Marquette Branch Prison Overview
Marquette Branch Prison is operated by the Michigan Department of Corrections. It is a state prison, not a county jail, city lockup, or sheriff-run detention center. MDOC identifies the facility as holding males age 18 and older, with Security Levels I and V. That status changes the lookup method. A person recently arrested in Marquette County is searched through local jail channels, while a person sentenced to MDOC custody is searched through OTIS, the Offender Tracking Information System.
The prison is one of the most locally distinctive correctional facilities in the Upper Peninsula. The Michigan Legislature authorized it in 1885. The facility was built on Lake Superior shore property gifted by the Marquette Businessmen's Association and was completed in 1889 for less than $200,000. MDOC lists Sarah Schroeder as warden and provides a public email address for general questions and visiting applications. Because the prison and the county jail are both in Marquette, searchers should confirm which custody system applies before calling or traveling.
The official MDOC Marquette Branch Prison page lists the facility contact block, warden, custody levels, history, and program information.
The source image is matched to this prison page and supports the state-prison facts used for custody level, programs, and contact routing.
Marquette Branch Prison Population
MDOC's public facility page in the research file does not state a rated capacity for Marquette Branch Prison. The sourced population figure available here is from the Prison Policy Initiative Census-related correctional facility locator, which lists 1,127 state prisoners at this address in Census 2020 facility data. That is a historical facility count, not a live daily census and not a capacity figure. It should not be used as proof of the current number of people housed at the prison on a given day.
| Measure | Figure | How to Read It |
|---|---|---|
| MDOC rated capacity | Not stated in the research source | Do not invent a capacity number. |
| Census-related facility count | 1,127 state prisoners | Historical PPI/Census-related locator figure. |
| Custody levels | Level I and Level V | MDOC security classification for the facility. |
| Population type | Adult male state prisoners | Sentenced MDOC custody, not county jail pretrial custody. |
Marquette Branch Prison Lookup
Use MDOC OTIS to search for someone at Marquette Branch Prison. OTIS includes prisoners, parolees, and probationers who are currently under supervision, plus discharged offenders who remain within three years of supervision discharge. It does not include county jail prisoners, city lockup prisoners, people arrested and convicted but not yet sentenced, offenders sentenced only to jail, some photos, or people off supervision for more than three years.
- Open OTIS and choose a name search or offender-number search.
- Enter the last name first, then add first name, offender number, age, sex, race, status, or marks if needed.
- Review the result for offender status and current facility, since OTIS can include prison, parole, probation, discharge, and absconder records.
- Confirm that the facility field points to Marquette Branch Prison before using prison-specific visit or mail information.
- Use Michigan VINE when notification is needed, because VINE is a notification channel rather than a complete prison record.
| OTIS Field | Purpose | Important Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Last Name and First Name | Basic state offender name search | Common names may need more filters. |
| Offender Number | Direct MDOC number search | Use only when the number is known. |
| Offender Status | Filters prisoners, parolees, probationers, discharged offenders, and absconders | Status is statewide, not prison-only. |
| Marks, Scars, and Tattoos | Keyword field for identifying marks | Helpful only when the information is known. |
Marquette Branch Prison Contact
Marquette Branch Prison questions should be routed through MDOC channels. The prison contact information is not a substitute for OTIS, and staff may not be able to discuss a prisoner's full record with every caller. Use the facility email for general questions and visiting applications, then use OTIS or court records to confirm custody status, sentencing, or supervision details.
Marquette Branch Prison
1960 U.S. Hwy. 41 South
Marquette, MI 49855
906-226-6531
General questions and visiting applications: MDOC-Marquette-Public@michigan.gov
Michigan Department of Corrections
State prison custody and supervision records
Use OTIS for public offender lookup
Warden: Sarah Schroeder
Facility type: sentenced adult male prisoners, MDOC custody
Marquette Branch Prison Visits
Visitation at Marquette Branch Prison follows MDOC facility processes, not the Marquette County Jail SmartInmate schedule. The research source does not provide a day-by-day public visiting table for this prison. It does provide the facility email for general questions and visiting applications. Visitors should use MDOC's prison process, confirm approval and scheduling directly with the facility, and avoid relying on county jail visiting rules, county lobby terminals, or county jail video-visit hours.
| Visit Item | Documented Source Detail | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Approval and application questions | MDOC-Marquette-Public@michigan.gov | Use the prison's MDOC email channel. |
| Facility phone | 906-226-6531 | Call for facility-specific routing when needed. |
| County jail visit rules | Not applicable | Do not use SmartInmate county jail hours for this prison. |
| Before traveling | Confirm with MDOC or the facility | Approval, schedule, dress, and entry rules can control access. |
Note: Confirm visit approval and the current MDOC schedule with the prison before traveling to Marquette.
