, with rated capacity listed as 116. No current 2024 through 2026 official Cass County daily count or dashboard was located.
How do I search the Cass County inmate population?
Use Michigan VINE first for current custody status because Cass County links inmate status there. If VINE is inconclusive, call Cass County Jail at 269-445-1209 or use the Sheriff's FOIA process for records not published online.
Does Cass County have a public jail roster?
No official county-run public current roster was located in the research. The county's inmate-status link goes to VINE, so avoid assuming Cass publishes a booking table with mugshots, bond fields, and housing units.
Where are Cass County court records after arrest?
Use MiCOURT for Cass County 4th District Court and 43rd Circuit Court. District Court handles arraignment and preliminary steps; Circuit Court handles felony cases after bindover and other circuit-level criminal matters.
Are state prisoners part of the Cass County jail population?
No. People sentenced to Michigan prison move into MDOC jurisdiction and should be searched in OTIS. MDOC states OTIS does not cover county jail or city lockup inmates.