Clinton County Correctional Facility

How to Find Someone in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detainee Locator

When someone that is not a US Citizen gets arrested in the United States, and they are here illegally, depending on what state or city they are arrested in, the person may be turned over to ICE. 

Many states such as New York and California, as well as hundreds of US cities, have declared themselves 'sanctuary cities' and do not turn over foreigners here illegally, even if they are committing crimes in their jurisdiction.

However, when an alien here illegally is turned over to ICE, and sent to one of the over 100 Immigration Detention Centers in the United States, the only way to try and locate where they are being detained is using the Online Detainee Locator System.

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There are two ways to search for an ICE Detainee:

You can look them up using their assigned A-Number.

• An A-Number is a 9-digit number that either looks like this: A-123456789, or like this 123-456-789. This is required if you do not know their name.
  It is also called a Registration Number when on a visa, or a USCIS# when on a Green Card.
  If for whatever reason the A-Number you have does not have 9-digits, you need to add 0s (zeroes) to the front of the number until the number has 9-digits.
  That number might then look like this:  001234567.

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You can also try and look them up by using their name.

• In order for this to be effective, you need to have the exact name that is either on their paperwork, or the the name with the exact spelling that they gave ICE. This is required.
• You also need to know the country of their birth, or the country of their birth that they gave ICE. This is required.
• Knowing their Date of Birth is helpful but not required to find them in the system.

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Important things to know about using the ICE Detainee Locator

• You do not need to set up an account to use the Detainee Locator System.
• A-Number stands for 'Alien Registration Number'.
• The System does not have information on all detainees in custody.
• Juvenile names are NOT in the System.
• The Detainee Locator System is updated every 8 hours, sometimes sooner.
• If the detainee is being moved to a new facility, the new location will not be shown until they have arrived and are processed. 
• No warnings or prior notice are given in advance of a detainee being moved.
• While being transferred to a different facility they may still be shown online as being in the original facility.
• If you are planning a visit, always call before you come to confirm the detainee is still at the facility and has not been moved.
• To visit a detainee you must have some type of government issued photo ID, or other identification when photo identification is unavailable for religious reasons.
• If you are unable to find the detainee using the System, contact the ICE Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in the area where you believe the person's immigration case was initiated or the Detainee Reporting and Information Line (DRIL) at 888-351-4024.

Pamphlets in various languages with Instructions on how to use the Online Detainee Locator System:

• Online Detainee Locator System Brochure (PDF | 732 KB)
• Folleto del Sistema Localizador de Detenidos en Línea (PDF | 720 KB)
• Brochure du Système de recherche en ligne de détenus(es) (PDF | 739 KB)
• Folheto Informativo do Sistema Online Para Localização de Detentos (PDF | 733 KB)
• Брошюра Онлайновая Система Определения Местонахождения Задержанного (PDF | 893 KB)
• Buug yaraha Nidaamka Lagu Ogaado Halka Ay Ku Xiran Yihiin Dadka Xiran ee barta internetka (PDF | 741 KB)
• Tài Liệu về Hệ Thống Tìm Người Bị Giam Trực Tuyến (PDF | 1.3 MB)
• 被拘留者在线查询系统手册 (PDF | 1.4 MB)
• كتيب نظام تحديد مواقع المحتجزين على شبكة الانترنت (PDF | 1.3 MB)

Clinton County Correctional Facility

The Clinton County Correctional Facility is a jail located in Pennsylvania that generates revenue by housing prisoners from the state system and other counties The facility has a current capacity of 236 detainees . As of May 23, 2023, the monthly average of total bookings in the facility is 72, and it is supervised by 91 staff members . The inmates at the facility are classified The facility is also used by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain individuals. If someone needs information about a detainee that is housed at this facility, they may call (570) 547-6903 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. . According to TRAC Immigration, a total of 96 individuals (90 percent) were deported or removed from the Clinton County Correctional Facility during the most recent 12-month period for which data is available There is no recent news about the state of the facility, detainee conditions, or health issues.

Introduction

Clinton County Correctional Facility (CCCF) is a prison located in McElhattan, Pennsylvania that first opened its doors in 1990. Owned by Clinton County, the facility is operated by the Clinton County Prison Board. CCCF houses inmates from various agencies, including county, state, and federal detainees. 

