Missouri Inmate Search

The inmate search in Missouri is essential in locating incarcerated persons within Missouri correctional facilities. Presently, there are about 23,595 inmates locked up in Missouri prisons, with about 15,312 inmates admitted into the prison system yearly. Likewise, county jails in Missouri house around 10,664 inmates. The top sentencing counties in Missouri are St Francis, Greene, and Jefferson, with 871, 727, and 652 new admissions every year.

Inmate search tools are crucial in helping families, friends, and communities stay connected with incarcerated loved ones. It can be a challenging time for family and friends when a person is incarcerated. Inmate search tools make it easier to find out where a loved one is held, helping to relieve uncertainty among families.

Furthermore, lawyers and advocates often use inmate search tools to track inmate locations and legal statuses. This helps them to prepare for hearings, file paperwork, and stay informed about any changes in the inmate's situation.

What is Missouri Inmate Lookup?

Missouri inmate lookup is a public online database that helps individuals search for information about inmates locked up in Missouri prisons using various criteria such as name, inmate ID number, or date of birth. The tool is designed to provide transparency and accessibility to inmate information.

In Missouri, the inmate lookup process is managed by the Missouri Department of Corrections (MDOC) through the Offender Search tool, which maintains an up-to-date database of inmates across state prisons, county jails, and detention facilities. You may also conduct Missouri inmate lookup through VINELink.

The Missouri inmate lookup tool allows the public access to accurate information about inmates. It also provides access to information such as inmates sentencing details and release dates. Furthermore, by making inmate records accessible, the MDOC helps communities stay informed about offenders in their area.

What Information Can You Find in a Missouri Inmate Search?

When you conduct an inmate search in Missouri, you may find various details about individuals in the state's correctional system, including:

• Personal details, full name, date of birth, gender, age, and race
• Inmate ID
• Current facility location
• Custody status
• Offense information
• Release date

How Are Inmate Records in Missouri Created and Stored?

Inmate records in Missouri are created when someone is arrested, incarcerated, paroled, or enrolled in a reentry program. They are also created when any other event takes place in an inmate's life from the time they are arrested until they are set free. The first document created when someone is arrested is the RAP sheet. This form contains the person's demographic information and details about their crime.

The MDOC is the government agency that maintains and stores inmate records. These records are updated daily. They keep all inmate records online and make them accessible to the public, to conduct inmate searches using the inmate lookup tool.

What Does Missouri's Prison System Look Like?

The Missouri prison system is designed to accommodate individuals at different stages of the correctional process, from incarceration, rehabilitation, probation, and parole, to reentry into society.

The Division of Adult Institutions under the MDOC manages the state's adult correctional facilities. There are 21 correctional institutions in Missouri managed by 10,000 employees. The 21 institutions consist of 19 male facilities and 2 facilities for women. Each county in Missouri operates its own jail managed by the local sheriff's department. Missouri has 114 counties and 1 independent city. Therefore, there are 115 county jails across the state.

The security levels in Missouri prisons range from minimum, medium, to maximum designed to accommodate offenders based on their risk levels and rehabilitation needs. Minimum-security facilities accommodate inmates who are serving short sentences and pose the least threat to public safety. Medium-security facilities house inmates who require more supervision and pose a higher level of threat than minimum security. Maximum-security facilities are home to high-risk offenders typically for violent offenders serving lengthier sentences.

The Missouri prison system manages incarceration, provides educational and vocational programs for inmates, and supports community-based programs to reduce recidivism. The MDOC maintains prison records across the state. Residents and legal professionals may access Missouri prison records through the Offender Search tool.

Types of Correctional Facilities in Missouri

Missouri's Department of Corrections and Director Trevor Foley oversees the entire prison system for the state. They have twenty-one state prisons aimed at punishment and rehabilitation for inmates sentenced to custody. They also have six Community Supervision Centers and two Community Release Centers to help inmates readjust to society. The state runs five juvenile detention centers that house youth offenders. They also have group homes for low-risk teens who are in trouble but require supervision. Missouri also has two federal prisons that house inmates who have broken federal laws. There are 114 counties and 1 independent city in Missouri, and each has a Sheriff's Office with a county jail to hold pretrial detainees and recently arrested individuals.

Missouri State Prisons

Missouri has twenty-one state prisons that cater to different demographics and inmates requiring specific levels of custody. These facilities house more than 30,000 inmates. The Missouri state prison facilities include:

• Algoa Correctional Center
• Boonville Correctional Center
• Chillicothe Correctional Center
• Crossroads Correctional Center
• Cremer Therapeutic Community Center
• Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center
• Farmington Correctional Center
• Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center
• Jefferson City Correctional Center
• Kansas City Reentry Center
• Moberly Correctional Center
• Missouri Eastern Correctional Center
• Maryville Treatment Center
• Northeast Correctional Center
• Ozark Correctional Center
• Potosi Correctional Center
• South Central Correctional Center
• Southeast Correctional Center
• Tipton Correctional Center
• Women's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center
• Western Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center

Missouri County Jails

The state of Missouri has 114 counties and one independent city, St. Louis, which functions as a separate jurisdiction within the state. Each county has its own Sheriff's Office. These law enforcement agencies are in charge of local jails and detaining suspects until their trial. They also hold in custody inmates who have been sentenced by a judge for a short-term stint in jail rather than prison.

