DiscoverKansas City TodayMissouri didn't bother counting prison deaths, until now
Missouri didn't bother counting prison deaths, until now

Missouri didn't bother counting prison deaths, until now

Update: 2025-11-24
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For years, the Missouri Department of Corrections was not actually keeping track of the people who died in state prisons — with partial counts, missing names and flat-out wrong information being standard procedure. That is, until a Marshall Project reporter started asking questions.

The Marshall Project engagement reporter Ivy Scott sat down with KCUR’s Nomin Ujiyediin to talk about the effort to get the true numbers, and why they matter.

Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by Byron Love, Suzanne Hogan and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

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Missouri didn't bother counting prison deaths, until now

Missouri didn't bother counting prison deaths, until now

Brian Ellison