Pine Prairie IPC is for US Immigration & Customs Enforcement-ICE 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.
The phone carrier is Global Tel Link (GTL) - ConnectNetwork, 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
Pine Prairie IPC is an immigration detention facility in Pine Prairie, LA. 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 detainee, 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 Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Pine Prairie, Louisiana, is one of the largest immigration detention facilities operating in the Deep South and houses ICE detainees under contract with the Department of Homeland Security. The facility is operated by the private prison corporation GEO Group rather than a county sheriff’s office, although it maintains close operational ties with local and federal law enforcement agencies throughout Louisiana. Located in rural Evangeline Parish, the detention center sits within a region that has become heavily concentrated with immigration detention facilities over the past decade. The center works directly with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and serves as a major detention hub for immigrants detained throughout Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and other Gulf Coast states.
The facility maintains a rated detention capacity of 1,094 detainees, although ICE population data from 2025 showed detainee counts frequently exceeding both contractual and operational capacity during major immigration enforcement surges. Federal detention records documented periods where Pine Prairie held more than 900 detainees at a time, substantially above earlier ICE contractual bed limits. ICE detainees housed at the facility are generally individuals awaiting asylum hearings, deportation proceedings, immigration bond determinations, or transfer to other detention centers nationwide. The detention center has become one of the busiest ICE detention facilities in Louisiana as DHS continues expanding detention operations throughout the region.
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.
One of the most distinctive characteristics of the Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center is its location in rural south Louisiana, far from major metropolitan legal and advocacy networks. Immigration attorneys and civil rights groups have repeatedly criticized the remoteness of the facility, arguing that detainees often face major challenges obtaining legal representation and maintaining family contact. The detention center sits along a rural highway surrounded by farmland and small communities, reflecting the broader trend of large immigration detention facilities being concentrated in isolated Southern locations. The facility also became the center of major political and economic discussions in Evangeline Parish after reports surfaced that ICE had considered shutting it down before GEO Group successfully negotiated contract extensions to keep operations active.
Operationally, the Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center functions as a secure long-term immigration detention environment focused on federal detainee management and transportation logistics. Staff members oversee intake processing, medical evaluations, housing classification, attorney visitation, commissary operations, transportation coordination, and ICE compliance standards throughout the complex. GEO Group has publicly highlighted the facility’s accreditation status through organizations such as the American Correctional Association and National Commission on Correctional Health Care, while also emphasizing the center’s medical, recreational, and rehabilitation programming. At the same time, advocacy organizations and legal groups have raised repeated concerns regarding detainee healthcare, detention conditions, prolonged confinement, and access to legal services inside the facility.
Today, the Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center remains one of the most operationally significant immigration detention facilities in Louisiana and the broader Gulf Coast region. The facility’s large capacity, rural location, and expanding detainee population have made it central to ongoing national debates involving private immigration detention and DHS enforcement strategies. Supporters argue the center provides substantial employment and economic support for Evangeline Parish, while critics continue challenging the use of large privately operated detention centers in remote areas. Its combination of GEO Group management, large-scale ICE detention operations, and continued federal expansion efforts has made Pine Prairie one of the most recognizable immigration detention centers in the southern United States.
The jail offers a phone program for outbound calls only; inmates cannot receive incoming calls. Accepting collect calls can be expensive, sometimes exceeding $10 per call. Alternatively, setting up an account with a third-party phone company may incur high per-minute usage fees. 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.