With a capacity to hold approximately 300 inmates at a time, CCCF serves Clinton County by providing secure detention and correctional services. The prison aims to protect public safety through constructive rehabilitation programs for offenders. This article will provide an in-depth look at CCCF's operations, inmate housing and living conditions, facility guidelines and policies, and options for reporting abuse.

## Clinton County Correctional Facility Operations

CCCF is comprised of 4 buildings with a total of 10 housing units. The housing options include:

- 7 multiple occupancy cell units
- 3 open bay/dorm units  
- 10 segregation cells

In addition to Clinton County inmates, CCCF holds detainees for:

- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- U.S. Marshals Service
- Pennsylvania State corrections 

The mission of CCCF is to protect Clinton County citizens through professional correctional services that provide secure detention and opportunities for self-improvement. Key goals include:

- Maintaining compliance with PA Department of Corrections standards
- Obtaining American Correctional Association accreditation
- Developing a professional staff
- Meeting future county correctional needs through planning and fiscal responsibility

To support rehabilitation and self-improvement among inmates, CCCF offers several programs:

- Substance abuse treatment
- Education and vocational training
- Recreation
- Mental health counseling 
- Religious services
- Community service
- Work release

### Correctional Facility History

CCCF was constructed in 1990 with an innovative design approach called "New Generation Philosophy." This focuses on direct supervision of inmates and resolving issues through effective communication. Correctional officers closely interact with inmates and serve as role models.

The facility generates revenue by contracting to house inmates from state and county systems. In 2003, a 148-bed expansion was completed which improved security and classification capabilities. The $3 million addition enabled CCCF to meet demand for beds from outside counties.

## Inmate Housing and Living Conditions

Inmate housing options at CCCF include multiple occupancy cells, open dormitories, and segregation cells. Cell blocks contain 7 units with shared living spaces, while the dorms have an open layout to accommodate groups. 

The 10 segregation cells are used for disciplinary, administrative, and protective custody purposes. Cell capacity is approximately 300 total inmates throughout the various housing units.

CCCF provides several on-site services for inmates:

- **Food Service:** Provided by Aramark
- **Medical Care:** Provided by PrimeCme Medical  
- **Commissary:** Managed by Oasis Management Systems

While the facility holds no external accreditations, it achieved Department of Justice (DOJ) PREA certification in March 2020 related to implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act.

## Rules and Guidelines for Inmates 

To maintain security and order, CCCF has established mail policies and visitation procedures that inmates must follow.

### Mail Policies

- All incoming/outgoing mail is screened for contraband
- Restrictions prohibit cash, weapons/escape descriptions, codes, gang affiliations, explicit materials, and more
- Legal mail must be properly marked and is opened in the inmate's presence
- Special package approval and process required 

### Visitation

- Attorney visits allowed daily 8am-9pm 
- Clergy may visit with appointments
- Social visits are non-contact and limited to 1 hour
- Visitors must pass security screening and metal detectors
- Prior approval needed for inmates in segregated housing

Inmates may request extended visitation for family/friends in advance. Scheduled visits must occur on designated days based on the inmate's housing unit.

## Reporting Sexual Abuse or Harassment 

CCCF maintains a zero tolerance policy for sexual abuse or harassment. Detainees or members of the public can report in the following ways:

- Contact facility administration directly 
- Call the Sexual Abuse Reporting hotline
- Notify the local rape crisis center (confidential)

The facility's annual PREA data report can also be obtained by contacting the administration office. Ensuring inmate safety and security is a top priority.

# Conclusion

Clinton County Correctional Facility provides important detention and rehabilitation services for the local community. With professional staffing and progressive policies, CCCF aims to protect public safety while also enabling positive change through educational programs and mental health treatment. The prison continues to evolve its practices to maintain secure and humane incarceration.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What types of inmates are housed at CCCF?**

CCCF houses county inmates from Clinton County as well as state corrections detainees and federal inmates for agencies like ICE and U.S. Marshals. 

