What MDOC Runs
MDOC is the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The abbreviation is confirmed by the agency's own pages and by the MS.gov inmate-search interface, which carries Mississippi Department of Corrections branding and links back to MDOC Home. MDOC is the statewide corrections agency for sentenced state custody. It is not the same as a county sheriff's jail, a municipal holding cell, a federal prison, ICE detention, or a court docket.
The MDOC inmate population includes people in state institutions and MDOC-supervised placements. The research file identifies state institutions, regional correctional facilities, private prisons under MDOC contract, community work centers, restitution centers, technical violation centers, county-jail state beds, and transitional housing in MDOC's daily population reporting. A person can be physically housed in a county or regional facility and still be counted in the state MDOC population if the custody status is state custody.
The official agency context appears on the Mississippi Department of Corrections home page, including MDOC branding and access to inmate search.
That agency identity is why the state prison page uses MDOC in the URL, title, H1, and inmate population headings.
The MDOC Inmate Population
The June 2026 MDOC Daily Inmate Population report lists total operating capacity of 21,912 and a total average population of 19,837 for June 2026. On June 29, 2026, the reported total was 19,890. Those numbers are statewide MDOC custody counts, not a sum of every county jail booking in Mississippi. The same report includes state institutions, county-jail state beds, community work centers, regional correctional facilities, private prisons, restitution centers, and transitional housing.
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| MDOC inmate population average | 19,837 | June 2026 Daily Inmate Population report |
| Total operating capacity | 21,912 | June 2026 Daily Inmate Population report |
| June 29, 2026 total | 19,890 | June 2026 Daily Inmate Population report |
| November 1, 2023 total | 19,056 | January 2024 oversight task force final report |
The January 2024 Corrections and Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force final report said the MDOC population reached its low point in March 2022 and then increased by more than 2,300 inmates, climbing to 19,056 as of November 1, 2023. The June 2026 average remained above that level while still below the listed operating capacity.
Search the MDOC Inmate Locator
The primary MDOC inmate locator is the agency's inmate search page. MDOC's instruction is direct: enter the name or the ID number, then search. The visible fields are First Name, Last Name, and MDOC ID Number. The MS.gov version of the same search path separates the criteria into Name and ID Number, with Last Name, First Name, and MDOC ID Number fields.
- Use MDOC inmate search when the person is likely in state custody or a county, regional, private, work-center, restitution, or technical-violation placement counted by MDOC.
- Search by MDOC ID Number when available because that number is more precise than a common name.
- Search by legal first and last name when the ID number is not known, and compare spelling with the county jail or court record.
- Read the result as a state-custody locator, not as a full criminal-history report.
- If no result appears, check the county jail route, BOP locator, ICE ODLS, VINELink, and court records as needed.
A same-day arrest often remains in county custody. A no-result in MDOC does not mean the person is free, never arrested, or absent from a local jail docket.
The direct MDOC inmate-search page is the agency route for looking up state-custody offenders by name or MDOC ID.
The fields shown there are narrow by design, so accurate names and MDOC ID numbers matter.
MDOC Search Fields
The MDOC inmate locator has a limited search structure. That can be helpful because it keeps the search focused, but it also means broad or misspelled searches can miss a person. When a county booking record lists an alias, a middle name, or a different spelling, use that local record to test alternate name forms.
| Field | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First Name | Name search | Use the legal name or the booking spelling when known. |
| Last Name | Name search | The strongest name field for broad matching. |
| MDOC ID Number | Exact state-custody search | Best when the number is available from a prior record. |
The locator confirms state-custody placement. It should be paired with court records for charges and dispositions, and with county jail records for recent arrests or local holds.
The MS.gov MDOC search interface shows the name and ID-number criteria in a separate public search form.
That alternate interface reinforces the same practical search rule: use either name criteria or the MDOC ID number.
MDOC Facilities and Placements
MDOC's facilities directory groups locations by function. It lists a central office in Jackson, a State category, a Regional category, a Private category, Community Work Center, Restitution Center, Technical Violation Center, and probation or parole offices. State institutions identified in the research include Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, Delta Correctional Facility, Marshall County Correctional Facility, Mississippi Correctional Institute for Women, Mississippi State Penitentiary, South Mississippi Correctional Institution, and Walnut Grove Correctional Facility.
Regional correctional facilities are a major part of the Mississippi custody map. The research lists Alcorn, Bolivar, Carroll, Chickasaw, George or Greene, Holmes or Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson or Franklin, Kemper or Neshoba, Leake, Marion or Walthall, Stone, Washington, Winston or Choctaw, and Yazoo as regional entries. Private category entries include East Mississippi Correctional Facility and Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. Use the Facility Directory for the statewide detention facility list.
| Placement Type | Examples From Research | Search Route |
|---|---|---|
| State institution | MSP, CMCF, SMCI, Delta, Marshall, Walnut Grove | MDOC inmate locator |
| Regional correctional facility | Alcorn, Stone, Yazoo, Leake, Washington, and others | MDOC locator and facility directory context |
| Private prison under MDOC contract | East Mississippi, Wilkinson County | MDOC locator |
| Work, restitution, or violation center | Community work centers, restitution centers, technical violation centers | MDOC locator and MDOC records route |
The statewide MDOC facilities directory shows how Mississippi separates state, regional, private, work-center, restitution, and technical-violation locations.
Those categories explain why the MDOC inmate population is broader than only the largest prison campuses.
MDOC Classification and Security
MDOC's FAQ says every inmate is classified with objective classification tools and incarceration requirements tied to public safety, escape prevention, control, staff and inmate safety, and institutional needs. Factors include offense, sentence, age, adjustment potential, criminal behavior, escape history, and observable behavior. MDOC identifies custody levels as Minimum-Community, Minimum-Non Community, Medium, and Close.
