Erie County PA Prison

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Erie County PA Prison basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 814-451-7500

This facility is for adult inmates.

The Erie County PA Prison is a medium-security detention center located at 1618 Ash St in Erie, PA. This county jail is operated locally by the Erie County Sheriff's Office and holds inmates awaiting trial or sentencing. Most of the sentenced inmates are here for less than two years. Erie County accepts inmates from surrounding towns, municipalities, the US Marshal's Service and the Erie Police Department who do not have their own long-term lock-up.

There are new detainees delivered to the jail daily, you can see arrest records here. Some are released after putting up bail, are released to a pretrial services caseload, are placed under supervision by a probation agency, or are released on their own recognizance with an agreement to appear in court. If there is no release, the inmate must wait here at the jail for their court appearance as a guest of the County, getting a bed and three square meals.

Trustees are inmates who work in the jail as cooks, as orderlies for the staff, in the laundry or in the commissary. The trustees are paid a very small amount for their time and some jail gives the trustees a few days off their sentence in exchange for their work.

When an inmate arrives in jail they are put together in a large holding cell with other inmates in the intake. While in intake they are under heightened observation. Violent and out of control inmates are segregated.

Can I Get Work Release?

Work release is when you are released from jail during the day so that you can go to work. At the end of the day, you return to jail for the night. There are a number of requirements to be able to get into the work-release program. Most programs require your employer to fill out some paperwork. If you want to get into the work release program then apply prior to being sentenced to jail. This will minimize the amount of time you spend in jail waiting to get into the program.

Can I call my family in Jail?

Erie County PA Prison has a phone program where inmates make outbound calls only, you cannot call into jail. Since you are paying for those calls don't make it a habit of accepting collect-calls, they are over $15 each. The alternative is to set up an account through their third-party phone company which charges steep fees for each minute used. You are paying for them to call you. Click here if you are going to speak a lot and need a discount on the calls.

Remember – These phone calls are recorded and conversations can be used against you or the inmate so do not discuss your case over these phone lines.

visitation Info

Erie County PA Prison – Visitation

In order to visit an inmate, the inmate must sign your name on the visiting list for that pod's visiting date. Failure to do so will result in the denial of the visit.

Visiting Days of Operation:

A-Pod – Friday
B-Pod – Saturday
C-Pod – Sunday
D-Pod – Monday
F-Pod – Tuesday
G-Pod – Wednesday
J-Pod – Thursday
E-#1 – Tuesday
E-#2 – Tuesday
A-RHU – Friday
Special Housing – Tuesday

Visiting Hours of Operation

7:30am-8:00am (By Appointment for Administrative Segregation-Protective Custody/Medical on Housing Unit’s visiting day)
8:00 am-11:00am
12:30pm-2:00pm
6:00pm-9:30pm
E-#1: Tuesday, 7:30am-8:30am
E-#2: Tuesday: 8:30am-9:30am
RHU Special Visits (by appointment only): Tuesday: 9:30am-10:30am
FF-Pod Special Visits (by appointment only): Tuesday: 12:30pm-2:00pm and 6:00pm-9:30pm
A-RHU: Friday, 8:00am-9:00am
B-Juvenile: Saturday, 8:00am-9:00am

Visiting Time Limits

AA, BB, CC, DD, GG, and JJ-Pods: One day weekly per scheduled visiting day with three (3) individual time slots of twenty (20) minutes each. A maximum of sixty (60) minutes in duration.

F – Pod: One day weekly per scheduled visiting day with two (2) individual time slots of twenty (20) minutes each. A maximum of forty (40) minutes in duration.

Restrictive Housing/Segregation/Special Housing: One day weekly per scheduled visiting day with one (1) individual time slot of thirty (30) minutes.

A mother/father or legal guardian may have no more than two (2) minors accompany them.
- Minors must be with their legal guardian and must have proof of guardianship. Any minor over 2 years of age must have their own time slot.
- Minors, under the age of 18, must be properly supervised and remain with their legal guardian at all times.
- Proof in the form of a birth certificate, adoption papers, court order, etc. is required for minors to visit.
An inmate is permitted no more than three (3) individual visitors. (Exception: mother/father and two minors)
Inmates may use the available times slots in any combination, but any multiple visits must be taken consecutively
- Inmates that have a visitor/s for more than one 20 minute time slot will remain in the visiting room until the completion of their scheduled visits
Family visitors will be allowed to visit only one inmate at a time.