Erie County Prison – Erie, PA

Erie County Prison is in Erie County and is the primary jail for the region. Are you looking for someone locked up at Erie County Prison? This guide will tell you about anything you might want to know about Erie County Prison,such as: How to do a jail inmate search. How to view Erie County Prison mugshots. The jail’s address and phone number. Bail and how to get out of jail. Intake procedures. Court information and records. And much more…

The thought of going to jail is a scary thought, not only for whoever gets locked up, but also that person’s family, friends, and loved ones. This guide is designed to offer advice and information that you’ll need to make helping someone get out of jail less stressful. If you have a question, just ask it, and please leave any tips or comments that would be beneficial to other people in the same situation would be welcome.

Do you have a family member, loved one, or friend that is in jail and don’t know how to find out where they are?

Has a family member or friend that’s been arrested and you need to find them?

To find out who’s in jail at Erie County Prison you need to click on their web site and do an inmate search.

The Erie County Prison Inmate Locator is a list of people who are in jail, including custody status, bail amount, and visiting hours. Also, you can find information for anybody processed or discharged in the last 24 hours. Prisoners are listed alphabetically by last name. You will be able to locate their inmate information faster if you’ve got your friend or family member’s full name, date of birth, or arrest number.

If the inmate you are looking for might be in another county jail you can look here: Other County Jails in Pennsylvania

A mugshot, also called a booking photograph, is the photo taken by the police when you get booked into jail. A mugshot is make of one frontal photo and a profile photo. Your full name and jail ID number will be on the photos, and they are stored.

Mugshots of people who have been arrested can be searched on the Erie County Prison website, or you can view them at the Erie County Prison. When viewing online you will need to input their first and last name, and the arrest date, if you have it.

Need to know how to get your mugshot taken off of the Erie County Prison site? This will be difficult, since the mugshot is a matter of public record. To get your mugshot taken down you need to file a ‘Petition to Expunge’. Basically, this means that all of your arrest records would be sealed, and unavailable to the public. It is difficult to do this, and you will most likely need the services of a lawyer.

For more information about removing your mugshot, the different mugshot websites, and the mugshot removal services: How To Remove Your Mugshot from the Internet

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Naturally, once you’re locked up, your only thought is about when you get out. After you’ve gone through the intake process, bail will be set either through a preset bail schedule or a magistrate. If there is no bail set this might mean that you will either get released, pending trial, or you are kept in jail until your court date.

If you are released you must promise to go to your court date, and you must not go out of town.

In most cases, an inmate in the Erie County Prison are given time off for good behavior if they follow the rules and act right while they’re in jail.

If you do exhibit good behavior and the jail believes you can be trusted, you may be granted work release. You will either have to stay the jail each day when you’re finished working, or you could be allowed to move into a halfway house when you are not working.

Your bail is how much money that you will be required to pay to get out of jail until your trial. The amount you have to pay is determined by what crime you are charged with and how serious it is. You will have to put up 10 percent of the total amount that was determined so you can get discharged from jail. If you fail to show up for your scheduled court date, whoever posted your bail will lose that money.

To find out someone’s bail amount you must call the jail or the county courthouse. If know the pertinent information, like name, address and date of birth, they’ll let you know the bail amount. Also, you can check their bail amount and status on the Erie County Prison website.

Needing to bail someone out of jail is never fun, but in some cases, it’s very simple to do. First, figure out if their bail is a “Cash Bond Only”. If this is the case, you will not be able to get a Bail Bondsman. They only accept cash at the jail, so you have to take cash – the jail will not take a personal check. As soon as you’ve posted (paid) bond, the prisoner will be released. If this person doesn’t violate any of the terms of their release, the bail money you posted will be returned to you.

If the bail amount is too high, or you can’t afford it, you should try to hire a bail bondsman. Bail bondsmen will usually have a fee of 10-15% of the total bail amount, and sometimes charge a minimum of $100. This money will not be returned to you and must be paid in cash. If the bail is exceptionally high, the bail bondsman will usually require that they use your assets as collateral.

