Missouri Inmate Population Records
Missouri inmate population records come from two main systems. The Missouri Department of Corrections tracks state prison inmates and everyone on probation or parole statewide. County sheriffs run their own jails and keep separate booking records. Both are open to the public. You can search the Missouri DOC Offender Search for active state inmates, check county jail rosters through local sheriff websites, or use VINE Link to track someone across facilities. This page covers every tool available for finding Missouri inmate population data at the state and county level.
Missouri Inmate Population Quick Facts
Search Missouri Inmate Population Records Online
The Missouri Department of Corrections runs the state's main inmate search portal at web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb. This free tool covers active offenders in state custody plus those on probation and parole across Missouri. Data is refreshed daily, typically updating at 9:00 PM each night. You can search by a person's first and last name or by their assigned DOC ID number. The system checks both true names and known aliases, which helps when someone has gone by more than one name.
Each result gives you a solid set of details. You see the full name, any known aliases, the DOC ID, date of birth, race, sex, and a physical description with height, weight, hair color, and eye color. A mugshot is included when available. The result also shows the current assigned facility, a sentence summary, the active offenses on record, and a list of previously completed sentences. This gives you a real picture of someone's current status inside the Missouri prison system without making a phone call.
The search tool has limits worth knowing. It does not show discharged offenders who have left all supervision. Some inmates may not appear due to safety, security, or confidentiality concerns. If you cannot find someone through the portal, call the DOC Constituent Services Office at (573) 526-2695. Staff can handle specific inmate status questions beyond what the online search displays. Do not submit duplicate requests. They typically reply within 24 hours.
Missouri Court records through Case.net complement the DOC search. Case.net covers court filings, scheduled hearings, and case outcomes across Missouri circuit courts. It is free for basic searches and useful for finding the legal history behind a person's conviction or pending charges.
Missouri Department of Corrections
The Missouri Department of Corrections is the state agency responsible for all adult correctional operations. Its main office sits at 2729 Plaza Drive in Jefferson City. You can reach the general line at (573) 751-2389 or browse agency news, divisions, and inmate resources at doc.mo.gov. The department runs 21 state facilities, 19 housing men and 2 housing women. No private prisons operate in Missouri. Every facility is state-run.
The scale of Missouri's supervised population is large. At the close of fiscal year 2019, the DOC supervised 89,584 total offenders. That count included about 28,246 people physically in state facilities against a total bed capacity of 31,216. More than 61,000 additional individuals were on community supervision at that same time. The department admitted nearly 17,000 new prison admissions in FY2019 alone, and over 43,000 people began new probation or parole assignments that year. About 96 percent of people who enter Missouri prisons eventually return to Missouri communities.
Missouri's incarceration rate stands at 381 per 100,000 residents. The male rate is 700 per 100,000 and the female rate is 69 per 100,000. For specific inmate inquiries beyond the online search, contact the institutional caseworker for state prison inmates or the field officer for those on parole.
Missouri State Prison Inmate Population
Missouri's 21 adult institutions vary in security level from minimum to maximum. The full list of facilities, including mailing addresses and phone numbers, is at doc.mo.gov/facilities/adult-institutions/address-listing. The largest men's prison is the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center near Bonne Terre, which holds roughly 2,700 inmates. The largest women's facility is the Women's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Vandalia, housing approximately 1,652 individuals.
Key facilities include the Jefferson City Correctional Center at 8200 No More Victims Road (maximum and medium security, phone 573-751-3224), the Crossroads Correctional Center in Cameron (phone 816-632-2727), and the Moberly Correctional Center at 5201 South Morley (phone 660-263-3778). The Chillicothe Correctional Center in Chillicothe (660-646-4032) houses women at minimum, medium, and maximum security levels. When you know which facility holds someone, you can contact the institution directly for general housing information. Caseworkers handle more specific questions about individual inmate status.
Note: The DOC Offender Search only shows active inmates. Use the facility directory to contact a specific prison directly if you need address or phone information for a known inmate.
Missouri County Jail Inmate Population
County jails hold a separate part of Missouri's inmate population. About 9,700 people are held in local detention facilities across the state's 114 counties plus the independent City of St. Louis. Each county sheriff operates its own jail and keeps independent booking records. Many counties now publish live rosters online, updated daily or more often. These rosters show names, booking dates, charges, bond amounts, and sometimes mugshots. All of it is public under Missouri's open records law.
Several counties offer particularly detailed online access. Boone County's roster is searchable through the Boone County Sheriff's Office, with the Columbia Police Department also using that facility. Cass County posts current inmates and 48-hour releases at cassmosheriff.org/inmates. Crawford County runs a live roster at inmates.crawfordcountysheriff.org showing current inmates and recent releases. Greene County uses JailTracker to display bookings from their 1,242-bed facility at greenecountymo.gov. Christian County posts current inmate records at christiancountysheriff.net.