**How can I visit an inmate at CCCF?** 

Visits must be scheduled in advance and are restricted to designated housing unit days. Visitors must pass security screening and follow non-contact visitation rules.

**Is CCCF accredited by any organizations?**

While it does not hold accreditations from correctional associations, the facility achieved DOJ PREA certification in 2020.

**What should I do if I want to report sexual abuse/harassment of an inmate?**

You can contact facility administration, call the PREA hotline, or notify the local rape crisis center. The prison takes all reports seriously.

**How can I send money to an inmate at CCCF?**

Money orders must be mailed directly from the U.S. Post Office. Other forms of payment like personal checks and cash are prohibited.

What is an ICE Detention Center?

Men, women, and children that are in the United States illegally and are apprehended by the US Border Patrol or ICE will most likely be placed in removal proceedings and may be detained in one of the more than 200 jails and detention centers that make up ICE’s detention system.

Many of the illegal immigrants that are detained are held in county and local jails that contract with ICE to detain immigrants. The rest are held in dedicated immigration detention facilities run by ICE or contracted to private prison corporations, including family detention centers that hold mothers and children.

What Determines if an Illegal Immigrant gets Detained?

ICE will typically detain an immigrant because DHS (Homeland Security) believes that an illegal immigrant is either a “flight risk” and may move to another location within the U.S. or that they pose a public safety threat. Detaining the person allows the government to guarantee that the person will show up for their hearing before an Immigration Court.

Some of the reasons that causes an illegal immigrant to get arrested and held in detention prior to their day in court is as follows:

The illegal immigrant has:

• committed a crime, or multiple crimes
• arrived at the border without a visa prior to formally applying for asylum or refugee status
• an outstanding removal (deportation) order on record, either pending or past due, or
• missed prior immigration hearing dates.

 

How do you find someone that is in an ICE Detention Center?

The first step to finding out if an illegal immigrant is in ICE or DHS custody is by using the ICE Detainee Locator.

It’s easier to find the person if you have an Alien Number (A#), if one exists. A green card or work permit will show this number. If you don’t have an A# the person is much more difficult to locate.

The information you will need is as follows:

• the person’s full name as it appears in the ICE System. The exact spelling and the order of how the name is listed is required.
• the person’s date of birth
• the person’s country of birth

If you are having difficulty, try different spellings and the order of how the name is listed.

If the illegal immigrant was only recently detained, the ICE Detainee Locator may not be updated with the latest information. Keep in mind that ICE does not give information (online or over the phone) for people under 18 years of age. In such cases, you can only get information on them from the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations field office nearest you.

If the person you are looking for is not in an ICE Detention Center, they may have been taken to a local jail that contracts with ICE, so contact their local City and County Jail, all which can be found here.

Another option, short of the expense of hiring an Immigration Lawyer, is to go to this website and use their online form to get their help.

Once an illegal immigrant is located and you find out the facility where they are being held you need to find out the Deportation Officer that has been assigned to their case. The Officer can tell you how to call or visit the detainee, or pay for the detainee to be able to call you, or how you can send any needed items such as clothing, prescriptions, etc.

The last option, and the most expensive, is to hire an experienced immigration attorney to assist you in tracking down the Deportation Officer. If the person being detained requires specific medical care, an attorney can ensure that they receive that care.

If the detained illegal immigrant has been deported from America previously or has an outstanding removal order - in which case they have no right to see an immigration judge - they can be removed within a few days, or even hours, of the initial arrest.

Even if the government does not immediately remove the person, it is possible that they can be moved around to different Detention Centers. There is never a warning that a person is being moved around and during the transfer there is a complete blackout of any information.

How long are people held in ICE Immigration Detention Centers?

The time that an illegal immigrant is held in an ICE Detention Center can vary. It all depends on several factors such as the individual’s personal situation, criminal record, the severity of the crime they are being charged with, previous deportations and the current caseload that the Detention Center is dealing with.

This image portrays the most recent data available on the time a detained illegal immigrant remains in custody before their release and/or deportation.

Can you visit someone in ICE Detention Centers?

