If someone you love is locked up in Michigan, video can save you a long drive across a big state, but how it works, and what it costs, depends entirely on which kind of facility they're in. So the first thing to nail down is whether your person is in a state prison, a county jail, or federal or immigration custody, because that determines the vendor, the cost, and the rules.
Michigan splits custody three ways, and each handles video differently. The state prison system (Michigan DOC, or MDOC) runs roughly 30 prisons. County jails, run by sheriffs, handle people awaiting trial and serving shorter sentences. And federal and immigration custody play by their own rules, with Michigan holding a federal prison and now one of the largest ICE detention centers in the Midwest. Figure out which bucket your person is in first, because everything else flows from that.
Do Michigan state prisons offer video visitation?
Yes. The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) offers both in-person and video visits, and both are scheduled through the same vendor: ViaPath (formerly GTL). You register on the MDOC visitation scheduling site hosted by ViaPath, and once your visiting application is approved, you can book either an in-person visit or a video visit there.
A few things that are specific to Michigan and worth knowing up front. You can't schedule anything until your visiting application has been approved, so start that process early. Visits, in-person and video, must be booked at least 48 hours ahead and no more than 7 days out. For in-person visits, up to 5 visitors may see a prisoner at once, and visiting blocks run about 3 hours on weekdays and 2 hours on weekends. Video visits are scheduled sessions you pay for in advance.
To get on the approved visitor list, you fill out the MDOC visiting application and submit it for the prisoner you want to see. The approval has to clear before you can register to schedule with ViaPath.
County and city jails
Michigan's county jails are run by sheriffs, and each picks its own vendor, so this is where cost and platform vary the most.
You'll see a mix of providers across the state. Some examples: Oakland County (Pontiac) and Macomb County both run social video visits through ICSolutions; Macomb has offered a free visit each week. Kent County (Grand Rapids) schedules through a different system. Muskegon County uses GTL. The point isn't to memorize the list, it's that the vendor is set per county, so you have to check the specific jail's site or call.
The vendor is facility-specific, so the company that works for one county won't necessarily be the one next door. One warning that saves people money and grief: accounts do not transfer between vendors. If your person moves from an ICSolutions jail to a GTL jail, your funds and account don't follow. You set up fresh with the new vendor. This also applies if someone moves from a county jail (one vendor) into the state system (ViaPath).
How county jail video visitation usually works
There are two flavors, and the difference is the whole ballgame for your wallet.
Onsite (or "onsite video") means you drive to the jail and sit at a video terminal in the lobby to talk to the person, who's on a screen inside. Onsite video is frequently free or low-cost, and some counties include a free weekly visit.
Remote video means you connect from your own phone, tablet, or computer at home. That convenience is what you pay for. Remote sessions are charged per session or per minute, you typically prepay into a vendor account, and you usually reserve a slot in advance.
Michigan jail video rates shift around, partly because the FCC has been capping these rates through 2024 to 2026 and partly because every facility prices differently. I'm not going to print a per-minute number here, because by the time you read it, it'll be wrong. Look up the rate on your specific jail's vendor page before you pay. What's stable is the structure: onsite is often free or cheaper (sometimes a free weekly visit), remote tends to cost, and there are usually advance-registration rules.
Setting up a video visit
The steps are roughly the same whichever vendor you're dealing with:
1. Find the exact facility first, then its vendor. Confirm whether your person is in a state prison, a county jail, or federal/ICE custody. For MDOC it's ViaPath. For a county jail, check the sheriff's site, since it could be ICSolutions, GTL, or another system. Don't guess.
2. Get approved, then create your account. For the state, your visiting application must be approved before you register with ViaPath. For a county jail, create an account with the listed vendor and verify your identity, usually with a government photo ID.
3. Add your inmate using the correct name and MDOC or booking number, and confirm you're on the approved list.
4. Schedule your visit, choosing onsite or remote (and the time block), and pay if it's a paid session. Remember MDOC's 48-hour-to-7-day booking window.
5. Test your device and log in early. Get on about 15 minutes ahead. Check your camera, microphone, speakers, and internet. A failed connection on your end usually still burns the visit slot.
Federal and immigration custody
If your person is in federal Bureau of Prisons custody, Michigan's main BOP facility is FCI Milan, a low-security federal prison with an adjacent Federal Detention Center (for pretrial and holdover inmates), in Washtenaw County, about 45 miles southwest of Detroit. The BOP runs primarily in-person visiting with only limited video, so use the BOP inmate locator to find the institution and check its specific visiting rules. If someone was recently arrested on a federal charge and isn't in the BOP locator yet, they're likely still in U.S. Marshals custody during the designation period, often at the Milan detention center.
