Hopkins County Jail

Hopkins County Jail is an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) detention facility located in Madisonville, Kentucky. It falls under the Chicago Field Office ERO field office area of responsibility.

Facility quick reference

How to locate or contact a detainee

To locate someone in ICE custody, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System at locator.ice.gov. You will need the person’s A-number (Alien Registration Number) and country of birth, or their full name, country of birth, and date of birth.

To ask whether someone is held here, and to leave an urgent message for a detainee, ICE publishes one number: (270) 821-6704. Give the detainee’s full name, alien registration number (A-number), and your own name and a phone number where you can be reached; ICE says the detainee will be given your message. The general facility line (270) 825-5000 is for other questions. Detainees cannot receive incoming calls — they place outgoing calls themselves. Have the person’s biographical information ready when you call (full legal name and any aliases, date of birth, and country of birth). ICE says the detainee-information line (270) 821-6704 takes information requests 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (checked October 16, 2026). ICE also says this facility has tablets; money for phone minutes is placed on a detainee account through careacell.jointaccounts.com.

Visiting in person

Hopkins County Jail’s visitation page says visitors’ clothing must completely cover the midriff, cleavage, and breasts (checked October 24, 2026).

ICE’s page for Hopkins County Jail gives these rules (checked October 16, 2026):

• Friends and family: visits are by appointment. Appointments can be made Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. by calling (270) 825-5000 and must be made 24 hours in advance. A valid photo ID is required to visit. For visitation times, ICE points to the jail’s own “Inmate Services” page. On its visitation page (checked October 17, 2026), Hopkins County Jail states that weekday visits must be scheduled before 3:30 p.m. the previous day and weekend visits before 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon (holidays may change that schedule). The jail’s page states that all visitors must be listed on the appointment, must be 18 or older unless accompanied at all times by an adult who scheduled the visit, and must sign in 15 minutes prior to the scheduled visit; a visitor who arrives late receives only the remaining time if the person in custody is still in visitation, and if the person has already returned to housing they will not be pulled for visitation again. Up to 4 people (including children) are permitted during one visitation session, with 2–3 allowed back at a time to switch out; if there are 3 children, an extra adult may sit in the waiting area with the children not in visitation, is not considered a visitor, and may not enter the visitation area. The jail’s visitation page lists 30-minute general-population male visiting slots on Sunday (between 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.), Tuesday and Wednesday (between 9:15 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.), Thursday (between 9:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.), and Saturday (between 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.); general-population female slots on Sunday (4:45 p.m.–5:15 p.m.), Monday (between 9:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.), and Saturday (3:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.); and separate windows for maximum-custody, protective-custody, and special-needs housing. These jail cutoffs differ from ICE’s page (checked October 16, 2026), which lists appointments by phone Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., 24 hours in advance.
• Non-contact only: “All family or other social visits are non-contact.”
• Search and entry: everyone who requests admittance to the facility or the visitation area is subject to a pat-down search, an inspection of belongings and a metal scan search. Anyone who refuses a reasonable search is not admitted. Visitors who are or appear to be intoxicated are not allowed to visit.
• Prohibited: firearms or weapons of any kind, and electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios, etc.) in the secure areas.
• Items: visitors may not pass or attempt to pass any items to detainees, and may not carry any items into the visitation area.
• Clergy: may visit at any time, but must make prior arrangements with the Chaplain’s Office.
• Consular officials: may meet their detained nationals at any time. ICE requests that they make prior arrangements with the ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer to the extent possible and bring appropriate credentials. The ICE officer for this facility is reached through the Chicago, IL detained unit at CHI-ERO-Detained@ice.dhs.gov.
• Parking: ICE says free public parking is available at the facility.

