How Phone Calls Work in Missouri DOC Facilities, and What to Do If Your Phone Is Blocked

You can't call into a Missouri DOC facility. Phone contact only works one direction: your loved one places outgoing calls, as long as they aren't on restricted status. Access can also be limited for people assigned to segregation units, so even when everything is set up correctly on your end, calls may come less often. When you do get a call, a recorded message will play during the conversation letting you know it's coming from a correctional facility.

Missouri DOC calls run through an automated security system. Your loved one uses a personal identification number (PIN) to place each call. The PIN verifies who is using the phone and routes the call through the approved service.

• ✓ Purchase debit minutes in the canteen
• ✓ Purchase debit minutes from a kiosk
• ✓ Use an account set up through Securus

Want to help cover the cost of calls from the outside? Missouri DOC notes that Advance Connect (through Securus) lets you fund calls in advance to a specific billing telephone number (BTN). In plain terms, you pre-load money for one specific phone number that will receive the calls.

Most call problems come down to two things: authentication or funding. Your loved one still has to place the call using their PIN, and the call still needs an eligible funding method behind it (debit minutes purchased inside, or an account set up through Securus, including Advance Connect tied to the right BTN). Missouri DOC also notes that offenders can make phone calls through a phone application installed on JPay tablets powered by Securus Technologies. So your loved one may be calling from a facility phone or a tablet app, depending on what's available to them.

All offender phone calls are monitored for security purposes. The recorded message you hear throughout the call is there to make sure both parties know the call is coming from a correctional facility.

To receive pre-paid calls, Missouri DOC directs families to set up an account with Securus. You can use options like Advance Connect to fund calls in advance to a specific billing telephone number (BTN), or simply make sure the correct phone number is set up to receive and pay for calls. For phone issues and setup, reach Securus at 1-800-844-6591.

1. Set up your Securus account for the phone you want to use - This is the phone number that will receive the calls (your billing telephone number, or BTN).
2. Add funding the way you plan to receive calls - If you are using Advance Connect, fund calls in advance for that specific BTN.
3. Confirm the details match what your loved one is dialing - A wrong phone number on the account is a common reason calls do not connect.
4. Have your loved one place the call using their PIN - Calls are placed through an automated security system, so the PIN step is required on their end.

If you're getting unwanted calls from an offender, you can use the prompts during the call to block future calls to your number. If calls keep coming after you've blocked them, contact the institution directly for help.

• ✓ Decide whether you want to stop calls or fix your ability to receive them
• ✓ If you want calls, make sure your Securus account is set up for the correct phone number (BTN)
• ✓ If you are trying to fund calls, confirm you funded the right BTN (especially with Advance Connect)
• ✓ If you do not want calls, use the phone prompts to block future calls
• ✓ Write down the date and time of problem calls, then use that info when you contact Securus or the institution

1. Use the call prompts if you need to stop calls - Follow the automated prompts during the call to block future calls to your residence.
2. Call Securus if your phone is blocked but you want calls - Missouri DOC directs families to contact Securus to receive calls. Use 1-800-844-6591 and be ready to confirm your BTN and any Advance Connect funding tied to it.
3. Contact the institution if calls continue after you block them - If unwanted calls keep coming, the facility can help address it on their end.