Change to Minimum Prison Terms

The passage of HB192 changed the way the Department of Corrections calculates ‘commitments’ which will change the percentage of a sentence that must be served for some offenders. There ae three ways an offender can receive a Minimum Prison Term (MPT). A MPT can be built into the statute that addresses the particular crime. (Not affected by HB192) Dangerous Felons are required to serve 85% of the sentence imposed (Not affected by HB192) When an offender has more than one previous “commitment” (new offense or new conviction) to the Department of Corrections. Subsequent to the first commitment, the second commitment is a minimum of 40% imposed, third commitment is a minimum of 50% of the sentence imposed and if the offender has 3 or more previous commitments the minimum is 80% of the sentence imposed. The bill is retroactive and went into effect August 28, 2019. The Department is diligently working to identify the offenders who may be affected by this change and notifying the Parole Board. If the Parole Board makes any change to the offender’s release date, the offender will be notified.

Announcement from JPay

The following announcement was sent to the offender population from JPay, "We are aware that some JP5 tablet users have experienced the loss of photos that were previously viewable on the JP5 tablet. We are also aware that JP5 tablet users have received an inaccurate message on the tablet indicating that the photo was deleted or removed by the DOC. We apologize that you have received that message in error and our developers are investigating the removal/deletion of photos from the JP5 tablets. Thank you for your patience while we investigate this issue."

Resources for Families of Incarcerated Individuals

2-1-1, unlike 911, is NOT the number you call for fire, police or emergency needs.  Instead, United Way 2-1-1 is a toll-free number connecting people with available community resources. 

Community Resources include:

• Basic human needs: food pantries, shelters, rent or utility assistance
• Physical & mental health resources: Medicaid, Medicare, prenatal care, children's health insurance programs, crisis intervention, support groups, counseling, alcohol & drug rehabilitation.
• Work initiatives: educational & vocational training programs, English as a second language classes, job training, Adult Basic Education, financial & transportation assistance.
• Support for seniors & those with disabilities: Agencies on aging, centers for independent living, adult day care, meals at home, respite care, home health care, transportation & recreation.
• Support for children, youth & families: After-school programs, tutoring, mentorship programs, family resource centers, protective services, counseling, early childhood learning programs, child care referral centers, & recreation.
• Much, much more

By simply dialing 2-1-1, you can now make one call to find help. No more wasted time trying to find the right resource. You will reach a trained, caring professional 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. United Way 2-1-1 is always available any time you need it. It's efficient, fast, and easy to use. All calls are confidential.

If 2-1-1 is not yet active with your phone provider, you can reach the 2-1-1 call center by dialing (800) 427-4626.  In the St. Louis area you can also dial (314) 421-4636 (INFO).