How Phone Calls Work for Missouri Inmates (What Families Need to Know)
Phone calls from prison are pretty straightforward once you understand the system. Here's how calling works at Southeast Correctional Center in Missouri, including how calls get placed, how to pay for them, and what to do if something goes wrong with your account.
Southeast Correctional Center does not allow incoming calls to offenders. All calls are outgoing only, so you'll need to wait for your loved one to call you. Keep in mind that phone access can be restricted based on an individual's status or housing assignment. Even if your account is set up and ready to go, there may be times when your loved one simply can't get to a phone.
Housing status is one common reason calls slow down. Offenders in segregation units have limited phone access, so you may notice fewer calls or long gaps compared to someone in general population.
Every call is tied to the offender through a personal identification number (PIN). Southeast Correctional Center uses an automated security system, and your loved one enters their PIN each time they place a call. If their PIN access gets restricted or they're having trouble with the system, calls may not go through.
The facility's phones are programmed through an established vendor to handle different call types. In practice, your loved one will place collect calls, debit calls, or prepaid calls depending on how the call is funded and what you've set up on your end. The PIN identifies who's calling, and the vendor's system handles billing and call processing from there.
Calls aren't limited to wall phones. Offenders can also make calls through a phone app on JPay tablets, and those tablet calls are powered by Securus Technologies. If your loved one uses a tablet to call, the account and funding side still runs through the same vendor system.
Funding
- ✓ Buy debit minutes in the canteen
- ✓ Buy debit minutes from an on-site kiosk
You can fund calls through Securus, the vendor that handles prepaid arrangements. Missouri DOC offers an option called Advance Connect, which lets you fund calls in advance to a specific bill-to number (BTN). To set up your Securus account and start receiving prepaid calls, you can sign up online, or handle it by phone, email, or mail.
Heads up: All offender phone calls are monitored for security purposes. Assume anything said on a call can be listened to and recorded.
If you're getting calls you don't want, start by declining them and using your phone's built-in call-blocking features (or your carrier's blocking service) for the number that shows up. If the calls are tied to a prepaid setup, or you need help stopping billing or preventing future connections, contact the phone vendor's customer service. They can review your account and walk you through your options.
Need help setting up service or troubleshooting your account for Southeast Correctional Center? Reach Securus at securustech.net, 800-844-6591, or customerservice@securustech.net.
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