You can find a local bail bondsman visit our page about: Bail bondsman

Have you ever had to find a bail bondsman for someone you know or yourself? If you have, post a comment below and tell about it, and let us know how things turned out.

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• Get Time Off For Good Behavior
• Get Out on Work Release
• Get Out For Time Served
• Pre-Trial Release Programs
• House Arrest
• Be Released on Your Own Recognizance

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The intake process is made up of each of the following steps:

• You will be placed in a holding cell. If there are a lot of arrests, you may not be processed immediately.
• You will have to answer some simple questions, like what is your full legal name, street address, birth date and an emergency contact person.
• They’ll also ask you about your medical and psychological history.
• You will be given an inmate number.
• Your fingerprints will be taken.
• You will get your mugshot taken.
• All of your personal property will be taken away from you and stored until you are released.
• You will then be allowed to make a phone call so you can contact a family member, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If you are expected to be released shortly, they will let you keep wearing your own clothes, but if you are not expected to make bail quickly you will be issued a jail uniform – the jumpsuit.

Have you ever been arrested and gone through the jail intake procedure? If so, please tell your story. How long did it take? Were you treated fairly? Can you share any things that might help other people that get arrested make it through the procedure?

Click here to share your story

When you post bail, you will get released from jail. Getting discharged from jail takes anywhere between 15 minutes to many hours. So, the quicker you post bail, the faster you will get discharged. Also, it might depend on whether you’ve been given a cash bond or if a judge still needs to determine how much your bail will be. For a minor charge, you will get booked and get released without having to post bail. When you have completed your jail sentence and know the date of your release, you should plan to get discharged at any time that day – but usually in the morning.

for your arrest, or if you must start a jail sentence, it is highly advisable that you follow the rules and turn yourself in. If it is for a warrant, go down to the jail reception area, and tell the intake officer that you think there is an outstanding arrest warrant out for you. The officer will verify that you have an outstanding arrest warrant, and if you do, you will be taken into the sheriff’s custody. If you have a jail sentence to serve, report at the time and date that the sentence order lists. Make sure that you get don’t get there late, or they may decide to arrest you. Just bring allowed items with you, such as a driver’s license or photo ID, any prescription medication you might take, along with your doctor’s prescription, and a sentencing order from court.

To have visitors, you must give information about each visitor to the jail before anyone can visit them. Your visitors will be entered in the log for the requesting inmate. Each visitor must provide acceptable photo identification. Anyone that arrives for visitation late or without a visiting order will be turned away.
Visitation procedures at Erie County Prison change often, so you should visit the official site before you visit an inmate.

Phone calls that inmates are allowed to make from jail are with a pre-paid phone card or account, or are collect calls . Phone calls made in jail are much more expensive than phone calls made outside of jail. Inmates are able to make phone calls, with restrictions on how often you can use the phone, but bear in mind that every inmate wants to use the phone too, so they can call their family. If you are disciplined for an infraction, an inmate’s phone privileges may be limited or totally denied.

The Erie County Prison phone number is: (814) 451-7500

Any mail that you send to an inmate is required to be sent using the actual US Postal Service, and not courier or delivery, or hand delivered. You shouldn’t use any other type of mail delivery. You must write the inmate’s name, inmate ID, and jail address on the envelope. Don’t mail anything in a package, envelope with padding, plastic or paper bag, or an envelope with metal in it. All mail received by the jail is opened and reviewed by the officers at the jail, and the mail will be sent back if deemed inappropriate.

Use this address when sending a letter to an inmate at Erie County Prison:

Erie County Prison
140 West Sixth Street
Erie, PA 16501

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Erie County Prison
140 West Sixth Street
Erie, PA 16501

The mail policy can change, so it would be best to review the the Erie County Prison website when send a letter to someone in jail there.

