Schema: Article + FAQPage
Internal links (5): Missouri inmate search, send money to Missouri inmates, Missouri reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub
Voice: Formerly-incarcerated narrator. Plain, direct, honest. Written to the family member on the outside.
META BLOCK:
Family Rights and Advocacy in Missouri | InmateAid
Missouri banned physical mail to state prisoners in 2022. Personal letters are now routed through a **Securus/JPay digital mail scanning system** -- families send digital messages through securustech.net and JPay, not through the postal service. Then in April 2024, Missouri expanded the ban to include books sent by family members and friends. Books must now come directly from publishers or distributors. Missouri Prison Books has been banned from operating in Missouri since September 23, 2024.
The result: the experience of receiving a handwritten letter, a personally chosen book, or a physical photograph has been effectively eliminated from Missouri state prisons.
What Missouri DOC will still accept via postal mail: certified mail pre-approved by the incarcerated person's case manager (no personal correspondence), publications ordered by the incarcerated person and sent directly from a publisher or bona fide vendor, and visitor applications.
**What you can do instead**: send electronic mail, digital greeting cards, pictures, and 30-second VideoGrams through a **Securus account at securustech.net**. All incarcerated people in Missouri DOC adult institutions are issued JPay tablets. All messages and photos go through Securus/JPay and are subject to review. Electronic stamps are purchased to send messages. Stamps are not refunded if messages are rejected.
The evidence suggests the ban did not achieve its stated purpose. Drug overdoses in Missouri state prisons did not decrease after mail scanning began -- they went up, from an average of 34 to nearly 39 per month (Prison Legal News, citing data from April 2023 reporting).
Missouri DOC Constituent Services: doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends
Phone for Securus/JPay account questions: **800-844-6591**
MoJustice (mojustice.org) has documented that Missouri state prisons have more than **100 in-custody deaths per year** -- their #TripleDigitDeaths campaign names this as a systemic crisis.
What Families Are Facing in Missouri
Missouri DOC operates correctional facilities across the state. Major facilities:
- **Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center (ERDCC)** -- Bonne Terre, St. Francois County (southeastern Missouri; male intake facility; about 60 miles south of St. Louis)
- **Jefferson City Correctional Center (JCCC)** -- Jefferson City, Cole County (state capital, central Missouri)
- **Boonville Correctional Center (BCC)** -- Boonville, Cooper County (central Missouri, about 50 miles west of Jefferson City)
- **Potosi Correctional Center (PCC)** -- Potosi, Washington County (southeastern Missouri; maximum security; death row; remote -- about 70 miles southwest of St. Louis)
- **Crossroads Correctional Center (CCC)** -- Cameron, Clinton County (northwest Missouri; about 50 miles north of Kansas City)
- **Western Missouri Correctional Center (WMCC)** -- Cameron, Clinton County (northwest Missouri)
- **Farmington Correctional Center (FCC)** -- Farmington, St. Francois County (southeastern Missouri)
- **Chillicothe Correctional Center** -- Chillicothe, Livingston County (north-central Missouri; primary women's facility; about 2 hours north of Kansas City)
Missouri has facilities spread between its two major metro areas (Kansas City west and St. Louis east) and in rural central and southeastern Missouri. Potosi in Washington County -- the death row and maximum-security facility -- is one of the more remote state prisons.
On mail: no personal mail. Digital only through Securus/JPay at securustech.net. Books from publishers/distributors only.
On phone: Securus. Account at securustech.net or call 800-844-6591. Calls outbound only. Missouri DOC receives a 20% commission on entertainment media under the Securus contract.
On tablets: JPay tablets issued to all adult incarcerated people in Missouri DOC. Electronic messaging, photos, VideoGrams through Securus/JPay.
On money: Securus/JPay for commissary. Verify current options at doc.mo.gov.
Your Rights as a Family Member in Missouri
Visitation rights
Missouri DOC allows in-person visitation. Visit procedures through doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends. Visitors must be on the approved visitor list.
