The Missouri Department of Corrections operates 21 adult correctional facilities housing approximately 23,000 to 25,000 incarcerated people. Here is a practical guide for families navigating the system.
Finding Your Loved One
Missouri DOC provides a free public offender search at doc.mo.gov — navigate to "Offender Search." Search by name or DOC number. The search returns current facility, sentence information, and projected release date.
Newly sentenced individuals from different regions of the state go to one of Missouri's reception facilities for classification before assignment to a permanent prison:
- Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center (ERDCC) — Bonne Terre: receives newly sentenced men from the eastern part of the state (St. Louis region and surrounding areas)
- Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center (WRDCC) — St. Joseph: receives newly sentenced men from the western part of the state (Kansas City region and surrounding areas)
- Women's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center (WERDCC) — Vandalia: receives all newly sentenced women in the Missouri state system
Phone Calls: ICSolutions
Missouri DOC uses ICSolutions for inmate telephone services. 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.
Sending Money: JPay
Missouri DOC uses JPay for inmate trust account deposits. Go to JPay.com, search for the inmate under Missouri DOC, and deposit by card. Fees apply. Money orders sent to the specific facility are also accepted.
Visiting Missouri State Prisons
General requirements:
- Approved visitor list — the inmate submits names through their case manager
- Valid government-issued photo ID required
- Dress code enforced — no camouflage, no shorts, no clothing similar to inmate uniforms (Missouri uses tan/grey)
- Visiting schedules vary by facility — check doc.mo.gov or call the facility before traveling
Medical Emergencies and Concerns
If your loved one has a serious medical condition, the facility's medical unit is the primary point of contact. For concerns that are not being addressed through the medical unit, Missouri DOC's Constituent Services handles family inquiries: (573) 751-2389.
For serious constitutional violations — including inadequate medical care, violence, or staff misconduct — the ACLU of Missouri (aclu-mo.org) handles Missouri prison conditions cases.
New Leadership: Director Trevor Foley
Missouri DOC operated under Acting Director Trevor Foley for 13 months before Governor-elect Mike Kehoe designated him for the permanent role in late 2024. Foley has been described by reporters covering Missouri corrections as showing "a greater willingness to communicate" than his predecessor — a meaningful but modest indicator of improved institutional transparency. The implementation in 2024 of an automatic, weekly-updated prison death database was one tangible expression of this transparency improvement.
Missouri DOC headquarters: 2729 Plaza Drive, PO Box 236, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Main line: (573) 751-2389. Website: doc.mo.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.