Folkston ICE is for US Immigration & Customs Enforcement-ICE offenders have not been sentenced yet and are detained here until their case is heard.
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The phone carrier is GettingOut.com, to see their rates and best-calling plans for your inmate to call you.
If you are unsure of your inmate's location, you can search and locate your inmate by typing in their last name, first name or first initial, and/or the offender ID number to get their accurate information immediately Registered Offenders
Folkston ICE is an immigration detention facility in Folkston, GA. Detainees are held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while their immigration cases are processed, including hearings, deportation proceedings, or asylum claims. To locate a detainee, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System at locator.ice.gov with the detainee's A-Number or full name and country of birth.
To find an ICE inmate, please use the Detainee Locator System with the A-Number search being the most efficient method. The A-number must be exactly nine digits; if shorter, zeros should be added at the beginning. When searching by name, the first and last names must be entered as an exact match, and the detainee's correct country of birth must be selected. Please note that records of individuals under 18 cannot be searched.
Detainees at this facility are assigned to housing based on their custody level, determined by various factors including sentence length and criminal history. The detention center provides a wide range of educational and vocational training programs. Additionally, the facility is equipped to meet most detainee needs, including dietary, health, fitness, education, religious practices, and entertainment. As a privately operated facility, it undergoes frequent inspections to ensure it remains in top condition, maintaining a clean record to secure ongoing government contracts.
The Folkston ICE Processing Center in Folkston, Georgia, is one of the largest and fastest-growing immigration detention facilities in the United States. Operated by GEO Group under contract with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the facility houses ICE detainees awaiting immigration hearings, asylum proceedings, deportation actions, or transfer within the federal detention system. Located in Charlton County near the Florida border and adjacent to the Okefenokee Swamp region, the detention center currently maintains approximately 1,118 operational beds, though expansion projects approved during 2025 are expected to increase total detention capacity to nearly 3,000 beds by incorporating the neighboring D. Ray James facility into a unified detention complex.
The facility, also referred to in some federal records as the Folkston D. Ray ICE Processing Center, operates as a major hub for immigration detention operations throughout the southeastern United States. GEO Group personnel oversee intake processing, transportation coordination, medical services, detainee supervision, legal visitation operations, food services, recreation programs, and institutional security under ICE detention standards. The detention center contains secure housing units, attorney visitation sections, medical and mental health clinics, transportation staging areas, dining facilities, recreation yards, and administrative offices supporting around-the-clock detention operations. ICE detainees housed at Folkston are often transferred from Florida, Georgia, and other southeastern states as federal detention populations continue expanding nationwide. Search here - ICE Detainee Locator.
ICE Detainee Information
This facility holds immigration detainees under an active contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in addition to its regular population. ICE detainees are civil immigration detainees, not criminal defendants, and are held while their immigration cases are processed. The rules, rights, and services that apply to ICE detainees differ from those that apply to the general jail population.
To locate an ICE detainee at this facility, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator at locator.ice.gov. You will need the detainee's A-Number, a nine-digit Alien Registration Number that appears on any immigration document they have received. If the A-Number has fewer than nine digits, add zeros at the beginning. If you do not have the A-Number, you can search using the detainee's full legal name, country of birth, and date of birth. Names must be an exact match; try variations if the first search returns no results.
Immigration bond works differently from criminal bail. Not all detainees are eligible for bond; those with certain criminal convictions or prior deportation orders may be subject to mandatory detention. For those who are eligible, bond is set by an immigration judge and typically ranges from $1,500 to over $10,000. Bond must be paid in full before release. An immigration attorney can request a bond hearing and argue for a lower amount based on the detainee's circumstances.
Unlike criminal defendants, ICE detainees do not have the right to a government-appointed attorney. They must hire a private immigration attorney or find free legal help through a nonprofit organization. RAICES provides legal services and bond assistance at raicestexas.org. The National Immigrant Justice Center offers free legal representation at immigrantjustice.org. Many immigration courts also maintain a list of free and low-cost legal service providers available to detainees upon request.