Marquette Branch Prison Mail
The research file documents the facility's MDOC contact channel but does not provide a prison-specific money vendor, commissary fee schedule, or complete mail-format table for Marquette Branch Prison. For that reason, this page should not borrow JailATM, SmartInmate, or Smart Communications rules from the county jail. Those are jail-specific vendors in the research. Use MDOC processes for prison correspondence and money questions, and confirm the current format with Marquette Branch Prison or MDOC before sending funds or mail.
| Service | Use This Source | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Public offender lookup | MDOC OTIS | Correct system for sentenced state prisoners. |
| Visiting application questions | MDOC-Marquette-Public@michigan.gov | Facility page lists this email for general questions and visiting applications. |
| Mail format | Confirm with MDOC or the prison | The research source does not provide a full MBP mail-format table. |
| Money or commissary | Confirm with MDOC or the prison | No sourced MBP fee or vendor table is provided in the research. |
Marquette Branch Prison Housing
MDOC identifies two different security environments at Marquette Branch Prison. The Level V portion includes four general population housing units and two administrative segregation housing units. The Secure Level I portion includes four housing units outside the concrete wall that surrounds Level V. In plain terms, Level V is high-security state prison custody, while Level I is secure but lower-security custody within the same prison complex. Housing placement is a corrections classification decision, not a public record preference.
That structure also explains why a Marquette Branch Prison lookup should start with OTIS and then move to the facility if the result confirms the person is housed there. OTIS can show state custody status, but visit eligibility, exact housing-related access, and program participation are handled by MDOC rules and the facility process. A person housed at the county jail while awaiting arraignment or trial should not be searched as a Marquette Branch Prison prisoner.
- MDOC
- The Michigan Department of Corrections, the state agency that operates prisons and supervision systems.
- OTIS
- The public Offender Tracking Information System for Michigan prisoners, parolees, probationers, and some discharged offenders.
- Administrative segregation
- A restricted prison housing status used for safety, security, or management reasons under corrections rules.
Marquette Branch Prison Programs
MDOC lists education, employment, treatment, cognitive, mental-health, library, hobby, and religious programming at Marquette Branch Prison. Education programs include Adult Basic Education, Special Education, and GED. Employment-related programming includes Employment Readiness and Building Trades. Treatment and cognitive programs include Outpatient Substance Abuse, Advanced Substance Abuse, Thinking for Change, the Violence Prevention Program, the Michigan Domestic Violence Program, and outpatient mental-health services.
The prison also lists a law library, general library, hobby craft, and religious programming coordinated by the chaplain through local clergy, volunteers, and lay people. These programs are prison programs for sentenced MDOC prisoners, not county jail work release or day parole. If a person moves from the county jail to MDOC custody after sentencing, program questions shift from the sheriff's office to state prison staff and MDOC rules.
Marquette Jail or Prison
Marquette County has both the county jail and a state prison in the same city, which causes search confusion. The Marquette County Jail is operated by the Sheriff's Office and handles recent arrests, pretrial detainees, sentenced misdemeanants, work or day parole participants, and limited federal detainees. Marquette Branch Prison is operated by MDOC and holds sentenced adult male state prisoners. The correct search channel depends on custody type, not the city name.
| Question | Marquette County Jail | Marquette Branch Prison |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Marquette County Sheriff's Office | Michigan Department of Corrections |
| Who is held | Recent arrests, pretrial detainees, local sentences, limited federal detainees | Sentenced adult male state prisoners |
| Lookup channel | Sheriff app, jail phone, records request, and related local channels | MDOC OTIS |
| Visiting rules | County jail SmartInmate and on-site schedule | MDOC facility process and prison approval |
When a Marquette County case results in prison, the public custody search can shift from the jail to OTIS. Court records in MiCOURT may still show the criminal case, while OTIS shows state corrections custody or supervision. The Marquette County Jail page covers the local jail rules for recent arrest and pretrial custody.
Marquette Branch Prison Notifications
Michigan VINE can be used as a notification channel when a person wants custody-status alerts. VINE should be treated as a notification system, not a substitute for OTIS or court records. OTIS remains the state offender lookup. MiCOURT remains the court-record channel. The prison contact information remains the practical channel for facility-specific visiting questions.
Federal and immigration locators do not control MDOC prison records. If a person is not found in OTIS and is not in county jail custody, use the facts of the case to decide whether a BOP, U.S. Marshals, ICE, or court-record search is the next step. Do not assume every person arrested in Marquette County will pass through Marquette Branch Prison.