Mo. Rev. Stat. » Chapter 211
Missouri Revised Statutes

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 211.141 (2026)

Child returned to parent, when, conditions

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  211.141.  Child returned to parent, when, conditions — detention on order of court — detention without order, when — assessment of child required, when — random sampling of assessments. — 1.  When a child is taken into custody as provided in section 211.131, the person taking the child into custody shall, unless it has been otherwise ordered by the court, return the child to his or her parent, guardian or legal custodian on the promise of such person to bring the child to court, if necessary, at a stated time or at such times as the court may direct.  The court may also impose other conditions relating to activities of the child.  If these additional conditions are not met, the court may order the child detained as provided in section 211.151.  If additional conditions are imposed, the child shall be notified that failure to adhere to the conditions may result in the court imposing more restrictive conditions or ordering the detention of the child.  If the person taking the child into custody believes it desirable, he may request the parent, guardian or legal custodian to sign a written promise to bring the child into court and acknowledging any additional conditions imposed on the child.

  2.  If the child is not released as provided in subsection 1 of this section, he or she may be conditionally released or detained in any place of detention specified in section 211.151 but only on order of the court specifying the reason for the conditional release or the detention.  The parent, guardian or legal custodian of the child shall be notified of the terms of the conditional release or the place of detention as soon as possible.

  3.  The juvenile officer may conditionally release or detain a child for a period not to exceed twenty-four hours if it is impractical to obtain a written order from the court because of the unreasonableness of the hour or the fact that it is a Sunday or holiday.  The conditional release shall be as provided in subsection 1 of this section, and the detention shall be as provided in section 211.151.  A written record of such conditional release or detention shall be kept and a report in writing filed with the court.  In the event that the judge is absent from his circuit, or is unable to act, the approval of another circuit judge of the same or adjoining circuit must be obtained as a condition or continuing the conditional release or detention of a child for more than twenty-four hours.

  4.  In any matter referred to the juvenile court pursuant to section 211.031, the juvenile officer shall make a risk and needs assessment of the child and, before the disposition of the matter, shall report the results of the assessment to the juvenile court.  The assessment shall be written on a standardized form approved by the office of state courts administrator.

  5.  The division, in cooperation with juvenile officers and juvenile courts, shall at least biennially review a random sample of assessments of children and the disposition of each child's case to recommend assessment and disposition equity throughout the state.  Such review shall identify any evidence of racial disparity in certification.  Such review shall be conducted in a manner which protects the confidentiality of the cases examined.

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(L. 1957 p. 642 § 211.140, A.L. 1980 S.B. 512, A.L. 1982 S.B. 497, A.L. 1995 H.B. 174, et al., A.L. 2004 S.B. 1211)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5 cases, 1970–1997 · leading case: State ex rel. St. Louis v. Edwards, 589 S.W.2d 283 (Mo. 1979).
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State ex rel. St. Louis v. Edwards, 589 S.W.2d 283 (Mo. 1979). · cites it 2× “§ 211.141, RSMo 1978. The Code gives the juvenile court the authority to commit a child to the custody of a public or other agency or institution legally authorized to care for children, or to the custody of an association, school or institution in another state on the approval…”
Waint v. M.B., 963 S.W.2d 252 (Mo. Ct. App. 1997). · cites it 2× “Mother’s reliance on Section 211.141 is similarly unavailing. At the time the Petitions were filed, that Section provided, and has since continued to provide, that if a child has been taken into custody, “the person taking the child into custody shall, unless it has been…”
In re C. G., 539 S.W.2d 705 (Mo. Ct. App. 1976). · cites it 2× “An interview was held, a call was made to the natural mother, who resided in Texas, and then an informal hearing was held by a duty officer who recommended detention under § 211.141, RSMo. 1969. On this date, the judge of the Juvenile Division affixed his signature to the…”
Hamby v. State, 454 S.W.2d 894 (Mo. 1970). · cites it 2× “The record in this case does not affirmatively show that the aforementioned sections of the Juvenile Code were complied with. Therefore, under the Shaw and Arbeiter cases, supra, a confession obtained while defendant was in custody (prior to May 2, 1966) would not have been…”
State v. Kemper, 535 S.W.2d 241 (Mo. Ct. App. 1975). “The basic purpose behind the requirement of confinement of juveniles apart from adult prisoners is to protect juveniles from the adverse influence which adult prisoners might have upon the juveniles.”
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