Visiting resources: Prisoner Family Services (314-381-6001) provides transportation to 18 Missouri correctional centers once or twice per month, plus overnight lodging. PATCH of Chillicothe (660-646-6462) provides enhanced mother-child visits and transportation for visits at Chillicothe Correctional Center. These are practical, named services that exist because the system does not provide transportation and most Missouri families cannot afford the gas money.
Mail rights (substantially restricted)
Physical personal mail is not accepted. Families must use Securus/JPay digital mail system. Books from families are not accepted -- must come from publishers/distributors.
What Missouri DOC will accept via postal mail: certified mail (case manager pre-approval required; no personal correspondence); publications ordered by the incarcerated person, sent directly from a publisher, distributor, or bona fide vendor; visitor applications.
What Missouri DOC will not accept via postal mail: personal letters, greeting cards (except through securustech.net), books from family, photos (must be sent through JPay).
Communication rights
Phone: Securus. Set up account at securustech.net or call 800-844-6591. Calls outbound only; your loved one calls you.
Messaging: Securus/JPay through securustech.net. Purchase electronic stamps. Messages, photos, VideoGrams. Subject to review; stamps not refunded if rejected.
To request return of personal correspondence from the Securus JPay digital mail center: call Securus at **800-844-6591**.
All calls are recorded except legal calls to attorneys.
Notification rights
Missouri DOC is not required to notify family of transfers. Use the MODOC offender search at doc.mo.gov to track current location. MODOC notifies next of kin for serious medical emergencies and deaths.
Grievance rights
Internal Missouri DOC grievances must be filed by the incarcerated person. Family members cannot file internal grievances directly.
External pathways:
- **Missouri DOC Constituent Services**: doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends -- provide offender name, DOC number, and a clear request
- **MoJustice**: mojustice.org -- advocacy for conditions including 100+ annual deaths
- **Missouri Prison Reform**: moprisonreform.org -- online form for reporting issues at MODOC facilities; medical advocacy
- **ACLU of Missouri**: aclu-mo.org
- Your Missouri state legislators at house.mo.gov (House) and senate.mo.gov (Senate)
Missouri DOC Constituent Services
**Missouri DOC Constituent Services Office**
doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends
Provides offenders' families, friends, legislative offices, and the public with accurate information about offenders and department policies, procedures, and practices. When contacting: provide offender name, DOC number, and a clear, specific request.
For all questions about mail, visiting, and commissary: doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends has dedicated sub-pages for mail, email, visiting, and commissary.
For Securus phone and JPay email account support: securustech.net | **800-844-6591**.
Missouri Family Advocacy Organizations
MoJustice
mojustice.org
MoJustice is the primary advocacy organization in Missouri focused on prison conditions and criminal justice reform. Their active campaigns as of 2025 include:
- **#TripleDigitDeaths**: Missouri has more than 100 in-custody deaths per year in state prisons. MoJustice uses data and individual stories to document these deaths and advocate for accountability. The campaign name is named directly from the documented reality.
- **#MoEmpathy**: attention to inhumane and poor conditions of imprisonment; brings together families, incarcerated people, and advocates
- **#MoInnocence**: wrongful convictions; 56 people exonerated since 1989 in Missouri, collectively losing over 700 years to wrongful incarceration; partnered with Washington University St. Louis School of Law for "When Innocence Isn't Enough" event in 2024
- **#MoLegalCollective / #CenteringTheMargins**: advocacy specifically for women/queer/gender non-conforming incarcerated people, elderly, and disabled -- populations "further harmed, targeted, and made vulnerable within the carceral system"
MoJustice supported Oversight bills HB 603, 729, and 774 in the 2025 Missouri Legislative Session. For families who want to engage in state-level reform advocacy: MoJustice is the organization.
