Diamondback Correctional is for Private Facility offenders have not been sentenced yet and are detained here until their case is heard.
All prisons and jails have Security or Custody levels depending on the inmate’s classification, sentence, and criminal history. Please review the rules and regulations for Medium facility.
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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
Located in Watonga, OK, Diamondback Correctional operates as a private contractor with various government agency agreements providing state-minimum custody requirements. Programs are offered to all custody levels, including work release residents focused on reentry success. With a strong emphasis on rehabilitation, Diamondback Correctional provides comprehensive educational and vocational opportunities. Onsite amenities include dietary, health, fitness, educational, religious, and recreational services. Regular inspections ensure compliance with government standards, ensuring the facility's continued operation.
The Diamondback Correctional Facility in Watonga, Oklahoma, is a large private detention complex operated by CoreCivic that is being reactivated to house ICE detainees under contract with the Department of Homeland Security. Located in Blaine County northwest of Oklahoma City, the facility originally opened in 1998 but remained largely dormant for more than a decade before federal immigration enforcement contracts revived operations. Public contract records and CoreCivic operational statements identify the prison as having a capacity of approximately 2,160 beds, making it one of the largest immigration detention facilities planned for operation in the central United States. The facility is currently overseen by Warden Fred Figueroa, a longtime CoreCivic corrections executive with previous leadership experience at the Eloy Detention Center, Otay Mesa Detention Center, and multiple state and federal correctional institutions.
The reopening of Diamondback Correctional Facility came through agreements involving ICE, CoreCivic, and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections as part of a major expansion of federal immigration detention capacity. Under the contract structure, the prison is expected to house immigration detainees arrested or transferred through federal enforcement operations across the southern and central United States. Reports indicate the five-year agreement could generate nearly $100 million annually once the facility reaches full operational capacity. CoreCivic officials have stated that the detention center is capable of rapid activation because the prison infrastructure, perimeter security systems, housing units, intake areas, kitchens, medical facilities, and transportation systems were maintained during its years of inactivity
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.
The facility’s reopening has generated substantial political debate throughout Oklahoma and nationally. Supporters argue the detention center will bring jobs and economic activity back to Watonga, where the prison historically served as one of the area’s largest employers. Critics, including immigration advocates and criminal justice reform groups, have raised concerns involving private prison expansion, detainee treatment, oversight transparency, and the growing role of ICE detention contracts in rural communities. Despite ongoing controversy, Diamondback Correctional Facility is expected to become a major component of the DHS immigration detention system as federal authorities continue expanding detention capacity nationwide.