Missouri’s Department of Corrections’ goal is to watch out for public safety, health, and wellness.

The department supports victims and gives back to the residents in need. The department facilitates treatment, education, and job training to ensure those inside and outside the correction walls are contributors to society. The director of the Department of Corrections is:

Anne L. Precythe
Department of Corrections
2729 Plaza Drive
PO Box 236, Jefferson City, Missouri, 6510,
doc.mo.gov
573-751-2389

Missouri was the first state in the U.S. to join a national initiative to improve reentry outcomes for those leaving prison. Missouri’s DOC is a national model for honor housing programs that incentivize personal behavior making correctional facilities safer.
There are 117 jails in 114 counties in Missouri, and in 2020 the jail population was 12,000. In addition, the State of Missouri has 21 state prisons with an inmate number of 23,062. Missouri allows the death penalty, lethal injection or gas, and all penalties are overseen by the Department of Corrections. The death penalty applies to individuals who are at least 18 years old and found to have deliberately committed first-degree murder, a class A felony. Death sentences are carried out at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri.

Inmate Search

The inmate search on the Missouri government correctional site does not provide information on discharged offenders due to safety or confidentiality concerns. To find an inmate in a Missouri correctional facility, search on the Missouri government offender search website, enter the numbers requested and proceed to offender web search. If you need specific information about an offender’s status, contact the institutional caseworker or the Probation and Parole field officer.
Enter the first and last name of the offender. The information that populates is:

• Mugshot (front view)
• DOC ID 12345
• Offender Name David L Smith
• Race White
• Sex Male
• Date of Birth 01/01/1980
• Hair/Eyes Blond/Blue
• Assigned Location District 24 Probation & Parole
• Address 14440 East 42nd St. Suite 100, Independence, MO 64055
• Assigned Officer Jane Doe
• Sentence Summary Years Registration Required -AR 2009
• Active Offenses DOMESTIC ASSAULT – 2ND DEGREE
• Completed Offenses Completed Sentence Not found.
• Aliases DL Smith, Ernie Smith, David Davis

Visitation Guidelines and Hours

Visiting is important to help rehabilitate inmates in Missouri state prisons. Visits strengthen family bonds and keep inmates connected. Following the visitation rules will avoid disruptions.
In order to visit an inmate in a Missouri correctional institution, you must be pre-approved. There is a visiting application that you must complete, and a criminal history will be conducted. If you are not honest and transparent you may have any visiting privileges denied.

Visit the Missouri Department of Corrections webpage for family-friends visiting processes and requirements. Click on the application and fill out the form using the provided instructions. The inmate will be notified when visiting privileges are approved. It is the inmates responsibility to notify visitors of approval. If you are denied visiting privileges, you can appeal to:

Missouri Department of Corrections
Attn: Deputy Division Director of Adult Institutions
2729 Plaza Drive, PO Box 236
Jefferson City, MO 65102
You can visit only one offender unless the visitor is an immediate family member of more than one offender. You can visit an inmate if you are:

• Immediate family
• Extended family
• Friends
• Clergy

Visitors who are denied can reapply for visitation rights after one year.
Always confirm the offender’s location and status before your visit. Check the visitation schedule and directions to the facility. Find out if video visits are available at the facility.

The number, schedule, and length of visit vary by facility. Weekends may be for immediate family only. A visit is limited to three visitors per offender and may include up to three additional visitors who are five and under. Visiting restrictions may be imposed as needed due to inclement weather, limitation of visiting room facilities, or other safety and security concerns.
Offenders who are on reception and orientation status can only receive one visit per month while waiting for an assignment to a permanent institution or treatment center.

Follow the prison rules while at the facility. You will need:

• A valid photo ID such as a driver’s license or Department of Revenue ID card.
• Visitors aged 13-18 must have a current school photo ID card that includes their name, or a valid federal or state government issued ID card.

Visitors who are under the age of 18, unless married to an inmate, must be accompanied by an authorized adult visitor.
When you enter prison grounds, you and your packages, your children, and your vehicle are subject to search. Metal detectors are used at all facilities, and a visitor is given a towelette to wipe their shirt front, pockets, and palms. The towelette is then placed in a machine to detect traces of narcotics or explosives.