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Even if you’ve been arrested, you have certain rights, one of these is your right to request a lawyer. You don’t get to make many phone calls when you get arrested, so you would be wise to get a friend or relative to find an attorney when you talk to them. You may be thinking ‘do I really need a lawyer?’ While you are not required to have one, a criminal defense attorney will advise you about your rights, help protect your interests and help you navigate the criminal justice system that you are now faced with. The sooner you hire a lawyer to represent you and work on your criminal case, the better.

For more information on the benefits of hiring a lawyer, go to: Find a Lawyer

If you’ve been arrested and don’t have the money to hire a lawyer, you will be given a public defender for a lawyer. The Public Defender Office has a number of staff such as independent investigators, experts in forensics and case workers. All Public Defenders are bona-fide lawyers, members of the Pennsylvania State Bar and are completely licensed to practice law and represent you in court.

Have you or someone you know used a Public Defender or court appointed attorney? What was your experience?

All court records are public and available to anyone who requests them. Court records include a file with a docket and each of the documents in your case. You, and anyone else, can access your court records via the internet service, or by going to the Erie County Clerk of Court.

The Erie County Clerk of Court is an officer of the court that maintains the records. The Clerk of Court also administer the oath for anyone testifying in court, and also read the verdict when decided by the jury. All records from your case are kept and available to you at Erie County Clerk of Court office.

Court fees are the charges associated with your case, such as for example filing charges, motion and claim fees, and court appearance fees. If you are low income and have a court appointed attorney, you may not have to pay them.

The Erie County court magistrate is the judge who presides over your case. Magistrate judges do a number of things, such as setting bail amounts, issuing warrants, and acting as the presiding judge over initial court appearances and detention hearings.

A defendant’s pre-sentencing report is prepared with information about the defendant’s background and information about the arrestee’s life, which the judge will take into consideration when determining your sentence. Information and personal details will be solicited from the person on trial, his or her family members, and if necessary the victim in the crime. Don’t forget you are able to ask to receive your own copy of this report prior to sentencing, so you can correct the mistakes.

After you are convicted of a crime, you will be sentenced. The presiding judge in your case will weigh several options when determining your sentence, ranging from community service and probation, to prison or jail time. Depending on sentencing guidelines and the severity of your crime, you will either be immediately taken into custody, or you could receive a date that you are required to report to jail to serve out your sentence.

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Want to find out if a family member or friend is incarcerated, or has ever been in jail?

To do so, you need to query the Erie County jail website, and do a search using:

• The inmate’s name.
• Birthdate.
• Their approximate booking date.
• and their jail inmate ID.

If you’re not sure if your friend or family member is in jail, you can also call the jail to find out.

If you believe you have a warrant out for your arrest, you can access arrest warrants on the website or you can call the jail. You have to have their first and last name. Or, you can just go the jail in person and ask them. Keep in mind that if there is a warrant for your arrest, they will take you into custody immediately.

If you know the person’s first and last name, as well as their arrest date, contact the jail, on the phone, go there in person, or you can check online. Arrest records are public record and these records are available to anyone.

Civil processes are when you get served with papers, such as court orders. You can access civil process orders by going to the Sheriff’s office, by phone or online.

All people registered as sex offenders must be listed and registered on the sex offender databases required by the area they live in. The people listed on these databases have been tried by jury and convicted in a court of law of a sex offense. You can access these offenders online, but you should know that you will not be able to see the exact address, rather the address block of the address that they registered.

Court Records are public records and available to anyone. These records include a court case file that contains a docket sheet and all filings and documents filed in the case. You are able to access the court records on the website, or at Clerk of Court office where the case was filed.

Each state maintains a record of someone’s criminal background. These databases are linked together so you are able to track criminal backgrounds from any other state. You can go to county courthouse and inquire in person, or you can check the website. It is helpful to know the county, and in the event that the crime was in a completely different state, you may have to pay a fee for a more intensive search.

A search of someone’s criminal history you are able to get a listing of all the arrests, charges, or convictions for any crimes they may have committed, which could include:

• Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
• Drug crimes like possession or trafficking.
• Kidnapping.
• Rape or other sexual assault.
• Violent crimes.
• Breaking and entering, theft, larceny.

