Lake County Adult Detention Facilities

The Mission of the Lake County Minimum Security Detention Facility is to provide the highest return to tax payer investment in incarceration. The combination of incarceration, treatment programs, and continued work during their time in jail offers society the best opportunity to return the offender back to the community better than when they first arrived.

Due to the growing jail population in Lake County there was a need for a second facility to be built. The Local Lake County Corrections Planning Board made up of Judges, Law Enforcement, Prosecutors, Public Defenders, Commissioners, Probation and other local officials began planning for solutions to the growing population in Lake County. The Lake County Minimum Security Facility freed up bed space to house serious offenders at the Maximum facility who pose a threat to the safety and security of the community.

The majority of the inmates housed in the minimum facility are involved in the work release program that permits offenders to leave the facility each day and work in the community. This program gives them the opportunity to continue to provide for their families financially while they are serving time in jail. The work release offenders are also required to participate in the Pay For Stay program which went into effect April of 2001. Work release are required to reimburse the county for a portion of housing while incarcerated. They are required to pay 20% of their net wages as defined in the Ohio Revised Code 341.19.

In 2008 the Pay For Stay program collected a total of $64,332.00 for the year and a total pay in of $482,157.02 since April 1, 2001. In 2008, 179 male work release and 20 female work release have participated in the Pay For Stay program. The program collected $1,900.00 to $7,400.00 a month which is deposited into the general fund each month. The difference in the amounts collected per year is due to a decrease in inmate population participating in work release, other options in lieu of jail time and the economy. A total of 42 work release lost their jobs upon incarceration and 26 declined to be on work release because they could not afford to pay the 20% of their net earnings.

In 2008 a total of 456 inmates participated in inmate programming at the MSJ with another 224 that attended the aftercare program in the evening. In 2007, 191 males and 28 females were in the work release program.

Inmates that walk away from the work release or school release program are charged with escape. In 2008 a total of 7 inmates were absent with out Leave (AWOL) compared to in 2007, which also had a total of 7 inmates that were (AWOL) and all were charged accordingly.

A total of 4 inmates in 2008 were released each day to continue their high school or college education. In 2007 a total of 7 inmates participated in the school release program. These inmates are not required to pay for their stay however, they are required to participate in other inmate programming.

Other offenders housed in the facility participate in the community service program. They are required to perform tasks for all types of governmental and non-profit agencies during the day. In the evenings, they receive drug and alcohol treatment counseling, anger management classes, AA, NA, and other educational programming to help them return to the community better than when they first arrived. Also for 2008 a new program was started called transitional day reporting were offenders complete a 30 day program in which they can go out with some supervision to find a job and housing a total of three offenders completed the program.

Offenders that participated in the Jail Treatment Program at the Maximum facility continue to receive treatment through Drug and Alcohol treatment counselors for their drug and alcohol problems. All offenders receive Anger Management classes which help curb the tendencies of being violent towards their families and members of society. With the continued and aftercare counseling this means offenders are less likely to drive while intoxicated, less likely to use and sell drugs in our communities, less likely to use violence against a spouse, their children, or others and return home a better person.

The total average daily headcount of the minimum jail is 28 inmates per day with 15 male work release, 11 minimum inmates and 5 prisoner workers. The average stay was 30 days for a total of 30 felons and 178 misdemeanors that were housed in the Minimum facility for the year 2008.