ODRC – Lake Erie Correctional Institution – CoreCivic

ODRC – Lake Erie Correctional Institution – CoreCivic basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 440-599-4100

This facility is for adult inmates.

The inmates housed at ODRC – Lake Erie Correctional Institution – CoreCivic located at 501 Thompson Rd in Conneaut, OH are placed according to their custody level and are incarcerated by a private company contracted by a government agency and are paid a per diem or monthly rate, either for each inmate in the facility or for each bed available. The facility is well-trained and well-staffed. This doesn't come without some controversy as the "price of incarceration" is big business and critics claim there is a monetary benefit to keeping people locked up. The flip side is this facility undergoes rigorous inspections and are some of the be maintained in the US.

For inmates that show a willingness to learn new things, there are educational and vocational training programs here that will prepare them for a successful reentry when released.

The Lake Erie Correctional is a minimum- and medium-security prison for adult male inmates owned and operated by CoreCivic under contract with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Lake Erie was the first sale of a state prison in the United States to a private company.

Inmate Orientation – Within the first two weeks of arrival here, every inmate will attend the facility’s orientation program and receive a copy of the facility’s inmate handbook. The inmate handbook includes all the information an inmate needs to start a productive life inside the facility and remain connected with family or lawyers.
A few handbook topics include:
• Requesting a medical appointment/available medical services
• Religious services
• Educational programs
• Recreation
• Commissary and creating an account
• Hygiene and grooming expectations
• Facility schedule
• Visitation information and schedule
Orientation and the inmate handbook ensure that inmates in our care can immediately address any concerns or questions and begin to participate in the programs and services offered at our facility.
Our dedicated employees – including chaplains, nurses, teachers, and officers – are committed to ensuring that every individual in our CoreCivic facilities has:
Safety and Security
• Protection from personal abuse and injury, verbal abuse, corporal punishment, property damage, and harassment. For example, CoreCivic has a robust sexual abuse prevention program in place
• Freedom from unreasonable searches.
• Protection from an inmate or detainee having power or authority over another.
• Separate housing for males and females when both sexes are housed in the same facility.

Inmate Wellness – Lake Erie provides inmates and detainees with the opportunity to pause and assess their lifestyles. For many, incarceration marks the first time in their adult lives when they will have seen a medical professional or received a regular and balanced diet.

Nutrition Services – Mealtime is very important in our everyday lives. Food is known as such an important aspect of correctional operations that it is often directly tied to inmate behavior and morale. Not only do breakfast, lunch and dinner help provide daily structure and routines, they also have an impact on overall health and wellness.
On a daily basis, we provide meals that support religious diets and more than a dozen therapeutic diets. In fact, seven percent of those is our care receive specialized therapeutic diets that serve to support wellness for a wide array of medical conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, pregnancy, and autoimmune diseases.
For many, incarceration serves as a much-needed opportunity to receive consistent access to quality nutrition services. When people have access to sufficient food, they are able to make better choices, increase learning abilities, and combat various health issues. Through something as fundamental as food, we are able to help guide inmates down a path toward health and wellness, both while in our care and after their release.

Health Care – Upon intake here, inmates are screened so that our medical professionals may manage existing concerns and address any new diagnoses. Lake Erie has a medical unit where physicians, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and medical assistants can provide routine check-ups, manage sick calls and address non-emergency needs. For inmates who experience mental health problems, from emotional conflict to mental illness, we have a team of qualified mental health professionals to assist them with their needs. Inmates are screened upon arrival at each facility, and if needed, they're referred to a psychologist, psychiatrist or mental health specialist for follow-up evaluation and intervention. We provide treatment in the form of medication, when needed, as well as group and individual counseling.

Staying in Touch with an inmate can be challenging due to time limitations, especially when your loved one is located a considerable distance away. Sometimes frequent visitation simply isn’t possible. Even so, staying in touch can make all the difference. We believe that maintaining connections with friends and family makes a positive impact on the inmates in our care – behaviorally, emotionally and academically – and increases their success rate upon release. Success stories make our day.
• We invite you to visit.
• We invite you to write and call.
• We invite you to be involved and connected.
• Telephone Calls and Phone Cards
• Hearing the sounds of a familiar voice can lift an inmate’s spirits. Typically, our correctional facilities allow inmates to make collect calls.
• Each facility has a bank of phones that are provided for inmate calls. Inmates may use these phones to make collect calls or use their pre-paid calling card.
• Detailed information on how your loved one can apply money to their calling card is provided in the inmate handbook and will vary by facility.