Sending mail, commissary funds, and personal items

Each facility publishes its own mail format. For this facility, ICE’s page says letters must be addressed to the detainee’s name in care of Hopkins County Jail at P.O. Box 1030 (full address below), and must include the sender’s name and address (checked October 16, 2026). ICE lists each facility’s format on that facility’s page at ice.gov. This facility’s own ICE page says incoming mail “is not read upon opening, only inspected by the delivering officer” and that detainees may seal their own outgoing letters. Under ICE’s National Detention Standards, Revised 2019, §5.1(E), the rules differ. That standard is cited here for comparison only: ICE’s August 2026 inspection report for this facility organizes its findings by the Federal Performance Based Detention Standards (May 2025), and we have not reviewed that standard’s mail rules. Under the 2019 standard, incoming general mail is opened and inspected for contraband, and outgoing general mail may be inspected and read if it is addressed to another detainee or staff have reason to believe it threatens the facility’s security or order, endangers someone, or could facilitate criminal activity. Only special correspondence — mail to or from attorneys and other legal representatives, courts and judges, government attorneys, embassies and consulates, the President and Vice President of the United States, members of Congress, the Department of Justice (including the immigration courts), DHS (including ICE/ERO, IHSC, CRCL and the DHS Inspector General), grievance administrators, and the news media — may not be read or copied by staff. Incoming special correspondence is inspected for contraband in the detainee’s presence; outgoing special correspondence is not opened, inspected or read, and if a need exists, any inspection takes place in the detainee’s presence. The standard limits any inspection to detecting physical contraband and confirming that enclosures qualify as special correspondence. Mail counts as special correspondence only if the envelope unambiguously identifies the title and office of the sender (incoming mail) or of the addressee (outgoing mail). The deposit routes and the package contact that ICE publishes for this facility are listed in the subsection below.

What ICE publishes for this facility’s mail, money, and packages

Checked October 16, 2026, on this facility’s ICE page:

• Letters must be addressed as shown below and must include the sender’s name and address:

Hopkins County Jail
C/O Detainee Name
P.O. Box 1030
Madisonville, KY 42431

• Incoming mail is screened for contraband, and all incoming mail is delivered to the detainee.
• Outgoing mail: detainees may seal their letters and place them in the provided receptacle. Mail is routed to the post office within 24 hours of receipt by facility staff, and a pick-up and delivery schedule is posted in the housing units.
• Stamps: detainees may buy them. Indigent detainees (no means of financial support and no funds in their facility account) get a postage allowance at government expense.
• Commissary money: sent online through careacell.jointaccounts.com, or by United States Postal Service money order mailed to the address above with the detainee’s name on the money order. Administrative deputies place mailed funds into the account. ICE cautions against having cash sent in the mail.
• Phone-minute money: also sent through careacell.jointaccounts.com.
• Packages: before sending one, email the Chicago, IL detained unit at CHI-ERO-Detained@ice.dhs.gov. A detainee may receive items needed solely for travel or release from custody, and only with the ICE Deportation Officer’s approval.
• Luggage for removal: one small piece is allowed. If the detainee has none, one 40 pound bag can be sent or delivered after approval from the Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer. No electronic devices (cell phones, electric razors, laptop computers, radios, etc.) are accepted.
• Transfers and departures: only legal mail is forwarded. General correspondence is marked “Return to Sender” and returned to the post office.

County jail rules on mail scanning, books, eyeglass drop-off, and housing

County handbook: deposits and commissary (checked October 17, 2026). The county’s handbook says cash and credit cards are accepted through the front-lobby kiosk. It says Care-a-Cell orders are placed on the cell kiosk and require funds in the account when processed. The handbook sets order deadlines before 8:00 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, with delivery on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Hopkins County Jail publishes additional county-level rules on its Inmate Mail page, visitation page, and Inmate Rules and Regulations pamphlet (revised December 6, 2024; all checked October 17, 2026):

