Lowell Correctional: What the DOJ Found Behind the Walls

In this episode of Unsealed, Joel takes listeners inside the largest women’s prison in the United States—Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Florida. Drawing on federal Department of Justice findings, investigative reporting from the Miami Herald, and recent PREA audits, this episode exposes a decades-long pattern of sexual abuse, retaliation, medical neglect, and impunity.

From the mysterious death of Latandra Ellington to the brutal beating of Cheryl Weimar, the stories out of Lowell reveal a system where oversight failed, predators thrived, and women were left unprotected. We explore how federal investigators found “reasonable cause” that conditions at Lowell violated the Eighth Amendment, and why, despite lawsuits, settlements, and public outrage, the prison remains open with many of the same problems unresolved.

Lowell is not just a story about one prison—it’s a mirror reflecting how society treats its most vulnerable. This is a hard look at what happens when the state grants power without accountability.