Mississippi Department of Corrections

The Mississippi Department of Corrections maintains a searchable public database of all of the inmates they have in custody.

The actual prison that an inmate is assigned to depends on factors such as security classification, remaining time of their sentence, gang affiliation, and location of their residence.

The Mississippi State Prison System began in 1843, when the first state prison in Mississippi opened in Jackson in a penitentiary in four city squares.

Today the state of Mississippi Prison System maintains 35 state correctional facilities, including two private and multiple work centers.

With a staff of 4,000 correctional workers, as of the end of 2023 they oversee approximately 18,000 inmates, with another 98,000 on parole or supervised release.

The following will explain the instructions, tricks and hacks you can use to find any inmate in custody with the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

Mississippi Department of Corrections Inmate Search Instructions

The Mississippi Department of Corrections provides a limited amount of information you may want to know about any inmate in their system, however they do list every inmate. Inmates in custody have their crimes listed, as well as previous convictions. They also list all inmates who have been discharged.

To look up an inmate, you need the full last name.  

• You can list all inmates who share the same last name.
• You can list all inmates who share the same first letter of the last name.
• You can even list all of the inmates in the system... all 18,000... by typing % into the Last Name field.
• You can also search an inmate using their MS ID Number.

The first set of results if you used the full last name will list their Name, Offender Number, Location, Prison Term and Offense. Click on the linked Name to get to the inmate's page.  

The inmate's page will have quite a bit of information, including an inmate's mugshot.

Sending Money to an Inmate in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, Mississippi Department of Corrections

All facilities in the Mississippi Department of Corrections use two different systems for sending money to an inmate incarcerated in their prisons.

Premier Services (online), and
Western Union (in person)

Mississippi Department of Corrections uses the online services of Premier Services for you to deposit money into an inmate’s account.
 

Cost to Send Money

To deposit between $1.00 and $300.00 the fee ranges from $3.25-$7.50, plus an additional 3%. *Rates are subject to change.

Examples:  

• Deposit $100.00, your fee will be as high as $7.50 - Your inmate will receive $92.50.
• Deposit $300.00, your fee will be as high as $16.50 - Your inmate will receive $283.50.

Premier.Services Help
Support@CommissaryDeposit.com   8:00AM - 4:30PM Monday-Friday

Mississippi Department of Corrections uses the services of Western Union for you to deposit money into an inmate’s account.

First, you need to know the exact spelling of the inmate's name and inmates ID #

Western Union Facilities -
Deposit funds in-person at Western Union. 

Mississippi Department of Corrections Inmate Visitation Information

Step 1 - Application Process

Each inmate is allowed to fill out a visitation list with ten (10) visitors, and can be updated once a year.

Immediate family members remain on the list permanently unless removed by the inmate.

If you are NOT an immediate family member, after one year your name must be renewed or it is removed automatically.

If you are NOT on the list, you can't visit.

All visitors must have filled out a Visitation Application and have been approved.  The application is mailed to everyone on the inmate's list of visitors.  It is the only way to get one.

Step 2 - Once Approved You Can Visit

Once approved, study and understand the rules, guidelines and dress code for visits.  Failure to follow them may result in suspension of the visit.

It is up to the inmate to notify you of the VISITATION SCHEDULE for Mississippi Department of Corrections

Visitors will be allowed to visit one (1) inmate only, unless they are related (immediate family) to another inmate.

Visitors who claim they are immediate family have to provide proof.

Visitors who claim to be the spouse of an inmate must provide a copy of their marriage license, as well as the location where the marriage took place (state, county, city); name of the church, courthouse, etc., where they got married.

If you are on probation or parole, you can only visit if you are immediate family, and the warden must approve it.

No more than five (5) persons (including babies/children) will be permitted to visit an inmate at one time.

All visitors age of eighteen (18) and above must have valid picture identification with them, such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport.

Children under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

All visitors 16 years of age or older must have a picture ID and be on the inmate's approved list each visit. The teen's ID must have a date of birth on it.

All children under 15 must have a birth certificate proving their age.

Visitors with infants may have one (1) diaper bag with up to four (4) diapers, two (2) bottles, one (1) change of baby clothes a, one (1) pacifier and diaper wipes in a zip lock bag and any necessary medication for the infant.

There are three Ways to Communicate with an Inmate in the Mississippi Department of Corrections by Phone

To get started you must first open an account with GTL Connect Network (aka Viapath Technologies)

• Advance Pay - This phone account allows you to prepay so that your inmate can call you (and only you) whenever he/she wants and the cost of each call is deducted from your balance. You can even be notified by text when your balance gets low. You still have the option of accepting or rejecting each call.
• Pin Debit  -  This option allows you to fund an inmate's commissary account and lets him pay for phone calls to you and others with the money. You will have no control over who your inmate calls.
• Voicemail  -  You can leave a secure voicemail without having to contact the facility. When you call the local phone number for a facility offering Inmate Voicemail (call Customer Service at 877-650-4249 to get the local voicemail number for Mississippi Department of Corrections, you will be informed of the cost for leaving a message. To leave your message, simply select the inmate by ID number. Then, record your voicemail.

