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Costs in Criminal Cases

Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis are reimbursed for certain costs incurred in the prosecution and incarceration of indigent defendants sentenced to imprisonment in the Department of Corrections, transporting prisoners from county jails to the reception and diagnostic centers, and transporting extradited offenders back to Missouri. In addition, counties or county sheriffs' offices are paid for costs of transporting prisoners and the costs of serving extradition warrants.  The Department of Corrections receives and audits county cost and extradition documentation and then prepares and remits payments to the counties.

Division of Adult Institutions

The Division of Adult Institutions is responsible for management of the state's 21 correctional centers. The Division of Adult Institutions has developed an inmate classification system to enhance safety and security for all staff, offenders, and visitors at an institution. The classification system is based on several factors including: length of sentence, type of crime, and an offender's individual needs for specialized programs and services.

Division of Human Services

The Division of Human Services recruits, trains and supports a professional and diverse workforce and cultivates a workplace in which safety and wellness are practiced as part of the job. The division is dedicated to safety and professionalism, addressing recruitment and onboarding, staff training and development, and employee health and safety. The division aims to improve the work environment of employees, maintain a qualified workforce and improve communication between management and staff.

Division of Probation and Parole

The Division of Probation and Parole supervises felony offenders ordered to probation by the courts or offenders released by the Parole Board from confinement in the Division of Adult Institutions by means of parole or conditional release. Probation and Parole Officers within the division establish viable plans in order to address an offender’s needs under supervision, ultimately reducing risk and improving success while on supervision.

Division of Rehabilitative Services

The Division of Rehabilitative Services is responsible for the development of programs for offenders that address medical and mental health issues, education and workforce development, vocational training, and treatment for sex and substance use disorders. These programs are developed and implemented by the division’s sections of Medical and Mental Health Services, Adult Education/Workforce Development, Substance Use and Recovery Services, and Missouri Vocational Enterprises.

Office of the Director

The Office of the Director functions as the central administrative unit of the Missouri Department of Corrections. The office oversees functions of the department's four main divisions as well as special units and offices.

Parole Board

The Parole Board is a seven-member board that has the authority under state law to grant the release of incarcerated offenders from confinement in the Division of Adult Institutions by means of parole or conditional release. When necessary, the Parole Board may return and revoke parole and conditional release violators.  The Parole Board also conducts investigations and provides information to the governor on all applications for pardons, commutations of sentence, reprieves, or restorations of citizenship.  The Parole Board is an essential part of the criminal justice system, providing for the professional assessment and release of offenders using appropriate treatment, sanctions, and controls, with the primary consideration being the promotion of public safety.