Missouri changed how personal mail works in July 2022. Letters no longer go to the prison itself. They go to a Digital Mail Center in Tampa, Florida, operated by Securus JPay. The mail is scanned, delivered electronically to the offender's tablet, and discarded after 45 days. Nothing comes back - there is no originals-returned option.
As of June 2026, Missouri is also in the middle of a significant attorney-mail transition. A new system called Secure.li launched May 1, 2026, and as of July 1, 2026 - the day this article is being written - paper attorney-client mail is no longer accepted at Missouri facilities. Attorneys must use Secure.li or bring documents in person.
Missouri DOC (MODOC) refers to incarcerated people as "offenders" and occasionally "residents" in its materials.
Sending mail - letters and correspondence
Personal mail is no longer accepted at Missouri correctional facilities. All personal correspondence goes to the Digital Mail Center in Tampa:
Offender Name and DOC ID#
C/O Digital Mail Center-Missouri DOC
PO Box 25678
Tampa, FL 33622-5678
Find the offender's DOC ID and current facility through the Offender Web Search at web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/.
Letters, postcards, pictures, and drawings are all accepted for scanning and delivered to the offender's media player (tablet). Offenders without a tablet receive a printed copy. Once scanned, mail is held at the Digital Mail Center for 45 calendar days and then discarded.
Envelope requirements:
- Must have a complete return name and address on the envelope. Mail without proper return address will be returned.
- All incoming mail must clearly identify the offender by name and DOC ID.
- Handwritten correspondence must be in blue or black ink.
- Maximum 10 items per envelope.
- Number the pages of letters and correspondence to help ensure complete delivery.
- Include only items that can be easily scanned. Items that cannot be easily scanned may be delayed or returned.
- Anyone who wants mail returned must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the original. To request mail returned from the Securus JPay center, call 800-844-6591.
Mail sent to a facility address after July 1, 2022, is returned to the sender.
Greeting cards
Paper greeting cards mailed to the Digital Mail Center cannot be scanned and will not be delivered. Greeting cards are not accepted with one exception: cards purchased and sent through securustech.net. Families can also send digital greeting cards, pictures, and 30-second videos through a Securus JPay account.
What will be rejected
The following are rejected at the Digital Mail Center or subject to censorship:
- Unsanitary mail including bodily fluid, powdery substances, or other substances posing a health hazard
- Mail with labels, stickers, or stamps, except required postage
- Felt-tip pens, glitter pens, markers, paint, or any ink that bleeds through the paper
- Mail containing messages for other offenders
- A photo of the offender, including self-photos
- Altered or apparently-altered pictures
- Two-ply pictures
- Collages (mixtures of multiple pictures)
- Screenshots of text conversations, social media posts, or written correspondence
- Catalogs and calendars (approved catalogs may be in the library; calendars are purchased through the institutional canteen)
- Sexually explicit writing
- Nude photos: any pictorial depiction with less than a fully opaque covering is considered nude, including bare-chested children and adult females
- Song lyrics with a parental advisory
- Tattoo patterns
- Gang depictions
If any piece of the correspondence is not allowed, the entire mailing is rejected. Correspondence written in a foreign language or that is indecipherable may be censored or delayed depending on staff availability for interpretation.
Restricted items in mail
Offenders cannot receive food, clothing, cash, money orders, checks, stamps, stamped envelopes, or other items through the mail - digital or postal.
A sender's media services account may be suspended for repeated violations.
Publications - books, magazines, newspapers
Publications ordered by the offender and sent directly from a publisher, distributor, or other bona fide vendor are still accepted via postal mail at the facility address - not the Digital Mail Center. The facility must receive publications from a verified vendor, not a personal sender.
For magazine and newspaper subscription guidelines, see the canteen/property page at doc.mo.gov/programs/family-friends/canteenproperty.
What still goes by postal mail to the facility
Despite the Digital Mail Center transition, a few categories still go via postal mail directly to the correctional facility:
- Privileged/legal mail from courts - and, from attorneys, only through Secure.li as of July 1, 2026 (see Legal Mail below)
- Certified mail, but only if pre-approved by the offender's case manager (accepted documents: ID needed for release and legal documents requiring the offender's signature)
- Publications ordered by the offender, sent directly from the publisher/distributor/vendor
- Visitor applications
Legal mail - Secure.li system (effective July 1, 2026)
This is a significant change that took effect as of July 1, 2026. Missouri has ended paper attorney-client mail.
Beginning May 1, 2026, the Secure.li system launched for attorneys to electronically send privileged PDF documents to incarcerated clients at no cost. As of July 1, 2026, any attorney-client privileged document received at an institution is returned to the attorney.