Missouri Prison Reform
moprisonreform.org
P.O. Box 280, Duenweg, MO 64841
Missouri Prison Reform is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of incarcerated residents and their families through advocacy, medical support, and community engagement. Their focus: medical advocacy (ensuring access to healthcare), family support, transparency and accountability, and policy reform.
They have an online form for families to report issues at MODOC facilities -- a direct way for families to document and escalate problems. Their team proactively shares information with incarcerated residents and their families.
Prisoner Family Services
3540 Marcus Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63115
Phone: **314-381-6001**
Contact: Rev. Ted Schroeder, Director
Provides transportation to 18 Missouri correctional centers -- once or twice per month -- from the St. Louis area. Also provides overnight lodging, information, referrals, gifts for children, public education and advocacy. Connected to Immanuel Lutheran Church. For St. Louis area families who cannot afford to drive to rural Missouri facilities: this is a named, concrete service.
PATCH of Chillicothe
P.O. Box 871, Chillicothe, MO 64601
Phone: **660-646-6462**
Provides enhanced mother-child visits in a home-like setting, pre- and post-visit counseling, parent education, reentry preparation, support group, information and referrals, gifts for children, mentoring, public education and advocacy, family therapy, family reunification support, and transportation for visits at Chillicothe Correctional Center. For families with a loved one at Chillicothe (Missouri's primary women's facility): PATCH is the direct family support resource.
ACLU of Missouri
aclu-mo.org
906 Olive Street, Suite 1130, St. Louis, MO 63101
Phone: 314-652-3114
Active civil rights litigation including prisoner rights. For systemic conditions issues, constitutional violations, or documented patterns of abuse. Does not take individual grievance cases routinely.
Empower Missouri / Community Justice Coalition
empowermissouri.org
Statewide policy advocacy; criminal justice reform; reentry advocacy; fights punitive post-incarceration barriers to housing and employment.
Prisoner Rights Organizations Families Can Contact on Their Loved One's Behalf
MoJustice
mojustice.org
Coordinates legal advocacy through the #MoLegalCollective. For conditions of confinement, wrongful convictions, and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations inside Missouri prisons.
ACLU of Missouri
aclu-mo.org | 314-652-3114
Civil rights litigation. For constitutional violations, conditions of confinement, or documented abuse. Does not take individual cases routinely.
Missouri Prison Reform
moprisonreform.org
Online issue reporting form. Medical advocacy specific to MODOC. Family support.
Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC)
humanrightsdefensecenter.org
Phone (for family members): 561-360-2523
HRDC actively monitors Missouri's Securus/JPay mail scanning arrangement and its failure to reduce drug overdoses. They challenge these systems nationally. For communications rights issues, wrongful mail rejection, or cost concerns: HRDC is the contact.
The Mail Ban: What Missouri Families Must Know
Missouri banned physical personal mail to state prisons in 2022. In April 2024, the ban was extended to include books sent by family and friends.
**What you cannot send via US Mail:**
- Personal letters (banned since 2022)
- Greeting cards (unless purchased through securustech.net)
- Photos (must be sent through JPay)
- Books from family, friends, or most third-party senders (banned April 2024)
- Missouri Prison Books is banned in Missouri since September 23, 2024
**What you can send via US Mail:**
- Certified mail (pre-approved by case manager; no personal correspondence)
- Publications ordered by the incarcerated person, sent directly from a publisher, distributor, or bona fide vendor
- Visitor applications
**What you can do instead:**
Send electronic mail, digital greeting cards, pictures, and 30-second VideoGrams through Securus/JPay at securustech.net. Purchase electronic stamps. Account setup and support: securustech.net | **800-844-6591**.
**Did it work?** Prison Legal News, citing Missouri DOC data reported in April 2023, found that average monthly drug overdoses in Missouri state prisons went **up** after the mail scanning system was implemented -- from 34 to nearly 39 per month. The stated justification for eliminating physical mail -- reducing drug introduction -- was not supported by Missouri's own outcomes.