• Mail scanning and books: the jail’s Inmate Mail page states that mail is picked up and delivered every weekday (excluding holidays), and that incoming non-legal mail is sorted, screened for contraband, and scanned into the inmate kiosk system, while legal mail is opened and inspected in the recipient’s presence. Softback books, magazines, and activity books (such as crosswords or coloring books) must be mailed directly from a third-party retailer such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble; hardback books are rejected, and each person is limited to possessing 3 personal reading books, 3 magazines, and 3 activity books at a time (extra copies are removed). This differs from ICE’s page (checked October 16, 2026), which says all incoming mail is delivered to the detainee; the jail’s pamphlet adds that incoming mail is placed in the person’s property box after it is scanned into the kiosk system.
• Eyeglass and contact-lens drop-off: the jail’s visitation page states that prescription glasses and contact lenses are the only property that may be dropped off (Monday through Friday during business hours) or mailed in. Glasses may not have broken lenses or broken pieces, and staff will not accept a second pair if the person already has glasses. Contact lenses must arrive in the original, unopened box; contact lens solution may be purchased from commissary but may not be brought in.
• Cell property, wake-up, and hygiene: the jail’s Inmate Rules and Regulations pamphlet states that all personal cell property must fit inside the issued gray box stored under the bed (plus up to 2 pillows purchased from commissary), daily wake-up is at 6:00 a.m., hair clippers are offered every other Saturday, and razors are offered every Thursday and Sunday for 3 hours.

Legal access, attorneys, and immigration court information

Detainees have the right to speak with an attorney, and attorney–client visits and calls are confidential. For information about a case before the immigration court (EOIR), EOIR’s automated line 1-800-898-7180 (toll-free, 24 hours a day, English and Spanish) gives the next hearing date and case status; callers enter the 9 digits of the A-number, without the letter A (EOIR, checked October 24, 2026). For a matter before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the main line of EOIR (the Justice Department agency the BIA belongs to) is (703) 305-0289. Applications for relief from removal must be filed directly with the immigration court handling the case. If you cannot afford an attorney, the immigration court can provide a list of pro bono legal service providers — see the related resources below.

Booking legal visits, video calls, and legal calls

Checked October 16, 2026, on this facility’s ICE page:

• In-person attorney visits: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Central Time. Appointments outside those hours may be granted on a case-by-case basis, and only if there are extenuating circumstances.
• G-28s can be submitted through ERO eFile. Facility staff do not have access to it, so representatives should download a copy of the submitted G-28 for any in-person or remote legal visit.
• Video teleconference (VTC) meetings and confidential legal calls are requested by email at booking@hopkinscountyjail.com, and the jail’s court officers email back a confirmed date and time. Representatives may also book by calling (270) 825-5000 and asking for the court room officer responsible for scheduling.
• What the email must contain: the representative’s full name and contact information (phone and email); the detainee’s name and alien number; a few proposed dates and times; a scan of the representative’s government-issued ID; a scan of documentation showing active legal-representative status (such as a state bar card, attorney license or paralegal license); and the G-28, unless the meeting is pre-representational. A legal assistant joining alone must also attach a letter of authorization on the firm’s or organization’s letterhead and a scan of the assistant’s ID.
• Timing: appointments should be made 24 hours before the desired time. Slots run 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. in 30 to 60-minute increments. ICE says legal representatives are not limited in the number of appointments they can request, but a representative may have only one 60-minute appointment with a detainee per day.
• Who may attend: only legal representatives, legal assistants and interpreters; no family or friends. Outside interpretation services may be contacted during the session. A visitation officer stands outside the room, out of earshot but within eyeshot, and knocks 5 minutes before the cut-off time.
• No recording: representatives and their staff may not video or audio record any visit or call. ICE says a violation may result in suspension or permanent revocation of VAV user privileges.

Sending legal documents and case questions

For incoming and outgoing faxes between a detainee and their designated legal representative, when timely communication through the mail is not possible, the facility administrator may, at his discretion, allow a reasonable amount of fax communication.

