Date: February 25, 2026
To: Chairman Schroer and Members, Senate Judiciary Committee
From: Jerika White, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower Missouri
RE: SB 1509
As the largest and oldest anti-poverty non-profit in our state, Empower Missouri is committed to improving the quality of life for all Missourians through advocacy. Since its inception, Empower Missouri has prioritized addressing the criminal legal system and its impacts, advocating for stronger Department of Corrections (DOC) oversight and a more effective accountability system. I co-host a coalition group that has formerly incarcerated individuals that can speak of the conditions that happened and still are happening within our Department of Corrections.
I am testifying on behalf of Empower Missouri to support SB 1509 by Senator Mosley. This bill would establish an Office of State Ombudsman within the Department of Corrections. The Office will provide information to incarcerated individuals and their families, monitor conditions within the facilities, establish a statewide system to collect and analyze complaint data, and monitor parole board decisions for fairness and compliance.
Nearly every public institution operates with some form of built-in accountability. While the Department of Corrections is responsible for providing the day-to-day needs of incarcerated individuals, the mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability within the department are insufficient or nonexistent. An independent oversight system is essential to identify and address abuse, prevent harm, and correct systemic failures that persist within the prison system. Without external review, misconduct and negligence can continue unchecked, eroding public trust and endangering lives.
Most importantly, independent oversight exists to protect the wellbeing of everyone inside state prisons; both those who are incarcerated and those who work there. This need is especially urgent in Missouri. Missouri Department of Corrections facilities have faced longstanding concerns regarding abuse, harassment, and medical negligence. These issues are compounded by troubling patterns of misinformation surrounding deaths in custody.
Here in Missouri, there are over 24,000 people living in state prisons. Severe staffing shortages in recent years have made existing problems more frequent.The Missouri Department of Corrections has an $830 million dollar budget in 2025. Since 2020, Missouri has paid over $80 million in lawsuit settlements and verdicts related to the department. These costs are borne by Missouri taxpayers and residents. The range of settlements varied from hostile work environments, sexual assaults, extreme abuse, discrimination and misconduct and mortality. In custody deaths have reached well over 100 the past few years with 2024 tragically reaching a record high of 139 deaths. Both past department employees and formerly incarcerated individuals have sought lawsuits against the state for these reasons.
Blake Selby, James Pointer , Michael Hudson : These are just a few of the people who have lost their lives while in Missouri prisons due to the criminal or negligent conduct of DOC and medical staff. Each of these men had families who loved them, who grieve their absence every day, and whose lives have been forever changed, not just statistics in a report or entries in a database. Their deaths underscore the urgent need for independent oversight, transparency, and accountability within the Missouri Department of Corrections.Missouri taxpayers are also footing the bill; millions of dollars each year, for the inhumane conditions that persist inside DOC facilities. Missourians have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent and to demand accountability when the state fails to provide safe and humane treatment for those in its custody.
In conclusion, oversight is not a cure-all for the deeply entrenched issues within the Missouri Department of Corrections, but it is an essential and necessary first step toward building a system that is accountable, transparent, and responsive not only to incarcerated individuals and correctional staff, but to families, and the broader community. Independent oversight provides a mechanism to proactively identify and prevent abuses of power, ensure humane treatment, and restore public trust. For these reasons, I strongly encourage the committee to support SB 1509.
English 
Spanish