**To request personal correspondence returned from the Securus JPay digital mail center:** call Securus at 800-844-6591.
How to File a Complaint on Your Loved One's Behalf
Step 1: Document everything specific
Date, facility, staff name if known, what happened. For medical issues: document what care was requested, when, what was denied, observable symptoms.
Step 2: Missouri DOC Constituent Services
doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends. Provide offender name, DOC number, and a specific request.
Step 3: Missouri Prison Reform
moprisonreform.org -- online issue reporting form. They specifically focus on medical advocacy and can escalate documented issues.
Step 4: MoJustice
mojustice.org -- for conditions of confinement, deaths in custody, wrongful conviction, and systemic issues.
Step 5: Contact your Missouri state legislators
State representative at house.mo.gov; state senator at senate.mo.gov. MoJustice actively lobbied the 2025 Missouri Legislature -- constituent contact amplifies their advocacy.
Step 6: ACLU of Missouri
314-652-3114 | aclu-mo.org. For civil rights violations, documented abuse, or unconstitutional conditions.
Step 7: Federal escalation
DOJ Civil Rights Division: justice.gov/crt. For federal facilities in Missouri: BOP North Central Region.
What families cannot compel: You cannot file an internal MODOC grievance for your loved one. You cannot override MODOC administrative decisions. External organizations can investigate and litigate but cannot guarantee outcomes.
Staying Connected: The Practical Guide for Missouri Families
Phone
Securus Technologies. Set up account at securustech.net or call **800-844-6591**. Calls outbound only. All calls recorded except legal calls. Post-FCC rate cap adjustments apply.
Email and messaging
Securus/JPay through securustech.net. Purchase electronic stamps. Messages, photos, VideoGrams through JPay tablets (issued to all Missouri DOC adult incarcerated people). All content subject to review; stamps not refunded if rejected.
No personal letters via US Mail. Send digital mail through Securus/JPay only. Books from publishers/distributors sent directly to the facility only; not from family. Visitor applications still accepted via mail.
Sending money
Securus/JPay. Verify current options at doc.mo.gov.
Visitation
Through doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends. Visitor application required (can be mailed directly to facility or submitted per MODOC instructions).
Transportation to Missouri prisons: Prisoner Family Services (314-381-6001) runs regular trips from St. Louis to 18 correctional centers.
Locating your loved one
Missouri DOC Offender Search: doc.mo.gov
Constituent Services: doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends
InmateAid Missouri inmate search: [internal link]
Supporting Yourself While Supporting Them
Missouri has eliminated physical mail. That decision was made in 2022, expanded in 2024 to include books, and the overdose data shows it did not achieve the stated purpose. You are navigating that reality now.
Securus/JPay at securustech.net is the only way to send words and images electronically. 800-844-6591 is the Securus support number. Set up the account before the first message comes through.
MoJustice (mojustice.org) is documenting Missouri's more than 100 annual in-custody deaths. If your loved one is among the people whose safety is at risk inside MODOC, MoJustice is the organization naming these deaths publicly and fighting for accountability.
Missouri Prison Reform (moprisonreform.org) provides a direct reporting channel for medical care failures, which is one of the most common documented problems in Missouri state prisons.
Prisoner Family Services (314-381-6001) provides the transportation that makes visiting possible for St. Louis-area families who cannot otherwise make the drive to rural Missouri facilities.
PATCH of Chillicothe (660-646-6462) is the direct support for families with a loved one at Chillicothe Correctional Center, Missouri's primary women's facility.
FAMM (famm.org) connects Missouri families dealing with excessive mandatory minimum sentences to advocacy networks.
Dial **211** for local community resource referrals in your Missouri county.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still send a letter to someone in a Missouri state prison?
No -- not a personal handwritten letter. Missouri banned physical personal mail to state prisoners in 2022. Send digital mail through Securus/JPay at securustech.net. Purchase electronic stamps; send messages, photos, and VideoGrams through the JPay tablet your loved one was issued.
Can I send books to someone in a Missouri state prison?