During a criminal records search, usually won’t find if someone has had any moving violations, like:

• Speeding.
• Lost their driver’s license or license revoked or suspended.
• Any accidents.
• Minor infractions or moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To find driving histories, you have to do a driving records search.

Have you ever needed to find criminal records? How easy was it? Did you search online or did you have to call the local courthouse? Did you get information that was correct? There are plenty of reasons that people search for criminal records, and your story might help other people that are in the same situation.

Click here to share your story

Most Wanted

The FBI maintains a list of the Ten Most Wanted Criminals. In Erie County, the Erie County Sheriff has a list of most wanted criminals, too.

FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List


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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

Everyone knows that serving a jail sentence in Erie County Prison is very scary, eventually you will become accustomed to the daily routine there. Inmates get an alarm for wake-up every morning at 6:00 AM, and then you’ll have roll call. Then you will have breakfast. After breakfast, you will be required to work in the program that has been assigned to you. This could be working in the kitchen, laundry, or some sort of manufacturing job. While this may seem tedious, it may help you when you leave jail, as you are gaining experience in a certain field of work. Other inmates go to school, while some take part in mandated treatment programs. After lunch, there will be another roll call, then back to work. Your evening will be spent either in your cell or a common room. During this time dinner is served and you will be expected to take a shower. After another roll call, it’s lights out. Even though you will be confined to your cell, there may be enough light to read or write letters. Then again, most inmates welcome lights out, and try to get as much sleep as they can.

Most people are frightened at the idea of jail because they don’t know what to expect. If you have spent any time in Erie County Prison, your experiences would be welcomed, if it can help another person to deal with it.

Dress Code

When incarcerated, all inmates are expected to wear the Erie County Prison uniform. This is normally a jumpsuit or scrubs. Of note to anyone visiting an inmate – you must be properly dressed. Any clothing considered inappropriate will not be permitted.

How To Send Money to an Inmate

You will have your own ‘bank account’ while in jail. This money is used to purchase items from the Commissary. Family and friends can deposit money into this account for you, and any money you earn while in prison will also be deposited into your account. Outside money can be paid in to your account via a money order, cash or check. If someone sends a check or money order, make sure that they write your inmate ID on it. The maximum amount you are allowed in your account is $290 per month.

The rules for sending funds to Erie County Prison inmates could change, so you should double check the official website when you send any money.


Commissary

The commissary is the jail store. You can purchase a number of things here, such as toiletries, snacks and writing supplies. Bear in mind that you will probably want to use the commissary daily, and any infractions will get that privilege taken away from you.

Inmate Medications

If you are on any type of prescription medication, you will be allowed to continue taking it while in jail. When you are first processed, you will be asked what medication you take. You will then be referred to the jail nurse or doctor who will be in charge of monitoring your health and prescribing your medication.

Meals

You will get three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. As expected, they are very basic, but healthy. A typical breakfast might be cereal, toast, coffee and fruit. Lunch might be spaghetti, salad, bread and milk. Dinner could be chicken casserole, rice, vegetables, dessert and milk. Contrary to popular belief, prison food has greatly improved over the years, and you might find that it’s not much different from what you would eat at home.

Pods / The Yard

The jail is designed in a ‘pod’ layout, with self-contained housing arranged around an outdoor yard. Each pod has a central control station and a common room, and the inmates take turns in using the yard. The jail is designed this way to keep certain inmates together, and others away from the general population.

Gangs

As with life in general, gangs are a part of prison life. Obviously it is best to avoid becoming a part of this environment as it will only lead to trouble. When you first enter prison, you might find yourself being ‘primed’ to join a gang, or worse, you might get their attention in a negative way. The best thing to do is keep your head down and don’t get involved.


