25 Transformative Achievements by the Missouri Department of Corrections in 2025

The Narrative Matters apologize for the late post,this got lost in the emails.

2025 was a year of new beginnings for the Missouri Department of Corrections. We welcomed new life in our prison nursery. We created new spaces in our housing units. New staff joined our corrections team. We also found new ways to improve lives. This helps build safer communities. Here are some of our accomplishments from 2025.

1. We had a baby boom!

The Missouri Department of Corrections Prison Nursery Program opened in February 2025. It welcomed its first baby, Dawson, in March. Over 15 moms and 16 babies have joined the nurturing community. This community is at WERDCC in Vandalia. The housing wing was carefully remodeled. It has cozy communal spaces and a colorful infant center. It also includes a private kitchen and yard.

The nursery has seven bedrooms. It can hold up to 14 babies and their moms. Eligible women stay with their babies. They also take classes and complete treatment. They learn important life skills. Paid caregivers are fellow WERDCC residents. They live on the second floor. They support new moms and provide childcare.

2. We sewed up support for Missouri kids. 

A short documentary by Jenifer McShane came to Netflix in May 2025. It highlights a Restorative Justice Organization quilting group. The group at SCCC creates handmade quilts. They make one for every foster child in Texas County. The Quilters won multiple film festival awards. It focuses on the participants’ work. The film shows their struggles, triumphs, and pride.

Since then, global support has poured in. We received money, notes, and supplies. This filled more than 16 pallets. The donations support the SCCC team. They also help the state’s largest prison quiltmaking operation at JCCC. Volunteers there make weighted items. They create quilts, vests, and buddies. These items soothe kids with autism.

3. We went fishing.

This year, we collaborated with the Missouri Department of Conservation. We united residents with their families. They enjoyed fun-filled days of fishing. This event is Fishing with the Family. We set up pools with Missouri fish inside gyms. Residents and families painted lures. They cast lines and caught fish. Others gathered outdoors to learn about nature. We also continued the Empowering Dads program. We expanded regular family restoration visits. These visits help families form stronger bonds.

4. We rescued a teen from the bottom of a ravine — with a little K9 help.

Cody Trenkle is a 13-year-old boy. He fell into a 240-foot-deep ravine in July. He was missing for over three days. The Farmington Correctional Center (FCC) dog team joined the search. It took Daryl, a bloodhound, just 21 minutes to find the boy. Cody was seriously injured and dehydrated. After a month in the hospital, he recovered. He started ninth grade on time.

Also this year, the NECC dog team was busy. They tracked an Alzheimer’s patient for 10 miles. They found another missing person after five miles. They did this all on the same day. They won the department’s 18th Annual Tracking Dog Training Event.

5. We compensated staff for tough jobs. 

A new pay plan was approved and signed into law. It created a 1% pay raise for all state employees. This totaled over $6.9 million for corrections staff. It also included additional stipends. Staff in restrictive housing units received $1 per hour. Staff at maximum-security facilities received $.75 per hour. These changes brought total pay increases since 2017 to $221.4 million. We also planned new specialized training. This training is for challenging jobs.

6. We honored heroes.

In May, Director Trevor Foley presented the Director’s Award of Valor. He gave it to six staff members for heroic acts. Ashley and Matt Downs helped people in a car accident. Julie Teague saved a neighbor from a dog attack. Tiffany Trenary and Levi Fare protected a housing unit. Jay Howe helped police with an armed offender.

In June, three professionals earned another honor. They received the Missouri State Team Member Award of Distinction. Ashley Robinett was honored for leadership. Travis Crews was honored for public service. Tayluer Dunks was named State Team Member of the Month.

7. We showed off — and showed up for— our veterans.

In early 2025, our veteran employees were on TV. They were featured on Military Makeover. It was a special segment called “Operation Career.” MCC Warden Rusty Ratliff was one of them. He founded the Missouri Veterans Program in 2017. He later announced his retirement. Staff and residents celebrated him.

Later, CRCC presented Veteran Challenge Coins to staff. WRDCC staff walked for veterans suicide awareness. MCC veterans donated handmade hats and scarves. A JCCC veterans group bought gifts for all kids visiting their dads.

8. We expanded access to substance use treatment.

We worked with contractors Centurion and Gateway. We implemented medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Now, more people can get the help they need. Residents with substance-use disorder can self-refer. The treatment uses FDA-approved medications. It is combined with therapy and support. This helps both during and after incarceration.

9. We helped rescue dogs find new jobs.

Our Puppies for Parole (P4P) program joined a new partner. It teamed up with Pets Helping Agriculture in Rural Missouri (PHARM). Incarcerated handlers train and socialize dogs. These dogs then go to PHARM for more training. They learn to help farmers who are elderly or disabled. They can open doors, pick up items, and carry buckets.

Bentley, a Plott hound, was placed with a PHARM family this year. P4P programs also held demonstration days. Staff and residents saw the dogs’ new tricks. Nearly 8,000 dogs have been adopted through P4P since 2010.

10. We set people up for job success.

We continued making strides in career training. More students completed programs. These include Aspire MO 2.0 Warehouse, Manufacturing and Supply Chain Training. Graduates earn multiple certifications. The In2Work food service apprenticeship is another. It leads to national certification.

We are rolling out new training at Algoa Correctional Center. ACC will house a tattoo apprenticeship program. It will be the nation’s second of its kind. A new barber training program is also starting. A work-release program at the Governor’s Mansion is becoming an apprenticeship.