Not from your home or from most book-mailing programs. In April 2024, Missouri expanded the mail ban to include books sent by family members and friends. Books must be ordered by the incarcerated person and sent directly from a publisher, distributor, or bona fide vendor. Missouri Prison Books has been banned from operating in Missouri since September 23, 2024.
What is the evidence that the Missouri mail ban reduced drug smuggling?
The stated justification for eliminating physical mail was reducing drug introduction. Prison Legal News, citing Missouri DOC data, reported that average monthly drug overdoses in Missouri state prisons went up after the mail scanning/ban was implemented -- from an average of 34 per month to nearly 39 per month. The policy did not achieve its stated goal.
What is MoJustice and what is #TripleDigitDeaths?
MoJustice (mojustice.org) is a Missouri advocacy organization that documents and fights for reform of the state prison system. #TripleDigitDeaths is their campaign naming the fact that Missouri state prisons have more than 100 in-custody deaths per year. They use data and individual stories to demand accountability. They also fight wrongful convictions (#MoInnocence), conditions (#MoEmpathy), and systemic issues for vulnerable incarcerated populations.
What is Missouri Prison Reform?
Missouri Prison Reform (moprisonreform.org; P.O. Box 280, Duenweg, MO 64841) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on medical advocacy, family support, transparency, and accountability within Missouri's prison system. They have an online form at their website for reporting issues at MODOC facilities. Founded 2019.
Is there transportation available to Missouri state prisons?
Yes. Prisoner Family Services (314-381-6001; 3540 Marcus Ave., St. Louis) provides transportation once or twice per month to 18 Missouri correctional centers, plus overnight lodging. For Chillicothe Correctional Center specifically: PATCH of Chillicothe (660-646-6462) provides transportation, enhanced mother-child visits, and family support.
How do I contact Missouri DOC about a concern?
Missouri DOC Constituent Services: doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends. Provide offender name, DOC number, and a specific clear request. For Securus/JPay account questions: securustech.net or 800-844-6591. For facility-specific concerns: contact the facility directly through the MODOC facility directory at doc.mo.gov. --- [SPEC NOTE: Series folder 1intOvghBAhj6-_YzDsYllOy4scUOeEGh. Internal CTAs: Missouri inmate search, send money to Missouri inmates, Missouri reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends/mail (offenders families friends can send electronic mail digital greeting cards pictures 30-second videos through Securus JPay account; to request personal correspondence returned from Securus JPay digital mail center families may call Securus 800-844-6591; Missouri DOC facilities continue accept following items via postal mail certified mail must be pre-approved offender's case manager no personal correspondence by certified mail accepted documents may include identification resident's release legal documents needing resident's signature; publications ordered offender sent directly publisher distributor other bona fide vendor; visitor applications; upon arrival Missouri DOC each offender provided two pieces paper postage-paid envelope writing instrument; greeting cards not allowed exception cards purchased sent through securustech.net; unsanitary mail bodily fluid powdery substances other substances health sanitation hazard; mail with labels stickers stamps exception required postage; felt tip pens glitter pens markers paint any ink bleeds through paper; picture containing mixture pictures); doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends/email (all offenders Missouri DOC adult institutions issued JPay computer tablets can send receive email through Securus Technologies; Securus charges fee send receive electronic correspondence; set up account securustech.net; must have Securus Online account eMessaging messages paid purchasing book electronic stamps set up account locate recipient get started; all messages photos VideoGrams subject review; content determined not compliance policy will receive reject message inbox stamps not refunded messages attachments rejected); doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends (Constituent Services Office provides offenders families friends legislative offices public accurate timely information about offenders department policies