• Fax to a client: legal representatives can fax legal correspondence to (270) 821-6774. The cover letter must give the detainee’s full name, the alien number, the sender’s return fax number and the total number of pages. The fax is delivered in a sealed envelope and inspected for contraband, but not read. Legal faxes are processed Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays.
• Fax from a client: when timely communication by mail is not possible, the facility administrator “may, in his discretion” allow a reasonable amount of fax communication. The detainee requests it from the case manager through the facility tablet. The court room officer inspects the documents for contraband in the detainee’s presence, without reading them, and gives the detainee the fax confirmation.
• Case information: requests go to Chicago.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov. This mailbox does not accept applications for Stay of Removal or Case Appeals.
• Identifying the Deportation Officer: send a request to CHI-ERO-Detained@ice.dhs.gov. A G-28 must be on file for any information to be disclosed.
• Pro bono list: a list of free legal organizations is posted in the housing units and updated quarterly. Contacting a provider for an appointment is the detainee’s responsibility.

Feedback, complaints, and oversight

To report a concern about conditions at this facility or the conduct of an ICE or contract employee, contact the ERO Chicago Field Office that oversees this facility, or file a complaint with the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL). On its own Make a Civil Rights Complaint page DHS publishes one channel — the online portal at engage.dhs.gov/crcl-complaint; CBP additionally publishes, for the same office, the e-mail address CRCL@dhs.gov, fax (202) 401-4708, and the postal address DHS/CRCL, Compliance Branch, 2707 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Mail Stop #0190, Washington, DC 20528-0190. The DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) hotline is 1-800-323-8603.

This facility’s own ICE page adds these channels (checked October 16, 2026):

• Comments on service: Assistant Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 101 W Ida B Wells Drive, Suite 4000, Chicago, Illinois 60605.
• Misconduct complaint to the field office: Field Office Director, same address, (872) 351-3990.
• ICE Office of Professional Responsibility (by mail): Director, Office of Professional Responsibility, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 500 12th Street, SW, Suite 1049, Mailstop 5099, Washington, DC 20536-5005.
• ICE OPR Integrity Coordination Center: 1-833-4ICE-OPR or ICEOPRIntake@ice.dhs.gov.
• DHS OIG, as listed on ICE’s page: DHS Office of Inspector General, Attn: Office of Investigations - Hotline, 245 Murray Drive, Building 410 Stop: 2600, Washington, DC 20528; fax (202) 245-5217; DHSOIGHOTLINE@DHS.GOV.

A news reporter who wants to interview someone held here must apply in writing to the Chicago Field Office, Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations. ICE says a detainee has the right not to be interviewed, photographed or recorded by the media, and the reporter must first obtain the detainee’s written permission. Media inquiries about ICE go to ICEMedia@ice.dhs.gov.

ICE inspection record

ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight (ODO), within ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, published a report on Hopkins County Jail: inspection 2026-006-067, dated August 4, 2026 on its cover (ODO report). Per ICE’s August 2026 inspection report:

• Standard: findings are organized by the Federal Performance Based Detention Standards (May 2025).
• Findings sections: the table of contents lists two sections under Inspection Findings: Administration and Management and Staff Training.
• Field office: the report is labeled ERO Chicago.
• Inspection framework and findings: the report’s non-OCR Inspection Process section states that U.S. Marshals Service intergovernmental agreement facilities complete a biennial ODO-assisted self-inspection process (OASIP) over a 30-calendar-day window, with ODO staff going on-site for 1 day toward the end of the 30-day window to observe conditions, interview ICE detainees, and spot-check reported findings. OCR text from the scanned overview and conclusion pages (pages 3 and 6) indicates that this was ODO’s first inspection of Hopkins County Jail, rated the facility Superior, and recorded one deficiency under Staff Training because the facility lacked a written policy requiring annual training on sexual abuse and assault for all correctional officers.

Related procedural resources

• Know Your Rights — what to do if ICE detains you
• EOIR immigration court schedules and procedures
• BIA-recognized legal-aid organizations in Kentucky
• Other ICE detention facilities in Kentucky
• All facilities under the Chicago Field Office