The Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden, Alabama is the county jail run by the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office Detention Operations Division. In March 2022 ICE announced it would stop using this jail, citing “a long history of serious deficiencies identified during facility inspections”; Etowah County Commission minutes from March 2025 and February 2026 record ICE detainees held there again. ICE’s fiscal year 2026 detention statistics list it as “Etowah County Jail” holding ICE detainees, but ICE has no facility page for it on ice.gov, so the details below come from the Sheriff’s Office, Etowah County records and ICE’s own archived documents.
Facility quick reference
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Facility name | Etowah County Detention Center (the Sheriff’s name); Etowah County Jail (the name in ICE’s statistics) |
| Operator | Etowah County Sheriff’s Office, Detention Operations Division |
| Street address | 827 Forrest Avenue (the Sheriff’s Office address; ICE’s spreadsheet lists the same street address) |
| City, State, ZIP | Gadsden, AL 35901 |
| Main phone | 256-546-2825 (Sheriff’s non-emergency line, answered 24 hours; office hours Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.) |
| Inmate information line | 256-549-5408, or email booking@etowahcounty.org |
| Inmate roster | Etowah County Detention Center inmate roster (current inmates and 48-hour releases) |
| How ICE uses it | ICE uses this facility through a U.S. Marshals Service intergovernmental agreement — the jail’s agreement is with the Marshals, and ICE houses people there under it. |
| ERO field office | New Orleans Field Office |
| ICE detainee locator | locator.ice.gov |
| Last verified | 2026-09-26 |
ADP = average daily population; ALOS = average length of stay, both FY2026 averages (not a same-day count). Source: ICE Detention Management, FY2026 (released 2026-07-20).
How to find someone held here
- ICE’s locator first. The ICE Online Detainee Locator System at locator.ice.gov searches by the person’s A-number and country of birth, or by their full name, country of birth and date of birth. ICE’s fiscal year 2026 detention statistics show an average stay of only a few days here, so a locator result can change quickly if the person is moved.
- The Sheriff’s information line. The Sheriff’s detention page says: “For information regarding inmates/detainees in custody, you may call 256-549-5408 or email booking@etowahcounty.org.” The Sheriff’s detention page uses the phrase “inmates/detainees” throughout.
- The online roster. The Sheriff’s inmate roster page links to a list of current inmates at the Etowah County Detention Center and a list of everyone released in the last 48 hours. The roster page does not say whether people held for ICE appear in it, and its disclaimer says the Detention Center “can not certify the accuracy and/or authenticity of any information” on it.
For ICE contact channels in this area, see the New Orleans Field Office hub, which carries the field-office directory contact.
Visiting
As of September 26, 2026, we found no in-person visiting schedule, ID requirement or dress code on the Sheriff’s detention, contact, services and site-map pages or in the county’s family-support flyer.
The one visiting contact the county publishes is on its Friends & Family Support flyer, posted on etowahcounty.org: Video Visit Support & Scheduling, (859) 334-0959. The flyer does not name the video-visit company or give days, hours, prices or rules; that line is the only published source for them. Nothing we found on the Sheriff’s or county’s pages sets separate visiting rules for people held for ICE.
Money, phone calls and mail
At booking. The Sheriff’s detention page says: “Inmates/detainees with cash at the time of booking place their money into a kiosk which creates an account that can be used to purchase items from the detention center.”
Deposits from family. The county’s Friends & Family Support flyer lists “Four (4) Easy Ways to Make Inmate Deposits”:
- the InmateSales app;
- Inmatesales.com;
- a CPC Deposit Kiosk;
- a phone call to 702-829-3001 (the flyer lists the same number as the Friends & Family Support line).
The flyer does not say where the kiosk is or what deposits cost. For how deposits for people in ICE custody work in general, see how to send money to someone in ICE detention.
Phone calls and mail. As of September 26, 2026, we found no inmate phone company, calling rules, mailing-address format or mail rules on the Sheriff’s detention, contact and site-map pages or on the county flyer. The Sheriff’s information line (256-549-5408) is the only published contact for those details.
Lawyers and immigration court
As of September 26, 2026, we found no attorney-visit hours or procedures on the Sheriff’s detention and site-map pages.