Reception and Classification is conducted at Mississippi State Penitentiary for northern counties, Central Mississippi Correctional Facility for central counties, and South Mississippi Correctional Institution for southern counties. During reception, inmates are searched, issued clothing and picture identification, fingerprinted, have property inventoried, and are evaluated by Classification, Mental Health, Medical, and Education. After classification, a person may remain at the receiving facility or move elsewhere at MDOC's discretion.
- Classification
- The MDOC review that sets custody level, housing needs, and placement factors.
- Close custody
- A higher security level tied to risk, safety, or institutional needs.
- Reception
- The first state-prison intake process after sentence and transfer from court or county custody.
MDOC Population Breakdown
The June 2026 daily report shows that MDOC custody is distributed across multiple categories. Average population rows include Mississippi State Penitentiary at about 2,578, Central Mississippi Correctional Facility at about 2,934, Magnolia Women Complex at about 906, South Mississippi Correctional Institution at about 2,670, Delta CCF at about 513, county jails used for state custody at about 1,622, community work centers at about 437, regional correctional facilities at about 4,546, private prisons at about 2,068, restitution centers at about 54, and transitional housing at about 9.
Those figures show a distinctive Mississippi feature. Regional correctional facilities averaged more people in June 2026 than several major state-prison rows individually. A statewide MDOC inmate population search should therefore include regional and contract placements, not just the familiar prison names.
MDOC Parole and Release
Mississippi release rules are split among sentencing courts, MDOC records and classification, earned time or earned-release supervision rules, the State Parole Board, and local circuit courts for house arrest. MDOC's FAQ warns that parole and Earned Release Supervision dates are not guaranteed release dates. The State Parole Board, separate from MDOC, has sole authority to grant, deny, or revoke parole, while MDOC Records Division reviews ERS cases based on eligibility and institutional records.
Mississippi Code Section 47-5-138 authorizes an earned-time allowance program based on good conduct and performance, subject to sentence date and exclusions. For sentences imposed after June 30, 1995, the statute describes four and one-half days for each thirty days served when MDOC determines the inmate meets conduct and performance requirements, with limits and exclusions. Mississippi Code Section 47-7-3 and Section 47-7-3.2 address parole eligibility and minimum time before release for several offense categories.
| Release Topic | Mississippi Rule From Research |
|---|---|
| Parole | State Parole Board decides grant, denial, or revocation. |
| Earned time | MDOC administers statutory earned-time rules with exclusions. |
| ERS | MDOC Records Division reviews eligibility and institutional records. |
| House arrest | County-level circuit courts grant it; MDOC supervises under court orders. |
| Release logistics | MDOC FAQ says release processing can take 30 to 45 days and requires a discharge certificate. |
MDOC Records Requests
MDOC's public-records page says its policy is adopted under the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983, Section 25-61-1 et seq. Requests to examine, copy, or obtain public records must be in writing, and MDOC says requests are not accepted by telephone. The MDOC page links to an online records-request portal hosted through GovQA. For records questions tied to offender time, jail credit, eligibility dates, and similar matters, the MDOC contact page lists the Records Department.
The MDOC contact page lists the Records Department at P.O. Box 24388, Jackson, MS 39225, phone 601-933-2889, and MDOCRecordsDepartment@mdoc.state.ms.us. It also lists MDOC's main office at 301 N. Lamar Street, Jackson, MS 39201, phone 601-359-5600. Parole-status questions are routed separately to the State Parole Board at 239 North Lamar Street, Suite 501, Jackson, MS 39202, phone 601-576-3520, and MSStateParoleBoard@mdoc.state.ms.us.
MDOC's general public records page is the statewide route for written public-records requests to the corrections agency.
That written-request rule is important because telephone calls are not accepted as MDOC public-records requests.
MDOC Versus County Jail
The MDOC inmate population is often confused with county jail custody. A county jail holds many recent arrestees, pretrial defendants, local-sentence inmates, and people held on warrants or detainers. MDOC handles sentenced state prisoners and state placements. Mississippi Code Section 19-25-63 requires sheriffs to keep a jail docket, so a county jail record can exist even when no MDOC record appears.
| Question | MDOC | County Jail |
|---|---|---|
| Who is held | Sentenced state prisoners and MDOC placements | Recent arrestees, pretrial defendants, short local custody, and local holds |
| Search route | MDOC inmate locator by name or MDOC ID | County jail roster, sheriff jail docket, phone line, or records request |
| Record focus | State custody, facility, eligibility, sentence administration | Booking, local charge label, bond, hold, release authority |
| Where to route | MDOC inmate population | County Directory |
When the case is federal, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator. For immigration detention, use ICE ODLS. For custody-change notifications, Mississippi VINELink can help, but it is not a full substitute for the custodian or court.
MDOC Inmate Population FAQ
How large is the MDOC inmate population?
The June 2026 MDOC Daily Inmate Population report lists a total average population of 19,837 and total operating capacity of 21,912. The June 29, 2026 reported total was 19,890.
What does the MDOC inmate locator search?
It searches MDOC state-custody records by name or MDOC ID Number. It is the right route for sentenced state prisoners and MDOC-supervised placements, not for every recent county jail arrest.
Why is a county inmate not in MDOC search?
The person may still be in local county custody, may have a case that has not led to state sentence, may be in federal or immigration custody, or may have a name spelling mismatch. Start with the county jail and court record when the arrest is recent.
Who answers release-date questions?
MDOC says inmates can request a timesheet from a case manager. For time, jail credit, and eligibility-date questions, the MDOC Records Department is the records contact. Parole status is handled separately by the State Parole Board.