PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. —

Greg Lee wants to see and free his mom.

Lee believes his mother, Shirley Butler, has remained trapped in Missouri’s public guardianship system for more than six years. Advertisement

Courts have ruled multiple times against his attempts to end his mother’s guardianship.

But he won’t stop fighting to visit her more often and eventually remove her from the care of a county elected official.

"It's a story that needs to be told," Lee said. "When I hear the word 'guardian,' it makes me cringe."

Public guardians, meanwhile, at the state level, believe their work is vital to Missouri and often delve into extremely complex family situations with very few resources.

Lee’s story about his mother is part of a new KMBC 9 investigation called “Paper Prisons,” highlighting t

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