11. We fed people.

Restorative Justice Gardens are cultivated by residents. They yielded more than 10 tons of fresh produce. It was donated to Missouri food banks. The CRCC garden team donated 200 pumpkins. SECC staff and residents packed meals. They worked with La Croix Church for Feed My Starving Children. SECC offender organizations donated $20,000. Later, staff took part in the Missouri State Team Member Food Drive.

12. We met celebrities.

This summer, Royals pitcher Lucas Erceg visited Boonville Correctional Center. He celebrated his five-year “sober birthday.” He talked with residents about addiction. In the fall, poet Reginald Dwayne Betts visited WERDCC. The founder of Freedom Reads held a reading. His team also installed mini libraries. In December, Kevin Seitzer also visited BCC. The former Royal shared his testimony.

13. We grew our leadership-development reach. 

In 2019, ACC residents were inspired by the Global Leadership Summit (GLS). They worked with staff to develop an academy. Residents spend more time on GLS topics. This year, the Global Leadership Academy (GLA) expanded. It is now at ERDCC, SCCC, SECC, FCC, and MCC. Also, international GLS speakers visited two centers. They met with participants in person.

14. We attracted, trained and retained the best team in state government.

By the end of 2025, staffing levels were at their highest since 2020. Recruitment numbers rose. We expanded trainee housing at the Academy for Excellence in Corrections. We can now house up to 147 cadets on site. We also improved work-life balance. We extended health and wellness services. We also established Correctional Family Wellness days for families.

15. We looked out for staff wellbeing.

In 2025, we implemented Zero Suicide. This revolutionary framework changes our culture. It is the first of its kind in U.S. corrections. The Zero Suicide rollout included courses and toolkits. It better prepares staff to respond in a crisis. We continued Post Critical Incident Seminars (PCIS). These help staff who have experienced trauma. We also trained more staff in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). Now over 250 team members can provide peer support.

16. We took restrictive-housing reform to the next level. 

In 2024, two prisons piloted a restrictive housing model. It focuses on offenders who pose real threats. Both facilities saw reductions in sanctioning. They also saw fewer aggressive incidents. This year, we expanded the model. Two additional facilities had similar results. We also piloted a model for sanction-reduction wings. Residents can gradually earn back privileges.

17. We launched research-driven housing innovations. 

We collaborated with the University of Missouri. Housing units at MCC and WERDCC were transformed. An MU research team began a five-year project. They are studying a novel intervention. The project explores the physical environment. Changes include more privacy and comfortable spaces.

The Missouri Prison Transformation Project (MPTP) draws from the general population. It seeks to learn how environments affect behaviors. This program is funded by Arnold Ventures. It is founded upon research from European prison models. The project seeks to improve the quality of life. This applies to people living and working in our institutions.

18. We opened a new honor dorm.

This year, Jefferson City Correctional Center improved honor dorm living. It has a redesigned space with new paint and furniture. Residents earn their spot through good behavior. They are rewarded with greater freedom. Administrators also plan special family visit days. These visits will be in a park-like setting. This is another first for maximum security.

19. We assembled a national correctional industries gathering.

Missouri Vocational Enterprises (MVE) hosted the 2025 conference. It was for the National Correctional Industries Association (NCIA). Members from across the U.S. gathered in St. Louis. The conference included tours, networking, and talks. Our corrections team gave presentations. They covered many of our innovations. Each month, over 1,100 residents held MVE jobs. More than 550 were enrolled in certified apprenticeships.

20. We went to school. 

Each month in 2025, 3,300 students received academic education. By year’s end, 271 completed high school equivalency. Two groups of students earned bachelor’s degrees in biblical studies. The 31 graduates can now serve as peer ministers. We maintain partnerships with eight colleges. This gives residents access to higher education. In 2025, 1,540 were enrolled in degree programs.

21. We boosted reentry readiness.

Missouri was the first state to sign on to Reentry 2030. We are committed to preparing people for success. We have many community partnerships. There is a reentry center in every prison. In 2025, we extended digital access to services. We partnered with SLU and DHEWD. We also worked with MO HealthNet. In FY 2025, nearly 70,000 residents visited reentry centers.

22. We gave back.

Our team remained committed to the community. Members supported Special Olympics Missouri. They participated in the Polar Plunge and Torch Run. We played in the 25th Annual Director’s Cup. We raised over $45,000 for the Missouri 10-33 Benevolent Fund. We also led the Missouri State Employee Charitable Campaign (MSECC). We pledged more money than any other state agency.

23. We made worksites and communities safer.

The Division of Adult Institutions boosted security. We implemented entry point standardization statewide. This ensures a consistent process at checkpoints. DAI joined P&P on a new initiative. It helps identify security threat groups (STGs). This curbs illegal and dangerous activity. We also expanded electronic monitoring services. This helps us better protect public safety.

24. We started new options for Southwest Missouri.

In 2024, funding was allocated for a new center. It will be our seventh community supervision center (CSC). This year, our teams began the plan. We identified a location and worked on logistics. People on probation or parole will get support. They will get treatment, housing help, and more. This helps them succeed outside prison. It reduces risk and recidivism in the state.

25. We got artsy  — and patriotic.

Our prisons are packed with artists. We celebrated the upcoming America 250. Artists at JCCC recreated famous historical scenes. These featured figures like George Washington. Inserts invited fairgoers to join in. Governor Mike Kehoe and other officials did. They became a part of history.

The Community News Network/ The Narrative Matters is a proud media partner with the State of Missouri and its sub media agents. 

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