Which immigration court? EOIR’s Immigration Court List – Administrative Control (updated September 28, 2026) defines an administrative control court as one that “creates and maintains records of proceedings for Immigration Courts within an assigned geographic area.” That list names “Etowah County Sheriff’s Office Detention Facility” under the Atlanta Ted Turner Drive Immigration Court and, separately, “Etowah Detention Facility Gadson, Alabama” under the Oakdale Immigration Court in Louisiana. Because the two entries conflict and the list covers record-keeping rather than hearings, the court that hears a given case depends on the case. For courts and procedures, see immigration courts in Alabama; for nonprofit legal help, see BIA-recognized legal-aid organizations in Alabama.
Oversight and inspections
ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight (ODO) inspections page lists Etowah reports from 2012, 2016, 2019 and 2020, and three in 2021 (January 25–29, a May 24–28 follow-up, and November 29–December 2).
Latest ODO report: November 29–December 2, 2021 (report, ERO New Orleans). Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ODO inspected remotely. It found the jail compliant with 21 of 22 standards. The one deficiency was in Admission and Release: detainee files that did not contain an Order to Detain (Form I-203) bearing the appropriate official’s signature. ODO also noted as an area of concern that the Alabama Department of Public Health had said the jail would get no annual food-service inspection in 2021 because of the pandemic. ODO interviewed 12 detainees by video; none alleged discrimination, mistreatment or abuse. One reported that someone was using his PIN to spend his funds; ODO found he had shared it with a county inmate, and the facility said it would reimburse him $46.25.
Earlier ODO inspection: January 25–29, 2021 (report). ODO inspected remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic and interviewed 12 detainees by video teleconference.
- Complaints against a sergeant: two detainees told ODO that a detention officer sergeant on their unit was verbally abusive, openly racist and aggressive, and that he removed grievances they had submitted. ODO reports that the facility opened an internal investigation; ERO New Orleans later told ODO the sergeant received a formal counseling on February 3, 2021, that no information was found to support the racial-discrimination allegation, and that he was not removed from his position.
- Handbooks: 12 of 12 detainee files reviewed showed detainees had not received the ICE National Detainee Handbook, and 9 of 12 showed they had not received the facility’s own handbook.
- Classification: 10 of 12 classification files required reclassification, which the facility had not done at regular intervals or after a relevant event.
Nakamoto Group inspection, July 16–18, 2019 (report). In this annual inspection for ICE, the lead inspector recommended a rating of Acceptable and the team identified six deficient components in four standards: Food Service (2), Environmental Health and Safety (2), Security Inspections (1) and Staff/Detainee Communication (1); three of the six (one each in Food Service, Environmental Health and Safety, and Security Inspections) were repeat deficiencies. The report says the facility does not charge co-pays for medical, mental health or dental care.
A newer inspection with no published report. ICE’s fiscal year 2026 detention statistics spreadsheet (released July 20, 2026) lists the jail’s last inspection as an ODO inspection ending February 11, 2025, under the National Detention Standards, with a final rating of Pass. As of September 26, 2026, ODO’s index lists no Etowah report after December 2021, so we found no published report for that 2025 inspection.
ICE’s own 2022 assessment. In its March 25, 2022 release, ICE wrote: “The Etowah County Detention Center has a long history of serious deficiencies identified during facility inspections and is of limited operational significance to the agency.” ICE has since marked that release as archived, with a note that archived content “is archived and not reflective of current practice.”
Accreditation and medical care. The Sheriff’s detention page says the Detention Center is accredited by the National Commission for Correctional Healthcare and maintains accreditation in Core Jail Standards through the American Correctional Association. That page names Doctors’ Care Physicians, P.C. as the medical contractor; the County Commission’s March 2025 minutes name the health-services contractor as Detention Care Partners, LLC (formerly Doctors’ Care Physicians, P.C.), and its February 2026 minutes again name Detention Care Partners, LLC.
Inside the jail, per the Sheriff’s detention page (checked October 19, 2026):
- Healthcare at intake: the Sheriff’s page says everyone receives an initial healthcare screening at booking; after transfer to housing, an RN, physician or nurse practitioner conducts a more thorough examination in the Medical Unit (checked October 19, 2026).
- Daily medical services: the Sheriff’s page lists sick-call requests, nurse evaluations and urgent evaluations among services conducted daily in the Medical Unit (checked October 19, 2026).
