How phone calls, tablets, and messaging work in Missouri facilities
In Missouri, incarcerated people can make outgoing calls but generally cannot receive incoming ones (unless they're on restricted status, which limits even outgoing calls). In DOC prisons, phones throughout the facility handle collect, debit, or prepaid calls through an established vendor. Offender tablets may also include phone apps, which is helpful if you want everything in one place. If your loved one is in segregation, phone access may be limited, so call frequency can change even when nothing else changes on your end.
County jails can look very different from one another. Buchanan County, for example, uses Securus for telephone service. Inmates there are limited to outgoing collect calls capped at 15 minutes. If your phone line has a collect-call block through your provider, those calls won't go through. Securus publishes separate customer service numbers for mobile devices versus landlines or international lines, and it offers an "Advanced Connect" style account you can fund and track.
For messaging and video, you may encounter systems like CIDNET or HomeWAV, depending on the jail. CIDNET requires creating a customer account, and its services can require buying data that gets used up as you message, talk, or video visit. The facility (not CIDNET) decides whether to approve your link request, so having an account doesn't guarantee an immediate connection. In Christian County, the jail uses HomeWAV Voice through its video visitation system. Phones are available in housing areas daily from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and you can add funds online or at a lobby kiosk.
Common Questions
Q
Can an inmate receive incoming telephone calls?
Generally, no. Missouri DOC states offenders cannot receive telephone calls, but they can make outgoing calls if they are not on restricted status, and segregation housing may have limited phone access. In some county jails, calls are outgoing collect only and may not connect if your phone line blocks collect calls.
Q
How do I set up an account to video visit or message an inmate?
It depends on the facility’s vendor, but systems like CIDNET require you to create a customer account and buy data, which is consumed as you communicate. After you submit a link request, the facility decides whether you are approved or denied. Some Missouri jails also use HomeWAV for video visitation and phone-related services, and Buchanan County requires general-public visitors to schedule visitation appointments by phone or in person during the scheduling window it posts.
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