Missouri Prison Reform

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to get updates straight to your inbox — including highlights from our recent Lobby Day at the Missouri State Capitol, exciting news about a new staff member joining our team, and much more!

Subscribe now: bit.ly/MoPRNewsletter

This incident raises serious concerns about the internal culture of the DOC and the effectiveness of current safeguards. Accountability must start at every level—especially during training.

📢 Sexual misconduct, assault, & attempted sexual abuse charges have been filed against a Missouri corrections officer in Dekalb County, Missouri. According to the probable cause statement, the officer—who was in Cameron for training—was intoxicated when police arrived.

Missouri continues to see a disturbing trend: people are dying behind bars far too young.
Clayton Dunlap was just 45 years old when he was pronounced dead at Crossroads Correctional Center on Monday, 3/21/2025.

Read more from KTTN: www.kttn.com/inmate-servi...

#missouri #prison #MO #corrections

Missouri doesn’t have an independent oversight agency for its prisons.

That means there’s no external body to investigate abuse, monitor conditions, or hold leadership accountable. Several other states have ombudsman offices or independent prison oversight agencies—but Missouri does not.

Residents with a verified high school diploma or equivalent will receive $10 per month, up from $8.50. Those without will receive $9, up from $7.50. Level 1 pay will increase from $10 to $12 per month.

This pay—an allowance, not compensation for labor—is used by residents to purchase basic necessities like soap, toothpaste, and toilet paper from the canteen.

Missouri Prison Reform has obtained a message sent to residents via their prison-issued tablets confirming that state “tip” pay will increase beginning with the May 10, 2025 payroll.

What is recidivism?

#missouri #prison #reform #corrections

Missouri Prison Reform will hold our next virtual family meeting on Wednesday, April 30 at 7 PM (CST).

To attend, please sign up in advance. For everyone’s safety, the meeting link will be sent out closer to the date.

Sign up here: bit.ly/April2025Fam...

Working inside a facility like Chillicothe Correctional Center is incredibly high-stress, and this is exactly why it is vital that DOC ensures its staff are mentally well enough to work in such a sensitive environment.

Chillicothe corrections officer charged after road rage incident leads to fight A Chillicothe Correctional Center officer has been charged in connection with a road rage incident that escalated into a physical confrontation in the

On March 30, a Chillicothe Correctional Center officer was arrested after allegedly assaulting someone in a road rage incident—right after working a shift. The Department of Corrections confirmed he had just finished working at the prison.

Read more from KTTN News: www.kttn.com/v2-chillicot...

Inmate dies at state prison at Licking An autopsy will be performed, according to the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Missouri Prison Reform continues to call for greater oversight, transparency, and accountability in response to deaths occurring in correctional facilities across the state.
Read more from the Houston Herald: houstonherald.com/2025/03/inma...

#Missouri #moleg #prison #corrections #SunshineLaw

The death of an individual at such a young age while in state custody raises ongoing concerns about the adequacy of medical care and conditions within Missouri’s prison system. There is no justifiable reason for people in their early thirties to be dying under the care of the state.

The Missouri Department of Corrections has confirmed the death of Khyree Davis, age 33, at South Central Correctional Center on March 27, 2025. He was pronounced deceased at the facility’s medical unit. An autopsy is scheduled.

We continue to track these cases closely, as the number of in-custody deaths remains a key indicator of conditions and quality of care within Missouri’s prison system.

Our condolences go out to every family who has lost a loved one while in the custody of the state.
#Missouri #nonprofit #moleg

According to records obtained by Missouri Prison Reform from the Missouri Department of Corrections through a Sunshine Law request, at least 29 individuals died in state custody between January 1 and March 31, 2025.

Both sides join forces to rally for Missouri prison independent oversight Advocates gathered to support three bills to create independent oversight of the Missouri Department of Corrections

We are grateful to everyone who showed up and made their voices heard.
To learn more, read the Columbia Missourian’s coverage of the day:
www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/b...

The day culminated in a significant step forward: a hearing with the House Corrections and Public Institutions Committee was held immediately afterward to discuss three key oversight bills—HB 774, HB 603, and HB 729.

Missouri Prison Reform’s first-ever Lobby Day was a powerful demonstration of unity, urgency, and advocacy. Supporters, families, and allies gathered at Missouri’s State Capitol to speak directly with lawmakers about the pressing need for change in Missouri’s prison system.

The officer, identified as Michelle Edwards, told staff the papers were "trash" and threw them away. A lieutenant recovered the papers, and they tested positive for methamphetamine.

She was released the same day on a $20,000 bond.

Read more from KRCGTV: krcgtv.com/news/local/j...

On March 25, Jefferson City Correctional Center officials called Cole County deputies after discovering two suspicious sheets of paper in a corrections officer’s belongings during a routine inspection.

Missouri Prison Reform 2025 Missouri Prison Reform 2024 : Make a donation today to support Missouri Prison Reform 2024

Without it, they’re left guessing—powerless in a system that already wants them silent.

It costs $15 to send it to 50 people. We have thousands of names on our list.

Your support helps make sure they aren’t left in the dark.

DONATE: missouri-prison-reform-2025.raisely.com

Every month, we send a newsletter to people inside Missouri prisons. For many, it’s one of the only sources of real information they’ll get. It’s how they learn about policy changes that affect their lives, the rights they’re constantly denied, and the resources that might actually help them.

Today is Lobby Day!
We’re here to inform and educate lawmakers about what’s really happening behind prison walls—sharing stories, data, and lived experiences they need to hear.
We’re hopeful for meaningful conversations and real progress. We’ll share an update soon on how it went.
#lobbyday #moleg

📅 It’s the first of the month.
Today, we submitted a Sunshine Law request to Missouri’s Department of Corrections for the number of deaths in state prisons during March.
We do this every month, and we’ll share the numbers publicly as soon as we receive them.

#missouri #prison #reform #corrections

On April 2 at 4:30 PM, lawmakers will hear HB 603 and HB 774—bills that would create independent oversight of Missouri’s prison system.

We need you to act now. Even if you can’t attend Lobby Day, submitting testimony is one of the most effective ways to support these bills & push for real change.

Independent oversight brings transparency, accountability, and protection to a system that currently lacks all three. We’re going to the Capitol on April 2nd to demand it.

#MoLeg #prison #missouri #MO #corrections

Independent oversight would mean creating an external, unbiased body with the legal authority to monitor and investigate what happens inside MO prisons. This entity wouldn’t be part of the DOC. It would have the power to uncover the truth, hold facilities accountable, and recommend real solutions.

Our Lobby Day is April 2nd, so we want to explain exactly what we’re fighting for: independent oversight.

Right now, MO's Department of Corrections is allowed to investigate itself. The DOC grades its own work—and often clears itself of wrongdoing, regardless of what residents and families report.