JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri lawmakers are considering a bill that looks to provide efficient care for inmates, improving the quality of life for those incarcerated in the state.

Sponsored by State Senator Angela Mosley, SB 378 was passed earlier this month by the Missouri Senate Judiciary Committee. 

According to the bill’s language, it will establish the “Office of State Ombudsman for Inmates in the Custody of the Department of Corrections.” 

SB 378 says that the Office will have the rights to monitor all decisions of the parole board, provide information to inmates, their families and representatives regarding their rights and establish a statewide reporting system that collects complaints received by the Department.

Annual inspections of each Department facilities would be conducted by the Office, monitoring the security and safety of inmates.

“Upon completion of the inspection, the Office shall produce a public report, with information as provided in the act, on its website, and deliver the report to the Governor, Attorney General, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Director of the Department of Corrections,” the bill reads. “The Department shall then submit a report to the Office within 30 days of the Office’s inspection report, which shall include a corrective action plan for each recommendation of the Office.”

This bill, which was written in 2019, also seeks to be named after Larry Miller, a man who officials say was stabbed to death by two inmates while he was in custody at the Crossroads Correctional Center in Cameron, Missouri, on June 9, 2014. 

Officials also said that there were no correctional officers around at the time of Miller’s death.

An Ombudsman—who will be appointed by the Governor—would oversee the “Office of State Ombudsman for Inmates in the Custody of the Department of Corrections” if SB 378 is passed. The position will serve a six-year term.

The appointed Ombudsman cannot be a current or former employee of the Department. They also cannot have a spouse, child or parent who is affiliated with the Department, according to the bill.

If passed, SB 378’s effective date looks to begin on Aug. 28, 2025. More information about the bill can be found here.