Not every county has an online roster. Some small counties only provide inmate information by phone. Carroll County's jail closed permanently, so inmates from there are now housed in neighboring facilities. If an online roster isn't available, call the county sheriff's office directly or use VINE Link to check status.
Note: County jail rosters reflect only local detainees. Anyone held in a state prison will appear in the DOC Offender Search, not in a county jail listing.
VINE Link Inmate Population Tracking
VINE Link is a free national system that lets anyone track inmate status across most Missouri jails and state prisons. You can search at vinelink.com or by calling 1-866-277-7477. Missouri participates along with 47 other states. The system covers more than 2,900 incarceration facilities nationwide. You search by name or ID number and get the person's current status. The service runs 24 hours a day, every day, and supports multiple languages.
Beyond status lookups, VINE lets you register for automated alerts. When an offender's custody status changes, you receive a notification by text, phone, email, or in-app alert. This works for releases, transfers, court appearances, and other status changes. Registration is free and confidential. Most Missouri county jails participate in VINE, making it the most consistent way to track someone who might move between local facilities.
Federal Inmates in Missouri
Missouri's inmate population includes roughly 6,450 federal prisoners held in facilities under Bureau of Prisons jurisdiction. The Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc covers federal inmates going back to 1982. Two main federal locations operate in Missouri. The Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield is at 1900 W. Sunshine St and can be reached at (417) 862-7041. This is a medical facility for federal inmates with serious health conditions. A Residential Reentry Management office in St. Louis at 1222 Spruce St, Suite 6.101, handles reentry services (phone 314-539-2376).
Federal inmates are not searchable through the Missouri DOC portal. Use the BOP Inmate Locator specifically for anyone held in a federal facility. Federal cases are prosecuted in the United States District Courts, not in Missouri state circuit courts.
Missouri Sunshine Law and Public Records Access
Missouri's Sunshine Law establishes the public's right to access government records, including inmate and arrest records held by public agencies. The law is codified in Chapter 610 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. Under this law, records are presumed open. You do not need to explain why you want them. Section 610.011 states this policy directly: records and deliberations of public bodies shall be open unless law provides otherwise.
When you submit a records request, the custodian must respond as soon as possible, with a hard deadline of three business days from receipt. Section 610.026 limits copy fees to 10 cents per page for standard paper copies, though research time fees may also apply. Section 610.100 covers arrest and incident records specifically, stating they are generally available to the public. Some exceptions apply: victim information in sexual offense cases, records that would jeopardize active investigations, and medical records all receive protection.
To request records from a county sheriff's office, contact that office in writing. Most agencies prefer written requests but some accept them by phone, in person, email, or fax. State-level records from the Missouri DOC can be requested through Constituent Services at (573) 526-2695. Medical or confidential inmate records require a signed, notarized authorization from the inmate and are sent to the DOC Medical Services Section at P.O. Box 236, Jefferson City, MO 65102.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol maintains a criminal records database separate from the DOC. Their site at mshp.dps.missouri.gov provides criminal history record checks. The Missouri Sex Offender Registry is also accessible through the patrol at mshp.dps.missouri.gov/CJ38/searchRegistry.jsp, searchable by name, date of birth, or address.
Probation and Parole Inmate Population
A large share of Missouri's supervised population is not behind bars. Missouri supervises 784 people per 100,000 on probation and 356 per 100,000 on parole. That adds up to over 61,000 people under community supervision statewide at any given time. The DOC Division of Probation and Parole handles this work, and information about it is available at doc.mo.gov/divisions/probation-parole. Since September 2012, people on probation and parole can earn compliance credits for maintaining good behavior, reducing the supervised population from 73,555 in FY2012 to 61,338 in FY2019.
The Missouri DOC Offender Search at web.mo.gov covers active probationers and parolees as well as those physically incarcerated. If you are looking for someone who may be under supervision rather than in a cell, the same search tool applies. Use the person's name or DOC ID to find their current status and supervision type.
Note: The DOC Offender Search does not include discharged offenders who have completed all supervision. For questions about discharged individuals, contact Constituent Services directly.
Browse Missouri Inmate Population by County
Each of Missouri's 114 counties maintains its own jail and inmate records. Select a county below to find local jail rosters, sheriff contact information, and resources for searching inmate population data in that area.
View All 114 Missouri Counties
Missouri Inmate Population by City
Major Missouri cities are served by county jails and city police departments. Select a city to find local resources for searching inmate population data in that area.