Look Up Lake City Correctional Facility Inmates

Lake City Correctional Facility Overview

Lake City Correctional Facility is operated by CoreCivic, once known as Corrections Corporation of America. The company runs it under a contract with the state, through the Department of Management Services and the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC). It is not a county jail. The men held here are youthful offenders, generally ages 18 to 24, who have been sentenced to state prison. The facility opened in 1997 to house young male inmates, and it remains one of seven private or contract prisons that the FDC monitors. Because it is a state prison, a search for someone held here runs through the FDC offender search, not the local jail roster.

The facility runs an Extended Day Program for youthful offenders under Chapter 958 of Florida law. That program fills a 16-hour day with at least 12 hours of structured activity. It blends work assignments, school, vocational training, counseling, behavior coaching, military-style drills, discipline, and re-entry preparation. The goal is to send young men back to the community with skills and habits that keep them out of prison. The FDC institution page describes the male youthful population and the rated capacity, currently listed at 894.

Lake City Correctional Facility Capacity and Population

The current FDC institution page lists the rated capacity at 894. A more detailed picture came from the 2024 federal prison-audit report, whose final version was submitted June 9, 2024. That report gave a designed capacity of 950 and a current population of 876. It also recorded a 12-month average daily population of 864 and a day-one onsite population of 871. Average daily population, or ADP, is the typical number of people held over a stretch of time. The stat block below pairs the published rated capacity with the audit population so the figures stay sourced.

Note: the audit also logged a 12-month ADP of 864 and a designed capacity of 950, so the headcount sits close to capacity but shifts as inmates arrive and leave.

How to Look Up an Inmate at Lake City Correctional Facility

This is a state prison, so its inmates are not on the county jail roster. To find someone here, use the Florida Department of Corrections offender search, or begin at the FDC inmate information menu. The state system finds sentenced inmates by name or by DC number, the unique state identifier. A DC number gives the most precise result. A name search works as well, and partial last names can help.

1. Open the FDC offender search and select the inmate population search.
2. Enter the DC number, or type the last name and first name.
3. Confirm the current facility shown is Lake City Correctional Facility.
4. Open the profile for the offense, sentence, custody status, and release details.

A few terms make the state result easier to read:

DC Number

The unique state identifier assigned to each inmate.

Youthful Offender

A sentencing track under Chapter 958 for young adults, generally ages 18 to 24.

Custody Status

Whether the person is held, released, or under supervision.

Current Facility

The prison where the inmate is held right now.

Lake City Correctional Facility Address and Contact

The facility sits east of Lake City off US-90. Use the main line for general questions, and the chaplain extension for emergency or family-message requests. The FDC institution page carries the current address and phone details.

The state posts the facility overview on its Lake City Correctional Facility institution page, which lists the address, phone, capacity, youthful offender details, and programs.

The state page confirms the male youthful offender population and the CoreCivic contract, which is why the search runs through the FDC system rather than the county roster.

To reach the facility by road, take I-75 to Exit 427 for US-90 East and drive about 12 miles, with the facility on the right. The FDC warns that GPS and mapping apps may misroute drivers to prisons, so follow the official directions rather than a navigation app.

Visiting Someone at Lake City Correctional Facility

Prison visits work differently from county jail visits. You usually must be approved and placed on the inmate's visiting list before you can come. The FDC requires a visitor application and approval, and it controls the days and hours. Visits here generally run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern time. Youthful offender prisons add their own rules, so confirm the current schedule before you travel. Bring a valid photo ID and follow the dress code.

To get on the list, submit the FDC visitation form and wait for approval. Note: youthful offender visiting rules and hours can change, so call the facility and confirm before you drive out.

Mail, Phone, and Money at Lake City Correctional Facility

Mail, phone, and money for state inmates move through FDC and contract-operator channels, not the county jail vendors. Address letters to the inmate by full name and DC number at the facility. The phone, messaging, and deposit services are set by the state and the contract operator. Confirm the current vendor and deposit method on the FDC institution page or with the facility before sending funds.

Reception and Classification at Lake City Correctional Facility

State prisons do not book people off the street. A young man arrives here through reception and classification after a court sentences him to state prison. In Columbia County, once a person is sentenced, the sheriff's classification staff prepare a commitment packet, and the state takes custody. Eligible youthful offenders, generally ages 18 to 24, can be placed here under Chapter 958. From there, staff assess each inmate, set a custody level, and assign housing and programs.

Custody levels at the facility span community, minimum, medium, and close. Classification decides where an inmate lives and which programs he joins, from the Extended Day Program to vocational tracks. People first arrested in the county move from the Columbia County jail into state custody this way, and that transfer is when they appear on the FDC offender search instead of the local roster.

About Lake City Correctional Facility

The prison opened in 1997 to house male youthful offenders, and CoreCivic has operated it under state contract. Warden James Deal has been named in FDC page material. The program lineup is broad for a single facility. Academic tracks include Adult Basic Education, GED, and a volunteer literacy program. Vocational training covers barbering, commercial foods and culinary arts, environmental services, HVAC, and tile setting. Substance-abuse help includes a residential therapeutic community and prevention classes.

Betterment and re-entry offerings round out the day, including a 100-hour transition program, a law library, a general library, parenting, victim impact, and wellness. This mix reflects the youthful offender mission, which leans hard on second chances and skill building. The facility is one of several state-corrections sites in Columbia County, alongside Columbia Correctional Institution, its annex, and Bridges of Lake City CRC. That cluster of prisons is a big reason a Lake City inmate search so often points to the state system rather than the county jail.

The vocational tracks are a core part of what sets this prison apart. Young men can earn skills they carry home after release. The trade programs listed by the state include:

• Barbering, with hands-on training toward licensed work.
• Commercial foods and culinary arts.
• Environmental services.
• HVAC, covering heating and cooling systems.
• Tile setting.

Substance-abuse help runs alongside the trades. The facility offers a residential therapeutic community and prevention classes for inmates who need that support. The whole model rests on the Extended Day Program, which keeps young men busy and structured for most of the day rather than idle.