Attorney options now:
- Upload privileged PDFs through Secure.li (free): register at the link provided on doc.mo.gov/legal-mail. Documents are available for 30 days, then deleted. Attorneys are notified if documents are not opened within 15 days.
- Bring documents in person during a visit (documents will be copied at the facility).
- CDs and DVDs that do not contain documents may still be mailed to the institution; the envelope must clearly state it contains a CD or DVD.
Non-privileged documents from attorneys can still go to the Digital Mail Center Tampa address for electronic delivery.
Attorney phone calls with clients are still permitted.
Email - Securus JPay
All offenders in Missouri DOC adult institutions have access to electronic messaging through Securus JPay tablets or facility kiosks. Create an account at jpay.com to send messages, digital greeting cards, pictures, and 30-second videos.
Sending money - JPay
JPay is the exclusive provider of money transfer services for Missouri DOC.
Online: jpay.com
Mobile app: free JPay app on Android or iPhone
Phone: 800-574-5729 (customer service)
MoneyGram: walk-up locations using receive code 2439
Money order or cashier's check by mail: Payable to Missouri Department of Corrections. Must include a completed MODOC deposit slip (available at doc.mo.gov or from the offender). Use blue or black ink. Mail to:
Offender Finance Office
Missouri Department of Corrections
P.O. Box 1609
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Processing for mailed deposits: normally 1-3 business days. Questions: 573-526-6445.
Do not deposit money into another offender's account. This may result in disciplinary action. Do not send personal mail, cards, stamps, or photos to the Finance Office address - it processes money transactions only.
Offenders can check their balance on facility kiosks.
Phone calls - Securus Technologies
Missouri DOC uses Securus Technologies for offender phone services. For specific phone account and service information, see doc.mo.gov/divisions/adult-institutions/offender-phone-services.
Missouri county jails
Missouri has 114 counties, each operating its own jail. County jails are not part of MODOC and have their own mail and deposit rules. Contact the specific county jail for current information.
What to know before you send anything
All personal mail goes to the Digital Mail Center - not the facility. Address it: Offender Name and DOC ID# / C/O Digital Mail Center-Missouri DOC / PO Box 25678 / Tampa, FL 33622-5678.
Find the DOC ID and facility at web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/.
Blue or black ink only. Max 10 items per envelope. Return address required. Mail is held 45 days then discarded.
No greeting cards to the mail center (buy and send through securustech.net instead). No stickers, no collages, no screenshots, no sexually explicit material, no nude photos, no food, cash, or stamps.
Publications: still mailed directly to the facility from publisher/distributor/vendor.
Legal mail: attorneys must use Secure.li (effective July 1, 2026). Paper attorney mail is returned.
Money: JPay at jpay.com, MoneyGram (code 2439), or money order to Offender Finance Office / PO Box 1609 / Jefferson City MO 65102.
Phone: Securus Technologies. See doc.mo.gov for current phone account setup information.
County jails: contact each facility directly.
Related pages:
/prisons/missouri
How to send money to a Missouri inmate
Send mail and photos through InmateAid
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Where do I mail a letter to a Missouri DOC inmate?
To the Digital Mail Center in Tampa, Florida - not to the facility. The address is: [Offender Name and DOC ID#] / C/O Digital Mail Center-Missouri DOC / PO Box 25678 / Tampa, FL 33622-5678. Mail is scanned and delivered to the offender's tablet.
What happened to the old facility mailing addresses for personal mail?
Personal mail sent to facility addresses after July 1, 2022, is returned to the sender. The facility addresses are only used for publications, legal mail, certified mail, and visitor applications.
Does the offender get my original letter?
No. The original is scanned and held for 45 days, then discarded. The offender receives a digital or printed copy. If you want the original returned, include a self-addressed stamped envelope, or call 800-844-6591.
Can I send a greeting card?
Only through securustech.net - paper greeting cards cannot be scanned and will not be delivered. You can also send digital cards through a Securus JPay account.
Can I send photos?
Photos of the offender - including self-photos - are not permitted. Other photos are accepted for scanning. No collages; no altered or two-ply pictures.
How do I send a book?
Publications must be ordered by the offender and sent directly from the publisher, distributor, or bona fide vendor to the facility (not the Digital Mail Center).
How do attorneys send legal mail now?
Attorneys must use Secure.li as of July 1, 2026. Paper attorney-client mail is returned to the sender. Register at doc.mo.gov/legal-mail. Alternatively, attorneys can bring documents in person and they will be copied.
How do I send money?
Through JPay at jpay.com, the JPay app, MoneyGram (code 2439), or by money order/cashier's check (payable to Missouri Department of Corrections, with a MODOC deposit slip) mailed to PO Box 1609, Jefferson City, MO 65102. ====================================================================
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