ICE transfers detainees between facilities frequently and with little advance notice, sometimes to locations far from family and legal counsel. If you cannot locate your family member through this page, search the ICE Online Detainee Locator again at locator.ice.gov with their A-Number. If they have an attorney, notify the attorney immediately as transfers affect court appearances and case timelines.
Following the intake process, which includes property inventory, medical screening, and booking, inmates are assigned to the general population. Housing assignments are based on the classification of their charges, whether felony or misdemeanor, to ensure proper management and safety within the facility.
After processing, inmates are assigned to a housing area based on classification. Compliance with jail rules typically results in a lower classification and more privileges, while rule violations or additional charges lead to a higher classification and fewer privileges. Inmates serving as trustees within the jail undertake various tasks, including cooking, laundry, and commissary management, often receiving minimal compensation or sentence reduction for their services.
The jail is designed with "pods," featuring a large common area with affixed tables and attached seats, and individual cells typically on two levels. Inmates spend certain times in their cells and other times congregating in the pod for activities like playing cards, games, reading, or watching television. Movement outside the pod, such as trips to the commissary, library, or recreation area, occurs under the constant supervision of unarmed correctional officers.
The jail offers a phone program for outbound calls only, with inmates unable to receive incoming calls. Accepting collect calls can be expensive, sometimes exceeding $10 per call. Alternatively, setting up an account through a third-party phone company may entail high fees per minute of usage. Click here for discounts on inmate calls, especially if the communication with your inmate is frequent. It's important to remember that all phone calls are recorded, and discussing sensitive legal matters over these lines is discouraged.
Books and magazines ordered for inmates must come directly from the publisher. This policy ensures that the items are new, untampered, and comply with the facility's regulations. The Jail enforces this rule to prevent the introduction of contraband or prohibited materials. By restricting orders to publishers, the facility can better maintain security and control over the content entering the institution. Any books or magazines not received directly from the publisher will be rejected and not delivered to the inmate. You may, however, send letters and selfies to inmates with this easy-to-use app, packages starting at only $8.00.
Inmate workers are chosen based on conduct and cooperation with staff. Participation in the community service program can sometimes reduce sentences. Commissary is available weekly, with orders submitted via kiosk two days in advance. On holidays, there may be increased spending limits. Upon receiving commissary items, inmates must present their ID, check their order, and sign for it in the presence of the commissary employee. Indigent inmates are provided with all essential basic hygiene items including USPS stamps and writing materials.
The detention center has become nationally significant because of its rapid expansion plans and growing role within the federal immigration detention system. GEO Group and ICE officials announced during 2025 that the facility would undergo a major enlargement project expected to make Folkston one of the largest ICE detention complexes in the country. Expansion agreements approved by Charlton County and federal officials projected nearly 400 additional jobs and tens of millions of dollars in annual economic activity tied to the project. Supporters within the region described the detention center as a major economic engine for rural southeast Georgia, particularly after years of declining industrial employment and healthcare infrastructure losses in the area.
The Folkston ICE Processing Center has also faced repeated criticism and legal scrutiny involving detainee conditions, healthcare access, use-of-force allegations, and detention practices. Advocacy organizations and immigrant rights groups have accused the facility of medical neglect, excessive force, retaliatory confinement practices, and inadequate living conditions. Federal inspectors previously documented issues involving unsanitary bathrooms, mold, recreation limitations, and incomplete facility documentation. In 2024, the detention center received national attention following the death of detainee Jaspal Singh while in ICE custody, leading advocacy groups to demand additional federal investigations into detention conditions at the facility.
Unlike many county jails participating in ICE contracts, the Folkston facility operates as a dedicated large-scale immigration detention center specifically designed for long-term federal immigration detention operations. The prison-like complex includes high-security perimeter fencing, extensive surveillance infrastructure, transportation coordination systems, and large-scale detainee housing operations rarely seen in rural Georgia communities. The facility’s expansion has transformed Folkston into one of the most important immigration detention hubs in the country and placed the small Charlton County community at the center of ongoing national debates involving immigration enforcement, private detention contracts, detainee rights, and the rapid growth of federal immigration detention capacity in the United States.