Offender Programs

Community Services

• Garden & Worm Farm
• New Hope Dog Program
• Greeting Cards for Local Churches
• Habitat for Humanity
• Christmas Cards for the Cities of Conneaut and Painesville

Academic

• Adult Basic Education (ABLE)
• Pre-GED
• GED
• High School Options
• English as a Second Language (ESL)

Apprenticeship Programs

• Alteration Tailor
• Animal Trainer
• Cook (Any Industry), Baker
• Electrician
• Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
• Maintenance Repair
• Landscape Management Technician
• Material Coordinator
• Healthcare Sanitation Technician
• Welder, Combination
• Janitor, Plumber
• Film and Video Editor

Education Services

• Computer Aided Instructional Laboratories (CAIL)
• Correctional Education Association (CEA) Tutor Training
• Ohio Reentry Connections
• Special Education Services
• Library Services

Career-Technical (Vocational) Programs

• Administrative Office Technology
• Building Maintenance
• Computer-Aided Drafting
• Drywall
• Electronics and Computer Repair

Advanced Jobs Training Program

• Ashland University

visitation Info

Lake Erie Correctional Institution – Visitation

Visitation is open on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for three sessions each day. The sessions are as follows:

• Morning: 08:00 AM to 10:30 AM
• Afternoon: 12:00 PM to 02:30 PM
• Evening: 03:00 PM to 05:30 PM

The length of each session is two hours and thirty minutes.  Special Visits can be requested and must be approved in advance.  Visits for inmates in General Population do not have to be scheduled in advance.  They are on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Online visitation scheduling is available to approved visitors.  You may request additional information from the Entry Officers.  Visitors are permitted to arrive at the facility no sooner than thirty minutes before the start of each session.  The cut-off time for a visit is thirty minutes prior to the conclusion of each session.  The days and hours of visitation are subject to change.  

Cell phones are not permitted to be brought inside the facility.

Visitation Schedule   (Effective 10/14/2016)

	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Thursday	OAB, LPH	SAB, OAB, HAB	SCD, OCD, HCD
Friday	OAB, TPU	SCD, OCD, HCD	SAB, OAB, HAB, LPH
Saturday	SCD, OCD, HCD, LPH	SAB, OAB, HAB	SCD, OCD, HCD
Sunday	SAB, OAB, HAB	SCD, OCD, HCD, LPH	SAB, OAB, HAB

ION Scanner

All visitors are subject to be randomly tested for physical contact with illegal substances. 

Visitation According to Housing Assignment

Visits for inmates that are housed in the Transitional Program Unit (formerly the Segregation Unit) must be made by appointment only by calling the Visitation Department at 440-599-4100, ext. 25829 during regular visiting hours or by email at [email protected].  Approved visitors can make a reservation as early as thirty (30) days in advance but no less than seven (7) days prior to a visit.  If a visit is cancelled less than seven days before it is scheduled, it will still count toward the number of visits the inmate is allowed per month.  Visits denied or terminated for violation of the rules of the visitation policy will also count toward the inmate's allowable number of visits in that month.

Inmates in the Transitional Program Unit (TPU) under Disciplinary Control are permitted one (1) visit with approved visitors each month for one hour each and with no more than two (2) visitors at a time.  Inmates in TPU under Security Control are permitted two (2) visits with approved visitors each month for one hour each, and with no more than two (2) visitors at a time. 

Inmates in Limited Privilege Housing (LPH) are permitted four (4) visits a month with approved visitors, with no more than three (3) visitors at a time.

Inmates in General Population are permitted two (2) visits with approved visitors each month, with a maximum of five (5) visitors at a time. Inmates in the Honor Dorm are permitted four (4) visits with approved visitors each month, with a maximum of five (5) visitors at a time.

All visitation procedures set forth in Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Inmate Visitation policy will be strictly adhered to.

Visiting hours are subject to change without notice. Please call the institution to verify visiting hours before planning a visit. Click here for additional information.

Video Visitation

Lake Erie Correctional Institution maintains video visiting kiosks in every general population housing unit. The hours of availability for video visits are as follows: Noon to 3:00 pm. Visits are 30 minutes in duration; however, an additional 30 minutes can be requested if there is no one scheduled at the same kiosk immediately after the conclusion of the initial video visit.

In order to have video visits you must submit a visitor application and be approved. Approved visitors must create an account and register with JPay. When family members register to have a video visit, they are prompted by JPay through a series of steps to achieve their visit.

Video visits should be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance to insure proper notification for the inmate, but they may be scheduled up to one hour before the time requested for the visit. All video visits and are monitored and recorded. All video visits and are monitored and recorded. The same rules apply to video visits that apply to visiting in person, and violations may result in restrictions that affect both video and personal visits, including the ability to send money. See DRC policy 76-VIS-01 Inmate Visitation for more information.