How to deposit money for Inmate Communications:

• Online
• By phone by calling 877-650-4249
• Deposit by cash, visa or mc debit and credit cards in the Mississippi Department of Corrections lobby kiosk
• By mail... Check or Money Order made out to:
  AdvancePay Service Department
  P.O. Box 911722
  Denver, CO 80291-1722
• Cash deposits to ConnectNetwork are also available at 26,000 retail locations nationwide including Walmart, ACE, Kmart, Kroger, and more. You’ll start the payment process online in your ConnectNetwork account, then complete your transaction with cash at a participating local retail store. Plus, many of these stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Find a retail store near you.

Mississippi Department of Corrections Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The Mississippi Department of Corrections allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature. It is best to only use blue or black ink. Always include your name and return address.

Envelopes
The Mississippi Department of Corrections also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates. It is best to only use blue or black ink. All letters and envelopes are photocopied before given to the inmate.

Limit of 7 photos per envelope, and must come from 

Postcards and envelopes MUST HAVE the sender's full name and return address on the envelope. 

ALL INCOMING MAIL MUST BE ADDRESSED AS:
Inmate Name & MDOC Number
Current Housing Unit
Institution/Facility Name 
Institution/Facility Address
City, State, ZIP

and must include a return address with the following information:
Senders Name
Current Address
City, State, ZIP

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Confirm Mailing Address here.

Legal Mail

ALL INCOMING MAIL MUST BE ADDRESSED AS:
Inmate Name & MDOC Number
Current Housing Unit
Institution/Facility Name 
Institution/Facility Address
City, State, ZIP

and must include a return address with the following information:
Senders Name
Current Address
City, State, ZIP

Send all Legal Mail to this Address:
Confirm Mailing Address here.

Newspapers
Newspapers may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The Mississippi Department of Corrections allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address noted. There is a limit of three books per order.

Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Mississippi Department of Corrections standards will be disposed of. 
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.

ALL INCOMING MAIL MUST BE ADDRESSED AS:
Inmate Name & MDOC Number
Current Housing Unit
Institution/Facility Name 
Institution/Facility Address
City, State, ZIP

and must include a return address with the following information:
Senders Name
Current Address
City, State, ZIP

All newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Confirm Mailing Address here.

Once an inmate is convicted and sentenced for a violation of that state’s felony laws (and their sentence is more than one year in length), they are moved from the City or County Jail and sent to a State Prison in Mississippi. If the violation they are convicted of is a federal crime, they will be sent to a Federal Prison, but will not necessarily be doing their time in Mississippi.

Mississippi State Prisons are operated and maintained by the state government and are used to confine and rehabilitate criminals. State prisons are funded by state tax money. The fund is used to provide food and clothes to inmates and to hire employees to keep the prison running. Inmates in state prison enjoy certain privileges such as TV use and recreation, both indoor and outdoor. The number of privileges allowed depends on the security level of the prison, the inmate and the overall needs of the prison on a specific day.

Mississippi has minimum, medium and maximum security prisons. The Corrections Department in Mississippi also maintains low (or no) security residential settings and camps where inmates assist in state property maintenance and duties such as fighting fires. Almost all prisons provide ‘jobs’ where an inmate can earn a small hourly wage and even learn a trade. Some prisons even contract with call centers and handle phone calls on issues related to their state government. Criminals who have committed a violent crime or killed someone are likely housed in a maximum security prison. If the inmate in these prisons behave, they are also eligible to recreate and/or work as well.

In Mississippi Prisons rehabilitation is the stated goal but the reality is that they exist to punish inmates for their crimes and keep them from hurting or harming innocent people on the outside who follow the laws and live and act responsibly. The fact is that most prison systems are underfunded, overcrowded and are not able to spend time and money rehabilitating offenders. This is not the fault of the people hired to work in prisons, they are just victims of the lack of resources due to budgeting constraints.

State Inmate

Most states have Department of Corrections websites that allow you to type in a felon's first and last name and pull up inmates in that state.

If you need to find a sentenced inmate serving time in a state other than Mississippi, go here. To find an inmate in Mississippi, just scroll to the top of the page and click on the Inmate Search button.

Once you locate them click next to the inmate's name or on the link provided and it will show you which prison the inmate is housed in. If the inmate is no longer incarcerated, but is on parole/probation or discharged, it will tell you that as well. In addition, many state prison inmate pages show recent mug shots.

Federal Inmate

The federal prison system has its own inmate locator called the Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator.

Type in the inmate's name and it will tell you where he or she is incarcerated and their projected release date. It also lists released federal prison inmates and the date they were released.

Federal inmates who are moved from one prison to another will show as "No longer in federal custody" on the system until they reach their next federal prison destination. This movement can take a few days to several months to complete, so keep checking back to find out where the inmate was taken.

ICE Inmates

The ICE Detainee Lookup allows friends, family members and interested parties to locate illegal and/or undocumented immigrants that are in the United States without permission.

Has the Inmate been recently arrested?... Try a County Jail

In many cases, the person you are looking for has either not been convicted or sentenced or has been sentenced and is awaiting transport to a State or Federal Prison and is still incarcerated in a City or County Jail.

To locate that person, go here to first find the State, and then the County where they were originally arrested or have been transported to. From there you can begin your search in our databases that contain the names and information of millions of inmates.

Jailexchange.com has all information on every jail and prison in the United States.