- Religious activities: the Sheriff’s page says volunteers affiliated with various religions provide weekly programming and that accommodations allow inmates and detainees to observe and participate in religious activities as they desire (checked October 19, 2026).
- Housing: after booking, each person goes to one of ten housing units. The minimum and medium custody units use direct supervision, with no barriers between detention deputies and inmates/detainees; in special management and maximum security units, deputies monitor the unit through security glass and video surveillance.
- Medical unit: staffed 24/7 by RNs, LPNs, medical assistants, an X-ray tech, a lab tech, a dentist, a dental assistant, a physician, a nurse practitioner and a mental health professional. The page says screening for TB, HIV and syphilis is offered, and that CED Mental Health Center assists with routine psychiatric services.
- Compliance Section: the page says its members serve as advocates for inmates and detainees, “answering requests, assisting in meeting needs, and resolving conflict among inmates/detainees and detention deputies.” It is led by Captain Bradley Saylor, reachable by email at bsaylor@etowahcounty.org.
As of September 26, 2026, we found no entry naming this jail on ICE’s detainee death reporting page and no DHS Office of Inspector General report naming it.
ICE’s use of this jail: out in 2022, back by 2025
- An old Marshals agreement. ICE’s FOIA library files an “Etowah County, AL” document under Intergovernmental Service Agreements (listing updated September 12, 2019). The document is a U.S. Marshals Service intergovernmental agreement, No. 01-99-0132, with Etowah County. A modification effective May 1, 1999 states that its purpose was to incorporate INS as a rider under that agreement, and a modification effective March 1, 2004 authorized the county to transport ICE detainees between the Etowah County Jail and regional ICE offices in Alabama and Louisiana. ICE’s fiscal year 2026 statistics still list the contract type as a U.S. Marshals Service intergovernmental agreement.
- March 25, 2022: ICE says it will leave. ICE announced it would “discontinue use of the Etowah County Detention Center as soon as possible, consistent with the 30-day termination notice requirement and any legal obligations.”
- March 18, 2025: the county adds staff. The Etowah County Commission passed and adopted a resolution adding six positions (one lieutenant and five detention deputies) “due to the increased number of U.S. Marshals Inmates and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detainees,” and approved a First Amendment to its health-services agreement with Detention Care Partners, LLC for the same reason.
- February 17, 2026: more medical care for ICE detainees. The Commission’s consent agenda, approved as presented, included a Second Amendment to that health-services agreement to “provide for additional healthcare services to accommodate the increased number of ICE Detainees, plus additional mental health services for inmates.”
As of September 26, 2026, we found no published text of a current ICE detention (housing) agreement for this jail, and no published ICE bed capacity or daily rate.
287(g) is a separate program. ICE’s 287(g) participating-agencies list (as of September 21, 2026) shows the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office under the Jail Enforcement Model (signed June 9, 2020) and the Task Force Model (signed December 8, 2025). 287(g) is not the agreement under which the jail houses ICE detainees.
287(g) agreements in Etowah County
This facility is in Etowah County, Alabama (per the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder for the address ICE publishes). ICE's 287(g) participating-agencies workbook, dated October 9, 2026, records 4 agreements with agencies in that county:
| Agency | Model | Signed |
|---|---|---|
| Etowah County Sheriff's Office | Jail Enforcement Model (JEM) | 2020-06-09 |
| Etowah County Sheriff's Office | Task Force Model (TFM) | 2025-12-08 |
| Sardis Police Department | Task Force Model (TFM) | 2026-08-13 |
| Southside Police Department | Task Force Model (TFM) | 2026-01-08 |
Source: ICE, 287(g) program (participating-agencies workbook). A 287(g) agreement is between ICE and the law-enforcement agency; on its own it says nothing about this facility. What each model means · all agreements by state.
Related resources
- Know your rights
- How to send money to someone in ICE detention
- Immigration courts in Alabama
- BIA-recognized legal-aid organizations in Alabama
- Other ICE detention facilities in Alabama
- All facilities under the New Orleans Field Office
- ICE detention movement data
- All ICE detention facilities
General information, not legal advice. Deposit, visiting, phone and mail arrangements are set by the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office and its vendors and can change at any time; details above were checked against the Sheriff’s and county’s own pages and ICE’s published documents on September 26, 2026. The jail’s own current instructions take precedence over this page. For a specific case, contact a licensed immigration attorney or a BIA-accredited representative.