How Many People Work at Lake Erie Correctional and What That Means for Safety

The PREA audit snapshot reported 289 staff members at Lake Erie Correctional who may have contact with incarcerated people. That number matters because it helps you picture how many employees are involved in daily supervision, movement, programs, medical care, and other roles requiring direct contact with the population.

The audit also reported 74 staff hired in the prior 12 months who may have contact with incarcerated people. A higher number of recent hires can mean the facility has been actively recruiting - but it also raises questions worth asking: How are new staff trained and supported while they get up to speed?

Lake Erie Correctional's designated capacity was listed as 1,820 inmates in the audit materials. Capacity tells you what the facility is built and staffed to handle on paper - though day-to-day operations depend on far more than a single number.

At the time of the audit, the population was 1,765 inmates. Comparing population to staffing counts helps you form practical questions about supervision - especially when you're trying to understand how busy housing units might feel and whether enough people are available to respond when something goes wrong.

The audit reported 211 volunteers and individual contractors authorized to enter the facility who may have contact with incarcerated people. This includes a wide range of roles, but the takeaway for families is simple: beyond employees, many other approved adults may be coming into the facility. You can ask how their access is managed.

• ✓ Ask what screening is required before a volunteer or contractor is authorized to enter, since the audit process includes review of volunteer and personnel files.
• ✓ Ask what training they must complete and how often it’s refreshed, since training files are part of what auditors review.
• ✓ Ask who supervises volunteers/contractors while they are inside and what areas they can access.
• ✓ Ask how concerns are documented and investigated, since investigation files are also reviewed during the audit process.

Here's what you *can* do with these numbers: use them to ground your questions. With a reported population of 1,765 and 289 staff who may have contact with incarcerated people, the math works out to roughly one such staff member for every six incarcerated people. That gives you a general sense of scale. Here's what you *shouldn't* do: treat that rough ratio like a promise about how many officers are physically on a housing unit at any moment. "Staff who may have contact" is a broad category, and people work different shifts and assignments. The 74 hires in the prior 12 months can cut both ways - new hiring can improve coverage, but you'll still want to know how those new staff are trained, supervised, and retained.

• ✓ When you talk with staff, ask whether the facility still has about 289 staff who may have contact with incarcerated people - or whether that number has changed.
• ✓ Ask whether the facility is still hiring at a pace similar to the 74 hires reported for the prior 12 months, and what training new hires receive before working around incarcerated people.
• ✓ If programs or services matter for your loved one, ask how volunteer/contractor access is managed, since 211 volunteers and contractors were authorized to enter and may have contact with incarcerated people.
• ✓ During visits or calls with your loved one, listen for practical clues: long delays getting answers, frequent schedule changes, or trouble accessing services can be worth asking about in the context of staffing and turnover.

1. Ask who handles safety-related concerns - Find out who you should contact when you have a concern about supervision or safety, and what information they need from you.
2. Ask for the current staffing figure comparable to the audit’s “289” - Specifically ask for the current number of staff who may have contact with incarcerated people, so you’re comparing apples to apples.
3. Ask about recent hiring and stability - The audit reported 74 hires in the prior 12 months; ask what the most recent 12 months looks like now and how long new hires take to fully train.
4. Ask how volunteer/contractor access is controlled - The audit reported 211 authorized volunteers and individual contractors who may have contact; ask what screening, training, and supervision is required.
5. Ask about investigative coverage - The audit noted one investigator position open at the time; ask whether that position is filled now and how investigations are staffed if a serious allegation is made.