The local sheriff's department is in charge of Missouri county jails and maintains its jail records. Access to Missouri jail records requires contacting the specific sheriff department in the county where the individual is incarcerated or conducting a jail inmate search via the county's offenders search tool.

Missouri Juvenile Detention Centers

The Missouri Department of Social Services, Division of Youth Services (DYS) is the agency in charge of youth offenders. They have different types of rehabilitation and supervision for children who have committed crimes. First, they have several residential group homes (10 -12 kids per house), and they also have secure care facilities for higher-risk and more dangerous offenders. Some of their youth facilities are low-security, and others are maximum-security.

Unlike adult offender searches, juvenile inmate searches are restricted to specific individuals, such as legal guardians, attorneys, and persons authorized by a court order. The juvenile detention centers in Missouri include:

• St. Louis County Detention Center
• Jackson County Juvenile Detention Center
• Bruce Normile Juvenile Justice Center
• St. Charles County Juvenile Justice Center
• Green County Juvenile Detention Center
• Cole County Juvenile Detention Center

Missouri Community Supervision Centers

Missouri has extensive community release, work-release, and supervision programs to help inmates transition out of prison and back into society. They have even established transitional units within each of the prisons below:

• Kenneth Community Supervision Center.
• Farmington Correctional Center.
• Fulton Community Supervision Center
• Hannibal Community Supervision Center
• Poplar Bluff Community Supervision Center
• St Joseph Community Supervision Center
• Springfield Community Supervision Center
• Kansas City Community Release Center
• St. Louis Community Release Center

These centers allow inmates to obtain work, find housing, and start to engage with the community before they are released from prison.

Why are People Incarcerated in Missouri?

People are incarcerated in Missouri for various offenses ranging from nonviolent crimes to serious violent offenses. Individuals looking for specific information, such as the crime a person committed to get incarcerated, may conduct an inmate search using the Offender Search tool provided by the MDOC.

Nonviolent offenses are crimes that typically do not involve physical harm or threat to others. Usually, these offenses are related to property, finance, or drug-related offenses. Nonviolence crimes in Missouri include drug possession, fraud-related offenses, burglary, shoplifting, vandalism, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The MDOC prioritizes rehabilitation for nonviolent offenders instead of incarceration for nonviolent offenders. Usually, the programs are designed to address the root cause of criminal behavior, such as addiction or unemployment.

Violent offenses are crimes committed that cause physical harm or threat to other people. Violent crimes are serious and may lead to lengthy prison sentences. Some violent crimes in Missouri include assault and battery, homicide, robbery using weapons or threats, domestic violence, and sexual crimes, including rape and exploitation of minors. Violent crimes face stricter penalties to ensure public safety.

Missouri's Incarceration Rate and Statistics

Missouri reported its lowest incarceration rate at 268 per 100,000 people in 2021. Presently, the state incarceration rate stands at 381 inmates per 100,000 residents, accounting for over 23,000 inmates in state custody. Generally, between 2016 and 2022, there has been a 29% decline in the number of inmates in the MDOC custody.

The table below shows Missouri's year-end incarceration rate and total number of incarcerated individuals over a 7-year period.

Life After Incarceration in Missouri

After leaving prison, individuals returned to their families. However, they are generally faced with challenges, including securing employment, finding housing, and accessing healthcare. Therefore, it is essential for persons leaving prisons to be equipped with the necessary resources and support to ensure they do not return to prison -recidivism. In Missouri, up to 37.2% of released inmates are re-incarcerated.

Therefore, to reduce this rate, the MDOC implemented several reentry programs aimed at supporting former inmates in their transition back into the community. These programs typically focus on employment, housing, education, and mental health services. The Missouri Reentry Process (MRP) provides housing assistance and employment resources for ex-inmates. Similarly, the state partners with private organizations to empower offenders by providing job training and placement support, finding treatment for substance use, and re-establishing family relationships.

How Does Parole Work in Missouri?

Parole is offered to inmates who have served a portion of their sentence and behaved well while in prison. The Missouri Parole Board reviews the progress of all inmates to determine if they are a danger to society before releasing them. Once released on parole, the inmate must be supervised for several months or years. If they fail to comply with the rules set by the parole board, they will go back to prison to serve out their sentence.

Missouri Parole Population in 2022

How Does Someone Get Probation in Missouri?

An offender may get a sentence of probation in Missouri when they are a first-time offender or an upstanding member of society who is low-risk. A judge may sentence them to this supervisory program rather than sending them to prison. Probation allows the offender the option to live free but with some strict rules, including checking in regularly with their probation officer. The state of Missouri has a robust probation program and supervises about 55,760 people.

Missouri Probation Population in 2022