Immigration custody in Michigan has grown significantly and recently, so be careful with older information. The big development is the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin (rural Lake County), a privately operated facility run by the GEO Group that reopened in June 2025 as an ICE detention center. With roughly 1,800 beds, it's the largest ICE detention center in the Midwest, and because Michigan's neighbors include states that restrict ICE detention, people detained across the region (including from the Chicago area) have been sent there. Beyond North Lake, ICE also holds detainees in several Michigan county jails, including Calhoun County (Battle Creek), Monroe County, St. Clair County (Port Huron), and Chippewa County. Michigan's ICE operations are run out of the Detroit field office.
A practical heads-up: North Lake is remote, the nearest airport is roughly 100 miles away, and advocates and attorneys have repeatedly raised concerns about how hard it is for families and lawyers to reach people held there. People are also transferred between facilities and out of state, so confirm where your person actually is before making plans. To locate someone in ICE custody, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator, which needs the person's A-Number (the nine-digit alien registration number) or their name plus country of birth. Each ICE facility sets its own visiting and video rules; GEO has said North Lake offers in-person and virtual visitation, so confirm the current process directly with the facility, and remember immigration bonds are handled through ICE, not posted at the jail.
A note on staying connected
Video is good for one thing money can't really replace: seeing a face, watching a kid wave, reading an expression. When your person is held hours away in a remote facility, that matters more, not less.
But be honest with yourself about what carries the weight day to day. Mail is the steadiest line there is. It doesn't drop the call, doesn't need a scheduled slot, and the person can hold it and read it again at 2 a.m. when the walls close in. Phone calls are the backbone of staying in touch, the thing you'll actually do most weeks. Video is the bonus on top, the face-to-face when you can get it. Build your routine around mail and calls, and treat video as the thing that makes the distance feel a little smaller.
Related pages:
/prisons/michigan
FCC 2026 call and video rate caps guide
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Do Michigan state prisons offer video visits?
Yes. The MDOC offers video alongside in-person visits, and both are scheduled through ViaPath (formerly GTL) once your visiting application is approved.
Are Michigan state prison video visits free?
No. MDOC video visits are scheduled sessions you pay for in advance through ViaPath. Check the current rate when you book, since pricing changes.
Is in-person visiting still allowed in Michigan?
Yes. MDOC offers in-person visits, booked through ViaPath 48 hours to 7 days ahead. Up to 5 visitors at once, with roughly 3-hour weekday and 2-hour weekend blocks.
What vendor does the Michigan DOC use?
ViaPath (formerly GTL) handles both in-person scheduling and video visits, through the MDOC visitation scheduling site. The same platform also covers phone and trust fund deposits.
How do I get on the approved visitor list?
Fill out the MDOC visiting application for the prisoner you want to see and submit it. You can't register to schedule with ViaPath until that application is approved.
What vendor do Michigan county jails use?
It varies by county. Oakland and Macomb use ICSolutions; Muskegon uses GTL; Kent uses another system. Always confirm on the specific sheriff's website.
Are county jail video visits free in Michigan?
Sometimes. Onsite video at the jail is often free or cheaper, and some counties (like Macomb) include a free weekly visit. Remote video from home usually costs money.
What is onsite vs remote video visiting?
Onsite means you go to the jail and use a terminal there, often free. Remote means you connect from your own device at home, which typically costs money at county jails.
Do vendor accounts transfer between jails?
No. Accounts and funds don't move between vendors. If your person transfers to a facility using a different company, you set up a new account with that vendor.
How do I find which facility someone is in?
Use the MDOC offender search for state custody, the county sheriff's roster (or Michigan VINELink) for local jails, and the BOP locator for federal. Confirm before scheduling.
Is there a federal prison in Michigan?
Yes. The main one is FCI Milan, a low-security federal prison with an adjacent detention center, in Washtenaw County southwest of Detroit. Use the BOP locator.
Where are ICE detainees held in Michigan?
At the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin (the largest in the Midwest) and in several county jails, including Calhoun (Battle Creek), Monroe, St. Clair, and Chippewa.
What is the North Lake Processing Center?
A privately run, roughly 1,800-bed ICE detention center in Baldwin operated by the GEO Group. It reopened in June 2025 and is the largest ICE facility in the Midwest.
How do I find someone in ICE custody?
Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator. You'll need the person's A-Number, or their full name plus country of birth. Check often, since people are transferred frequently.
Is video the only way to see an inmate?
No. State prisons and most county jails offer in-person visits alongside video. Federal and ICE custody have their own, more limited, visiting rules.
What do I need to set up a video visit?
The correct facility and its vendor, an approved visitor application (for the state), a verified account, the inmate's name and ID number, and a tested device with good internet. ====================================================================