Understanding Lake Erie Correctional Institution’s Security Level, Housing Units, and Camera Coverage

Lake Erie Correctional Institution is a Medium Security facility. This classification comes from a PREA audit conducted August 27–30, 2018, which included a facility tour, staff and inmate interviews, and a review of documentation.

The same PREA audit describes Lake Erie as having 10 buildings on site. Housing is spread across different unit types - here's how they break down.

Lake Erie has 6 open bay/dorm housing units. In dorm-style housing, people sleep in shared areas rather than individual cells, with most daily activity happening in common spaces.

There's also 1 multiple-occupancy cell housing unit, labeled as a TPU (Therapeutic/Transitional Program Unit). Multiple-occupancy means more than one person shares a cell space.

Beyond general housing, the facility has 50 segregation cells for administrative and disciplinary segregation. These are used to separate individuals from the general population.

Lake Erie uses an extensive camera system to help supervise inmates. This was confirmed during the August 27–30, 2018 onsite audit, which included a facility tour and staff interviews.

What does this mean day-to-day? With six open-bay/dorm units and no single-cell housing, privacy is limited. Your loved one will likely spend significant time around others in shared sleeping and living areas, depending on their unit assignment.

The 50 segregation cells are dedicated space for separating someone from general population when needed. If your loved one ends up in segregation, contact the facility directly to understand what that means for their daily routine, movement, and how long the placement is expected to last.

Questions to Ask

• ✓ Which housing unit is my loved one currently assigned to (open-bay/dorm, TPU, or another area), and what drives that assignment?
• ✓ If someone needs to move housing units, what is the process and who makes the decision?
• ✓ What does “TPU” mean at this facility in day-to-day terms, and what are the criteria to be placed there or removed from it?
• ✓ Under what circumstances is someone placed in administrative or disciplinary segregation, and what are the main differences between those two statuses?
• ✓ If someone is in segregation, what changes should families expect for routine movement and day-to-day access to programs or common areas?
• ✓ Where are cameras used most heavily, and how is camera footage typically used to assist supervision?
• ✓ The PREA audit was an onsite review conducted August 27–30, 2018; what changes (if any) have been made to housing or supervision practices since then?