You may bring to your visit:

• Coins in clear baggies.
• Specific medical supplies (ask for a list of acceptable supplies.)
• Infant supplies.
• You must wear appropriate underwear and shoes. Undergarments with wire or metal support are discouraged due to metal detectors.

The following are prohibited:

• Tight or excessively baggy clothing.
• Gang racial, inappropriate, or inflammatory language.
• Camouflage design.
• Skirts, shorts, or dresses shorter than the top of the kneecap when standing.
• Wraparound or slit skirts or dresses.
• Holes or slits in pants.
• Shirts that show cleavage, back or stomach.
• Headwear except for religious purposes. You will be searched.

You are allowed to hug when greeting and departing and a brief kiss is allowed. You are able to hold hands during the visit and children aged 6 and under may sit on the inmate’s lap unless the inmate is a sex offender.

You can bring in food that has been prepared at home, purchased from a vendor, or catered for by a vendor and all food must be safe. Four containers may be brought in for authorized food visits. These containers must be clear plastic only. Food from a vendor must be in the original container and have no glass, metal, aluminum, or foil around them. Disposable dinnerware must be provided by the visitor.

You cannot bring in fresh fruit, Jello-o or ice cream, beverages or beverage mixes, aerosol cans, coolers or ice chests, whole cuts of meat or shellfish in the shell. There may be an inspection of all food items.

County Jail Visitation

Visits to county jails have rules that must be followed. Contact the correctional institution in the county to read their rules. Your visit will be suspended, restricted, or terminated if you:

• Fail to follow rules.
• Reuse to submit to searches.
• Use alcohol or narcotics.
• Use inappropriate language.
• Wear improper clothing.
• Present a risk to the safety and security of the facility.
• Participate in illegal activities while visiting.

Missouri State Statute 217.360, violations are criminal offenses for any visitor bringing in drugs, alcoholic beverages, firearms, or any other article an offender is not permitted to possess. Doing so will be a felony and punished by up to 15 years in prison.

Video Visits are great for those who cannot visit the inmate in person. Video visits are available at select facilities. Call the facility where your inmate is currently incarcerated to find out if they take video calls. Video visits are conducted as if the visit was in person. You must maintain a proper dress code, behavior, and comply with rules and guidelines.

Video visits are a privilege and video visitation is provided by Securus Technologies. You can video call the offender via on-site and remote. Set up your visit at least 72 hours before you call. All calls are monitored.

Inmate Communication

Phone Calls can be made by offenders with good behavior. Offenders cannot receive phone calls, but if they are not on restricted status, they can make phone calls. Those inmates assigned to segregation units have limited phone access. Using an established vendor, phones are located throughout the facilities and programmed to process collect calls, debit calls or prepaid calls. Computer tablets are equipped with phone applications. Inmates cannot make toll-free calls or participate in three-way calls.

Inmates are required to use a personal identification number (PIN) in the automated security system to make any calls. The inmate places a call by purchasing debit minutes in the canteen, from a kiosk or using an account set up through Securus. You can also use Advance Connect to fund calls in advance to a specific bill number (BTN). It is also possible to make phone calls via a phone application installed on JPay tablets and powered by Securus Technologies. If an inmate wants to receive prepaid calls, an account needs to be set up. All phone calls are monitored for security purposes.

If you do not want a phone call from an offender, contact your phone company and they will put a block on that number. If you want to receive the calls, contact Securus on 1-800-855-6591.

Mail

Email is available through computer tablets used by the offender.
Regular mail is a component of helping offenders stay connected. There are guidelines at most facilities. It is no longer permissible to send postal mail at any Missouri Department of Corrections Division of Adult Institutions. Personal mail for offenders is scanned and delivered electronically. Address you correspondence as follows:

Offender Name and DOC ID#
C/O Digital Mail Center – Missouri DOC
PO Box 25678
Tampa, FL 33622-5678

Once mail has been received it will be digitally scanned and available on the offender’s media player. If the offender does not have access to a tablet, mail will be scanned, printed, and delivered to the inmate.
Requirements:

• Mail must not be more than 10 items per envelope.
• Number the pages of correspondence.
• Mail must contain items that can be scanned.
• Mail that has been scanned will be discarded after 45 days.
• Greeting cards are not allowed.