procedures practices; when contact Constituent Services Office please provide offender name DOC number clear request; family friends play significant role supervision process); prisonlegalnews.org February 2026 most US prisoners barred receiving physical mail (Missouri's decision contract prisoner mail scanning Securus/JPay 2022; average number drug overdoses state lockups didn't go down afterward in fact went up from 34 to almost 39 per month PLN April 2023); prisonlegalnews.org April 2024 Missouri Expands Prison Mail Ban Include Books Sent Family Friends (JPay Inc Publications/Books Banned Book Lists Prison Mail Securus; Missouri expands prison mail ban April 2024); prisonlegalnews.org March 2025 pay for play tablets (Missouri DOC gets 20% commission entertainment media Securus contract); prisonactivist.org (Missouri Prison Books banned Missouri since September 23 2024; change in mail procedures May 2022); mojustice.org (MoJustice #MoEmpathy inhumane poor conditions imprisonment brings together family friends incarcerated individuals currently incarcerated people; 2025 Missouri Legislative Session supported HB 603 729 774 oversight bills; #CenteringTheMargins workshop Womxn Queer Gender Non-Conforming elderly disabled further harmed targeted made vulnerable within carceral system; #TripleDigitDeaths more than one hundred annual in-custody deaths inside Missouri prisons campaign uses data individual stories; #MoInnocence 56 persons exonerated since 1989 collectively lost over 700 years wrongful convictions incarceration National Registry Exonerations; October 2024 WCD When Innocence Isn't Enough Washington University St Louis School of Law; #NoMoDeathRow); moprisonreform.org (Missouri Prison Reform 501c3 dedicated transforming lives incarcerated residents families advocacy medical support community engagement; PO Box 280 Duenweg MO 64841; demanding transparency accountability since 2019; medical advocacy family support policy reform transparency accountability; online form report issues Missouri DOC facilities; team proactively shares information residents ensuring stay connected advocacy efforts knowledge support especially emergencies); hrw.org Missouri (Prisoner Family Services 3540 Marcus Avenue St Louis MO 63115 314-381-6001 Rev Ted Schroeder Director transportation once or twice per month 18 Missouri correctional centers overnight lodging information referrals gifts children public education advocacy Immanuel Lutheran Church; PATCH Chillicothe PO Box 871 Chillicothe MO 64601 660-646-6462 Coleen Scott enhanced mother-child visits home-like setting pre post visit counseling parent education reentry preparation support group information referrals gifts children mentoring public education advocacy family therapy family reunification support transportation visits Chillicothe Correctional Center); aclu-mo.org 906 Olive Street Suite 1130 St Louis MO 63101 314-652-3114; empowermissouri.org; famm.org; humanrightsdefensecenter.org 561-360-2523; securustech.net 800-844-6591; doc.mo.gov; house.mo.gov; senate.mo.gov; justice.gov/crt; 211 Missouri. NOTE for Poorwa: CRITICAL -- verify Securus still Missouri DOC phone and mail scanning/JPay vendor; verify securustech.net 800-844-6591 current Securus contact; verify physical mail ban still in effect for personal correspondence at Missouri DOC (confirmed doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends/mail; verify no reversal); verify April 2024 books from family ban still in effect (PLN April 2024 Missouri Expands Prison Mail Ban Include Books; confirm); verify Missouri Prison Books banned since September 23 2024 (PARC confirmed); verify 20% commission on entertainment media Missouri Securus contract (PLN March 2025); verify MoJustice mojustice.org current (2025 legislative session referenced); verify Missouri Prison Reform moprisonreform.org PO Box 280 Duenweg MO 64841 current; verify Prisoner Family Services 314-381-6001 3540 Marcus Avenue St Louis MO current; verify PATCH Chillicothe 660-646-6462 PO Box 871 Chillicothe MO 64601 current; verify ACLU Missouri 314-652-3114 aclu-mo.org current; verify Missouri DOC Constituent Services contact still through doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends; verify Missouri DOC offender search at doc.mo.gov current; verify Securus/JPay still Missouri commissary money vendor; verify FCC rate cap adjustments apply to Missouri Securus; verify death row at Potosi Correctional Center PCC Washington County; verify Chillicothe Correctional Center still primary women's facility; len/char check before publish.]