MODOC Statewide Release System
The Missouri Department of Corrections operates the statewide prison system. No MODOC prison was found inside Dade County. A defendant committed by a Dade court can be classified and housed at an institution elsewhere in Missouri, and later transferred again. The county of conviction does not determine the prison location. Search the active state record for the current institution or request location history when a past institution matters.
Dade County jail delivery to MODOC is not a release from incarceration. It is a transfer from county custody into the state prison system. A later MODOC physical release can occur through parole, conditional release, or the maximum sentence endpoint. Parole and conditional release leave supervision active. Final discharge comes later when the correctional and supervision relationship ends.
| Event | Meaning | Primary record |
|---|---|---|
| Dade delivery to MODOC | State custody begins; no community release | Dade transport plus MODOC location history |
| Parole | Prison confinement ends under Board supervision | Active Offender Search and Board record |
| Conditional release | Statutory supervised portion begins | Active Offender Search and sentence record |
| Maximum release | Sentence reaches its maximum endpoint | MODOC sentence and completion fields |
| Final discharge | MODOC relationship ends | Historical data or custodian response |
Search Active MODOC Releases
The MODOC Offender Search searches active offenders, including probationers and parolees. “Active” does not mean “inside prison.” A field-office location can indicate that the person has been physically released and is now supervised in the community. The portal also states that it does not provide information on discharged offenders. That warning creates a critical blind spot for a released-person search.
Use the active search in a careful sequence:
- Enter the legal first and last name, then repeat with a known prior name or spelling when needed.
- Complete the image challenge and compare the result by DOC number, identifying details, offense, sentence, and county. Never rely on name alone.
- Read the location and status together. A field office is supervision, while an institution is prison custody.
- Record the exact date label shown, such as parole or conditional release. Do not rename every field as a projected release date.
- If the person likely finished all supervision and no result appears, move to the historical Sunshine dataset and records request.
A failed active search does not prove that a person was never in MODOC. It also does not prove current incarceration. Discharged records are expressly excluded, while some active records may be unavailable for safety, security, or confidentiality. The state data and Dade court case should be reconciled before drawing a conclusion.
MODOC Historical Discharge Records
The MODOC Sunshine Law page provides the public historical alternative. Its nightly file covers people who are or have been under department supervision and includes records as early as 1974. It is a structured working dataset, not a simple person profile. MODOC cautions that conversions and ongoing operations can make data incomplete or not current, so a direct custodian response remains appropriate when proof is needed.
Several documented fields help distinguish physical release from full discharge:
- DOC number supplies the permanent department identifier.
- Completed flag can be set to Y when a sentence is completed.
- Minimum release date is a calculated date for an active sentence, not a promise of release.
- Maximum release date reflects the sentence expiration endpoint, subject to documented special values.
- Location start and end dates can show movement from an institution to a field office or the end of an assignment.
- Sentence and supervision fields place the dates within the Dade judgment and later supervision.
For written confirmation, email the Office of Director Sunshine custodian at OD.SunshineRequest@doc.mo.gov. Include full name, DOC number, Dade County case or court when known, and the exact public fields sought. A focused request can seek final release or discharge date and type, location-history end dates, sentence completion, and any open certificate or final order.
Note: The nightly file is the historical route after discharge, but a custodian response is stronger when fields conflict or formal proof is needed.
MODOC Release Date Meanings
Missouri corrections records use several dates that answer different questions. A minimum date is calculated. A presumptive parole date is tentative and depends on conduct and an acceptable release plan. A Board parole date can change before execution. Conditional release follows the statutory sentence framework but may be lawfully extended. The maximum date is the endpoint for that sentence. Final discharge means the department and Board relationship has ended.
- Minimum release date
- A calculated earliest date in the MODOC data layout, not guaranteed Board action.
- Presumptive parole release date
- A tentative target dependent on continued conduct and an acceptable plan.
- Parole date
- A Board-authorized date that can still be changed or rescinded before release.
- Conditional release date
- The start of a supervised sentence portion under Missouri law, subject to restrictions.
- 12/12
- MODOC shorthand for serving the full term in an institution and leaving at the maximum date.
- Final discharge
- The end of state correctional and supervision authority for the sentence.
The Board's time-to-serve guidance does not guarantee a release date. Corrections can arise from jail credit, amended judgments, consecutive sentences, conduct, detainers, new cases, release-plan issues, or data corrections. An institutional caseworker or field officer is the case-specific source while the person remains active.
MODOC Release Records Contact
MODOC separates general inquiries, department records, and Parole Board records. Constituent Services is the general fallback for an active person when the online result is not enough. The department asks for a full name and, when available, a DOC number and date of birth. Its contact page says an email response during business hours is usually provided within 24 hours, but that statement is not a production deadline for a Sunshine request.
Missouri Department of Corrections
Active lookup: MODOC Offender Search
General inquiry: MODOC Constituent Services contact form
Department records: OD.SunshineRequest@doc.mo.gov
Parole Board records: ParoleBoard.SunshineRequest@doc.mo.gov
Board telephone: 573-751-8488
MODOC identifies public information that can include offenses, sentence and judgment, county of conviction, supervision term and confirmation, officer and office, custody or bond status, parole or conditional-release date, Board release decision, and prior convictions. Confidential assessments, health and treatment information, victim details, and other protected material are not made open merely because a release date is requested.
Dade Jail Versus MODOC Release
The facility map separates two systems. A Dade county-jail detainee may be held under a pending case, a short sentence, or transport authority. Dade County Sheriff Ryan Robison's office and the Cedar custodian hold the local movement records, while the 28th Circuit holds the case. A MODOC prisoner serves a state sentence in the statewide prison system. That person's prison release and discharge are MODOC records.
Case.net remains valuable because the Dade judgment explains the conviction, sentence, jail-time credit, amended judgment, probation, revocation, or commitment. It does not always calculate the actual prison gate date. MODOC applies the sentence within its system and tracks location, parole, conditional release, and completion. The Dade County release search sets out the county, court, and state routes for a named person.
No state prison sits in Dade County. A Dade conviction can lead to confinement far from Greenfield, and a later prison release can place the person under District 9 or another field office. The active location determines the current correctional contact. County geography alone does not.
Verify MODOC Final Discharge
Final discharge requires more than absence from the active portal. Under RSMo 217.730, the Board can make a final order of discharge and issue a certificate after the required parole performance and time criteria are satisfied. The strongest sources are that certificate or final order when open, a MODOC custodian response, and historical fields showing sentence completion and end dates.
Compare those records with the Dade judgment and any later amended order. A court disposition explains the legal sentence, while MODOC confirms how the state correctional event ended. If the historical file and the court record conflict, ask the department to reconcile the DOC number, sentence, county, completion flag, and location history. Do not fill gaps by assuming that a blank search result means completion.
A person released on parole or conditional release remains an active offender. District 9 can confirm public supervision information for a Dade-area person, but the field office is not a jail and does not maintain a county release roster. Once the sentence and supervision are complete, the historical and custodian routes become the proper proof.