Family and friends can be sent via electronic mail, digital greeting cards, and pictures plus 30-second videos through a Securus JPay account.

Publication ordered by an offender must be sent directly from a publisher, distributor, or other approved vendor.
Certified mail must be pre-approved by the offender’s case manager. No personal correspondence will be accepted as certified mail.

Restricted Items include:

• Food
• Clothing
• Cash
• Money order
• Stamps
• Checks stamped envelopes.

Mail not in compliance with policy will be rejected. This type of mail includes sexually explicit writing, photos that are explicit, song lyrics, tattoo patterns, and gang depictions. Foreign language written letters will be reviewed where possible.

If you receive unwanted correspondence from an offender, notify the institution in writing. Provide a copy of the correspondence and the offender will be told to stop writing to you. If behavior continues, notify the institution and the offender will be referred for disciplinary action.

Inmates have one account for personal funds that can be used to make purchases of phone time, clothing item writing supplies, small appliances, hygiene items and snacks. Deposit funds via JPay, mail money order or cashier’s check to be deposited to an offender’s account. All money orders or cashier’s checks are made payable to the Missouri Department of Corrections and must be accompanied by a Department of Corrections deposit slip. The offender can send deposit slips to you. Send money to:

Offender Finance Office
Missouri Department of Corrections
PO Box 1609
Jefferson City, MO 65102

This address is for money transfers only.
Money can be sent via JPay.com, JPay Mobile, 1-800-574-5729, or MoneyGram using receiver code 2439.

Inmate Records

Many Missouri inmate records are available to the public. If the information is private, you will not be able to access that information. The basic information issued includes the offender’s full name, address, date of birth, weight, height, gender, race, charges, and sentencing dates.

State Courts and prisons use public and private sources of information to supply search
results. Since search records websites often do not originate or create the records, it cannot be guaranteed that the information is up to date or accurate.

You can use the Missouri Department of Correction search tool to find an offender.
The online search tool is free, and you can search for offenders currently in the Missouri Department of Correction facilities across the state.

Booking Procedures

In Missouri, an offender can be held for twenty hours upon arrest without a warrant, or twenty-four hours for certain offenses. Booking processing procedures used by police include:

• Gathering personal information, fingerprints, mugshots, search of the offender.
• Recording information about the alleged crime.
• Perform a criminal record search.
• Confiscating personal property.
• Placing the offender in a holding cell or local jail for arraignment.

Mugshots

Mugshots are used for identification purposes. Mugshots indicate the suspect’s height and include the date and other information needed to tie them to the crime.

Release

Some offenders that are arrested for minor offenses may be released after signing a citation. This citation is a promise to appear for later court dates including a preliminary hearing. The booking process does create an official arrest record.
An offender can obtain pre-trial release by positing a bail bond or own recognizance release except when charged with serious crimes. The court may set high bail amounts for serious offenses to ensure an offender will not skip future court appearances.

Information about Missouri

Missouri is located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is 21st in land area and bordered by eight states. The state is populated by the Ozarks, a forested highland with timber, minerals, and recreation. The Missouri River flows through the center of the state and into the Mississippi. The state has more than six million residents and is the 19th most populous state in the country. The capital city is Jefferson City, and the largest urban areas are St Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia.

Missouri was part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and after the purchase the area was quickly populated. Missouri was an important part in the westward expansion, and it is memorialized by the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Pony Express, Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, and California trail that all begin in Missouri. As a note of interest, Missouri was a slave state.

Missouri is the birthplace of ragtime, Kansas City Jazz, and St. Louis blues. It is well known for Kansas City-style barbecue and is the major center of beer brewing and has some of the most permissive alcohol laws in the US. The unofficial nickname of Missouri is “the show me” state.