D. Ray James Correctional Institution

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D. Ray James Correctional Institution
D. Ray James Correctional Institution
Location3262 GA-252
Folkston, Georgia
Statusopen
Security classmedium
Capacity2847
Opened1998
Managed by GEO Group

D. Ray James Correctional Institution is a private prison located in Folkston, Charlton County, Georgia, owned and operated by the GEO Group under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Marshals Service. [1]

Contents

The facility first opened in 1998 for Georgia state inmates. In 2010, after an expansion, the 1800 existing Georgia inmates were moved to other state prisons, replaced with as many as 2507 federal immigration detainees. [2] [3]

In August 2016, Justice Department officials announced that the FBOP would be phasing out its use of contracted facilities, on the grounds that private prisons provided less safe and less effective services with no substantial cost savings. The agency expects to allow current contracts on its thirteen remaining private facilities to expire. [4] D. Ray James is one of those facilities.

Canadian activist Marc Emery was held at D. Ray James in 2010/2011 as a "deportable alien".

2025 Expansion

in 2025, as a part of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions, the prision as designated for expansion. The new Folkston ICE Processing Center will receive almost 50 million dollars in expansions to detain more than 3000 prisoners. [5] The construction sparked local protests as immigration facilities around the country have been tied to human rights abuses. [6] The facility has already faced scrutiny from the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General for failing to maintain adequate facility standards in 2022. [7] [8] The inspector found that the facility was infested with mold, insects, and debris, in addition to failing to provide hot meals and timely medical care. [8]

References

  1. ↑ "D. Ray James Correctional Institution". GEO Group. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Jackson, Gordon (14 January 2010). "Federal inmates to be housed at Georgia's D. Ray James Prison". Jacksonville.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "D. Ray James Correctional Institution". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  4. ↑ Zapotosky, Matt (18 Aug 2016). "Justice Department says it will end use of private prisons". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  5. ↑ Sundi Rose. GA GOP celebrates ICE detention center expansion in state. Here’s where, how big Read more at: https://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/state/georgia/article311162565.html#storylink=cpy
  6. ↑ Kallis, Sarah (2025-06-05). "Immigrant rights groups protest proposed Georgia detention center expansion in Charlton County". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  7. ↑ Kallis, Sarah (2025-06-05). "Immigrant rights groups protest proposed Georgia detention center expansion in Charlton County". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  8. 1 2 "Violations of ICE Detention Standards at Folkston ICE Processing Center and Folkston Annex | Oversight.gov". www.oversight.gov. Retrieved 2025-07-25.

30°52′18″N81°58′54″W / 30.871652°N 81.981705°W / 30.871652; -81.981705

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