In the state of Michigan it is public policy that all persons, except those persons incarcerated in correctional facilities, are entitled to full information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those who represent them as public officials and public employees.
The purpose of the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) is to inform people so they may fully participate in the democratic process.
State Law has defined "a public record" as a "... writing prepared, owned, used in the possession of, or detained by a public body in the performance of an official function, from the time it is created. A public record does not include computer software."
State Law provides that the FOIA separates public records into two classes.
Those that are exempt from disclosure
Those that are not exempt from disclosure
The FOIA does not require a public body to make a compilation, summary, or reports of information, nor as a general rule require a public body to create a new public record.
