Many people searching their roots in Ionia find some connection with the prison industry. Many prison records are available at the State Archives in Lansing. There you will find information on how to obtain Criminal History Records. No discussion about Ionia County Michigan genealogy would be complete without addressing the county's state prisons. The information contained in these records is unclassified and open to the public.
Records relating to youthful offenders are closed .
Comprehensive card indexes to all adults and juveniles serving time in State facilities are available in the reading room of the Archives. This includes training schools and penitentiaries. Offers the names of prisoners serving in Michigan's correctional institutions providing length of sentences, dates of sentence, registration or identification number, and counties where crimes occurred. Includes any escape attempts as well as parole or discharge dates. A few index cards include photographs of inmates.