How to Get Approved to Visit Someone at Algoa Correctional Center (step-by-step)

Before you plan the drive out, make sure you're approved first. Algoa Correctional Center requires visitors to be pre-approved through the Missouri DOC visiting application. Don't try to visit until you receive final approval.

• ✓ The offender’s Missouri DOC Identification Number (DOC ID), you cannot submit the online visiting application without it
• ✓ The offender’s full legal name (so you can match the record to the correct person)
• ✓ Your full legal name and date of birth (the application uses this information to identify you)
• ✓ Your relationship to the offender (answer consistently with other information you provide)
• ✓ If you are applying as an adult, your identification details (have them ready so you can complete the form without stopping)
• ✓ If you are applying for a minor, be ready to follow the minor ID instructions in the form (the online application handles minors differently)

Start at the Missouri Department of Corrections online visiting application. You'll need the offender's DOC ID number to submit. If you don't have it yet, track that down first before filling out the rest of the form.

Complete every field marked with an asterisk (*). These are required, and leaving one blank will stop you from moving forward or submitting successfully.

1. Find the Identification Number section for the minor - this is where people often get stuck because minors may not have the same ID types as adults.
2. Set Identification Type to “other” - this is the option Missouri DOC instructs you to use for a minor child.
3. Enter “NA” for the Identification Number - type “NA” exactly as instructed, then continue completing the rest of the required fields.

Near the end, you'll be asked to agree to visiting regulations, including searches. Read these statements carefully. Make sure you can follow what you're agreeing to before you submit.

Once you click Finish, your application goes directly to the institution's case manager. It doesn't sit in a queue. A criminal history check is part of the review process.

When you click Finish, your application is sent electronically to the institutional case manager for processing. Accuracy matters, especially in the required fields.

The online application isn't the right path for every situation. Don't use it if you're applying for clergy status or if you're a minor applying to visit an offender restricted to "Adult Only."

Not sure if an exception applies to you? Contact the institutional case manager at the offender's facility before submitting anything. The case manager is the person who receives your application after you click Finish, and they can tell you whether the online form is right for your situation.

Practical Tips

• ✓ Double-check the offender’s DOC ID before you submit, you need it to submit the application and a wrong number can send your form down the wrong path
• ✓ Fill every required field marked with an asterisk (*), missing required fields can stop the application from going through
• ✓ Be honest and consistent on the form, a criminal history check is part of the process and incomplete or inaccurate information can lead to problems
• ✓ Read what you are agreeing to before you submit, the application includes agreement to comply with visiting regulations, including searches
• ✓ Do not attempt to visit until final approval is received, even if you have already submitted the application