Entering a Facility for Visitation
Visiting a correctional facility can feel intimidating, especially for the first-time visitor. 
We have our own specific processes and rules, strict security measures, uniformed staff and words and terminology you may not be familiar with. Ultimately, those security features are in place to protect you and your loved one although we understand the potential for concern or confusion. 
Our goal is for visitors to be comfortable, even impressed, by our facility environment during your visit. We simply ask that you help us maintain safety and security by following our important guidelines. 
Contraband and Personal Items
When entering one of our facilities, typically, visitors are only permitted to bring in an ID and a small amount of cash ($10 or less) or a vending card for use at the facility’s vending machines during visitation. Please check with the facility prior to visitation for specific information on the use of vending cards or cash. 
Proper identification must be a valid driver’s license or a government-issued ID. Some facilities require a birth certificate to be presented for children attending visitation, so check the requirement of the specific facility you are visiting.
For security reasons, visitors will not be allowed to take any personal items or gifts into the facility – including cell phones, wallets, purses, food, gifts, magazines or books. 
Attempting to pass any of these unapproved items through security, even if accidentally, is illegal. Please leave all personal items in your vehicle. Some facilities offer lockers in the facility lobby for storing these items. 
Additionally, attempting to introduce illegal contraband, such as cigarettes, drugs and alcohol, weapons and cell phones, to a facility inmate is considered a security threat and will result in immediate legal action.
While we understand that some of these rules may be inconvenient or difficult for our visitors, it is our responsibility to keep all of our inmates, staff and visitors safe. These strict safety procedures are very important and are just one of the many ways we maintain a safe and secure environment. 
Visitation and Inmate Contact
There are different types of visitation, depending on the facility and the inmate’s classification – contact visitation, noncontact visitation and, occasionally, video visitation. 
Most of our facilities have both contact and noncontact visitation. Appropriate contact with your loved one – such as hugging – varies. Our staff will help you understand the appropriate contact rules for your time with your loved one. 
Typically contact visitation will be held in a large room with tables. Some facilities have a designated visitation room. Others may use educational rooms for visitation. 
Noncontact visitation includes the use of individual booths with telephones for speaking with inmates. 
Video Visitation 
A small number of CoreCivic correctional facilities provide video visitation. Video visitation is especially useful for those inmates incarcerated in another state. 
To participate in a video visitation session, the inmate must schedule a specific visitation time. CoreCivic will partner with a local church or other organization to provide the video visitation equipment and session for the visitor. 
For specific information on video visitation, please contact the facility directly. 
Preparing for Visitation

At CoreCivic, our dedicated team of corrections professionals goes to prison or jail every day. Uniforms, metal detectors, security measures, policies and procedures, closed doors and locked gates – it’s all second nature to us. 
But if you’re not accustomed to correctional facility life, you may have some questions or concerns, maybe even nervousness, about what to expect if you are planning a visit.
Being well prepared for your visit to one of our correctional facilities can help alleviate the stress and anxiety that sometimes accompanies visitation.
From what to wear to what to leave behind, here are a few tips and instructions to help you prepare for your upcoming facility visit. 
Visitation List and Approval
During the inmate orientation process, inmates will mail a visitation application form to the friends and family members who want to visit. 
It is the inmate’s responsibility to mail the applications. Individuals who receive the application must complete the form and mail it back to the specific CoreCivic facility to initiate the approval process. All facility visitors must be approved through a background check prior to visiting an inmate. 
Once the background checks are completed, the inmate is responsible for informing friends and family members that they are approved for visitation. Please ensure that, as a visitor, you have been approved before planning your visit. 
Some CoreCivic facilities require that all visitations be scheduled in advance of the visitation appointment.  Or there may be special requirements if an individual is in restricted housing.  You may wish to contact the facility directly if you are unsure.
An inmate can change or update their list over time. If an inmate is transferred to another correctional facility, please check with the facility before visiting to ensure all records were transferred at the time of the move. 
Passing Security
Every visitor who enters our correctional facilities must pass through our security measures before proceeding to a visitation area.
Visitors will be screened through a metal detector, much like what you would experience in an airport. However, our metal detector settings are much more sensitive than typical metal detectors. When preparing for your visit, please be sure to consider any metal on your clothing, including underwear and shoes. 
Visitation Dress Code
Understandably, many of our visitors do not realize that what they are wearing can impact their ability to visit with their loved one. 
Every facility has a strict dress code for visitors, and each facility’s dress code may vary, sometimes depending on the specific requirements of our government partner. Please review the specific dress code requirements for the facility you are visiting prior to your visit. 
A few general guidelines that apply at every facility include:
Skirts and shorts must be knee-length or longer.
Only closed-toe shoes are permitted. No sandals or flip-flops.
No revealing or low cut shirts. No tank tops or halter tops.
No see-though or extremely tight clothing.
No strapless dresses. No swimsuits.
No gang or obscene messages or designs.
No hats or hoodies on shirts
No sunglasses or excessive jewelry.
Underwear must be worn at all times, but not visible.
Everyone must clear the metal detector.
Visiting from Out of State
If you must travel a great distance to visit your loved one, you want your limited visitation time to go smoothly. To help ensure you are prepared, we’ve assembled our most important advice for a successful visit. 
Inmate Visitation Checklist
Before arriving at a correctional facility, think through the following checklist to ensure that you are prepared for visitation. 
___ I am on my inmate’s approved visitation list.
___ I have returned my paperwork and passed the visitation background check. 
___ I have my driver’s license or government ID. 
___ I have planned my visit during the facility’s visitation hours.
___ I have packed facility dress code approved clothes and shoes. 
___ I will clear the metal detector. 
___ I have ensured that my car, purse and pockets are clear of any inappropriate items before entering the facility grounds. 
___ I have checked to see if there are special visitation requirements, such as a scheduled appointment.