The Mississippi Department of Corrections operates a system of state prisons housing more than 17,000 incarcerated people across facilities ranging from the maximum-security Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman Farm) in the Delta to medium-security institutions in central Mississippi. Here is a practical guide for families.
Finding Your Loved One
MDOC provides a free public offender search at mdoc.ms.gov — navigate to "Offender Search." Search by name or MDOC number. The search returns current facility, sentence information, and projected release date for people in state custody.
For newly sentenced individuals who have not yet appeared in the online system, call MDOC's main line at (601) 359-5600 and ask the records division for current placement information. Allow several days to a week after sentencing for placement data to update.
Phone Calls: ICSolutions
Mississippi DOC uses ICSolutions for inmate telephone services at most state facilities. To receive calls:
- Create a free account at icsolutions.com
- Register the phone number where you want to receive calls
- Add funds to your account
- Confirm your number is on the inmate's approved call list
Inmates call out — you cannot call in. All calls except attorney-client calls are monitored and recorded. Mississippi has regulated per-minute rates for state prison calls.
Sending Money: JPay
Mississippi DOC uses JPay for inmate trust account deposits. Go to JPay.com, search for the inmate under Mississippi DOC, and deposit by card. Fees apply. Money orders to the facility are also accepted.
Visiting Mississippi State Prisons
Visiting requirements at MDOC facilities:
- Be on the approved visitor list — the inmate submits names through their housing officer
- Valid government-issued photo ID required
- Dress code enforced — no camouflage, no shorts, no sleeveless tops, no clothing similar to inmate uniforms
- Visiting hours vary by facility; call or check mdoc.ms.gov before traveling
Address letters to the inmate at their specific facility with their full legal name and MDOC number. All mail except legal mail is opened and inspected. Check the facility's current mail policy — some MDOC facilities have implemented digital mail scanning to address the fentanyl-soaked paper problem common in correctional systems nationally.
Safety Concerns: What to Do
Given the documented violence and oversight gaps in Mississippi prisons, families whose loved ones raise safety concerns should take them seriously:
- Encourage written documentation: Ask your loved one to write down threats, incidents, and what they reported to whom and when.
- File a grievance in writing: Mississippi prisons have a formal grievance process. Using it creates a paper trail even when responses are inadequate.
- ACLU of Mississippi: aclu-ms.org. The ACLU maintains active Parchman litigation and accepts complaints about conditions throughout the MDOC system.
- Mississippi Center for Justice: mscenterforjustice.org. A nonprofit legal advocacy organization focused on systemic reform in Mississippi criminal justice.
MDOC headquarters: 633 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39202. Phone: (601) 359-5600. Website: mdoc.ms.gov.
Further reading for families
For practical guidance on supporting your loved one, see our step-by-step guides on how to bail someone out of jail, how to write a letter to an inmate, and why inmate phone calls are so expensive — and what families can do to reduce those costs.
Many of these services are run by private companies. See how the main providers work, including fees and how to sign up: Securus, ViaPath (GTL), JPay, Access Corrections, CorrLinks, GettingOut. For every phone, video, money, mail, and care-package company, browse our full inmate service provider directory.