The short answer is yes. The person visiting an illegal immigrant in an ICE Detention Center must be lawfully present in the United States. In other words the visitor must have some form of currently valid immigration status at the time of the visit. A detention center or jail will not allow the visit unless visitor can show valid I.D. and offer proof that they are lawfully in the United States.

If you want to become a volunteer that visits illegal immigrants in order to offer emotional support, it may be possible. You can join one of these visitation networks by going here and contacting the network in your area.

What crimes can cause an illegal immigrant to be deported?

(The following information comes from Nolo.com, a trusted legal resource)

• Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude (see list). This includes any attempt or conspiracy to commit such a crime. It does not include crimes that were committed that the illegal immigrant committed when they were under the age of 18 years, however the person must have been released from jail more than five years before applying for a visa or other immigration benefit. It also does not include crimes for which the maximum penalty did not exceed one year in prison and the person was not, in fact, sentenced to more than six months in prison.
• Conviction or admission of a controlled substance violation, whether under U.S. or foreign law. This includes any conspiracy to commit such a crime.
• Convictions for two or more crimes (other than purely political ones) for which the prison sentences totaled at least five years. This multiple-offense ground of inadmissibility applies whether or not the convictions came from a single trial and whether or not the offenses arose from a single scheme of misconduct or involved moral turpitude.
• Conviction of or participation in (according to the reasonable belief of the U.S. government) controlled substance trafficking. This includes anyone who knowingly aided, abetted, assisted, conspired, or colluded in illicit drug trafficking. It also includes the spouse, son, or daughter of the inadmissible applicant if that person has, within the last five years, received any financial or other benefit from the illicit activities, and knew or reasonably should have known where the money or benefit came from.
• Having the purpose of engaging in prostitution or commercialized vice upon coming to the United States, or a history, within the previous ten years, of having engaged in prostitution.
• Procurement or attempted procurement or importation of prostitutes, directly or indirectly, or receipt of proceeds of prostitution, any of which occurred within the previous ten years.
• Assertion of immunity from prosecution after committing a serious criminal offense in the U.S., if the person was thus able to depart the U.S. and has not since submitted fully to the jurisdiction of the relevant U.S. Court.
• Commission of particularly severe violations of religious freedom while serving as a foreign government official.
• Commission of or conspiracy to commit human trafficking offenses, within or outside the U.S., or being a knowing aider, abettor, assister, conspirator, or colluder with such a trafficker according to the knowledge or reasonable belief of the U.S. government. Also inadmissible are the spouse, son, or daughter the applicant if they, within the previous five years (but when older than children), received financial or other benefits from the illicit activity and knew or reasonably should have known that the money or other benefit came from the illicit activity.
• Conviction of an aggravated felony, if the person was removed from the U.S. and seeks to return (this ground of inadmissibility lasts for 20 years)
• Seeking to enter the U.S. to engage in money laundering, or a history of having laundered money, or having been (according to the knowledge of the U.S. government) a knowing aider, abettor, assister, conspirator, or colluder with money launderers.

These are the straightforward crimes that are mentioned in the immigration law. The statute also lists a number of security violations, such as involvement in espionage, sabotage, terrorism, Nazi persecution, totalitarian parties, and so forth.

Once an illegal immigrant is deported, how long before they can come back to the United States?

If an illegal immigrant has a deportation or removal order in their immigration file, it's possible that they won’t be allowed to enter the U.S. for five, ten, or even 20 years.

The applicable law comes from Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (I.N.A.).

Five-Year Ban: If they were summarily removed or deported upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry because they were found inadmissible, or if they came to the U.S. but were immediately put into removal proceedings and then removed or deported, they may be ineligible to return to the U.S. for five years. The five-year ban also applies if they failed to show up for their removal hearing in the United States.

Ten-Year Ban: If a ‘removal order’ was issued at the conclusion of their removal hearing in Immigration Court, they may not be able to return for ten years after their removal or departure.

Twenty-Year Ban: If they were convicted of an aggravated felony or have received more than one order of removal, they are barred from returning to the U.S. for 20 years. And if they entered without permission after having been removed, or illegally reentered the U.S. after having previously been in the U.S. unlawfully for more than one year, they may be barred from entering the United States for 20 years or permanently.