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News and Media

News

Photos / Pictures

Videos


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Jobs

Types of Jobs at Erie County Prison

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Erie County Prison, overseeing the day to day operations and administration of the jail. An inmate is unlikely to have much interaction with the Deputy Sheriff, unless they have committed an infraction. Detention Officers are responsible for the custody and care of the inmates. They maintain order in the jail, and handle security. A Detention Officer is assigned to a certain pod, and therefore is responsible for the same inmates each day. They get to know the inmates on a certain level and are well equipped to handle any problems that may occur.

Apply for a Job at Erie County Prison

Requirements:

• You must be over the age of 21.
• You must possess a High School Diploma or GED
• You must be a US Citizen.
• You must pass a Criminal, Credit and Driving History background check.
• You must pass a drug test.
• You must have a good level of fitness.
• You must be in good health.
• You must have a valid Driver’s License
• An applicant for Deputy Sheriff must possess a Law Enforcement Certification.


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Family Resources

There are resources for families of both the perpetrator of the crime and the victim. The social and emotional impact of crime is far reaching, affecting many. Families can receive professional counseling, court related assistance, social services assistance and help in navigating the criminal justice system.

If you are a family member, which resources did you find to be particularly helpful? Please let us know, as this will be helpful to other families in the same situation.

Click here to tell your story


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Victim Resources

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.

Victim’s Rights

The Victim Rights Act grants victims the following rights:

• The right to protection from the accused.
• The right to notification.
• The right to attend proceedings.
• The right to speak at criminal justice proceedings.
• The right to consult with the prosecuting attorney.
• The right to restitution.
• The right to a speedy trial.
• The right to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

The definition of victim includes:

• Spouses and children of all victims.
• Parents and guardians of minor victims.
• Parents, guardians and siblings of mentally or physically incapacitated victims or victims of homicide.
• Foster parents or other caregivers, under certain circumstances.

There are a number of services and programs designed to help victims and their families. You can find out about these services by contacting the courthouse, or local law enforcement agency.

Victim Notification

The Department of Justice Victim Notification System (VNS) is a system that provides victims with information pertaining to their case and/or any defendants in the case. You will receive a Victim Identification Number (VIN) and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will allow you to access VNS via the internet or by phone. Here, you will find information about future court hearings, historical court events, and detailed information about the defendant. This will include criminal charges filed, the outcome of charges, sentence imposed, custody location, projected release date and any other release information. The VNS website is updated daily. You will also receive any ongoing information by mail or email.

Have you, a family member or friend ever used the Victim Notification System? If so, was it effective? Did you get the information in a timely manner? Was the system difficult to use? We would like to hear from you, so please post any comments here.

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Sex Offender Information and Search

All people registered as sex offenders are registered on either a national or state sex offender database. The people on these databases have been convicted of a sex or kidnapping crime. You can access this information online, but bear in mind that you will not get the exact address, rather the block that they live on.

Domestic Violence

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are services to help you. Your county will have a Domestic Violence Services office. They provide free and confidential services, such as emergency shelter information, legal advocacy, support groups and domestic violence education. They will work to help you create a safe and violence-free life, and heal from the trauma of abuse.

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.


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Reviews

Reviews of this Jail

Have you ever spent any time in Erie County Prison? Do you have a friend or family member that spent time there? Have you ever been to visit someone there?

If your answer is yes, then you should write a review about it. Write down your experience so that other people can find out what to expect.

Things you might want to write in your review:

• Conditions in Erie County Prison.
• Jail, yard and pod layout and facility
• Guards and jail staff
• Commissary and food
• Having Visitors
• Other Inmates.
• Prisoner safety
• Gangs
• Inmate programs and activities


Speak Your Mind

Tell Your Story

Anyone who’s ever been arrested and sent to jail has a story to tell. Why were you locked up? How did the guards treat you? How was life in jail? How did you get along with the other inmates? How did it affect you to go to jail?

Click here to tell about all about it

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Did you meet some cool folks in jail? Trying to say wassup to a person you met in jail? Leave a message for them here.

Post a message to people incarcerated at Erie County Prison


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