Northwest State Correctional Facility

Northwest State Correctional Facility is an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) detention facility located in Swanton, Vermont. It falls under the Boston 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: (802) 524-6771. Leave the detainee’s full name and alien registration number (A-number), plus your name and a telephone number where you can be reached; ICE says the detainee will be given your message. 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 information calls to (802) 524-6771 are taken between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. (checked October 16, 2026). Visiting hours are listed below.

Sending mail, commissary funds, and personal items

Letters and packages sent to a detainee must show the detainee’s full name and A-number, along with the sender’s name and return address — and each facility publishes its own exact format. 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. ICE’s 2019 national standard allows more than that. Under ICE’s National Detention Standards, Revised 2019, §5.1(E) — cited here for comparison only, because ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight inspected this facility in July 2025 under the Federal Performance-Based Detention Standards (FPBDS, May 2025) instead (inspection report), and we have not reviewed that standard’s mail rules — 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). Rules for commissary (account) deposits and permitted personal items vary by facility, and so does the number that handles them — ICE names a separate facility mail clerk on some facility pages. This facility’s deposit route, accepted form of payment and contacts are in the Sending Items to Detainees section of its own ICE page (linked above).

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

ICE’s page for this facility (checked October 16, 2026; the page shows “Updated: 08/06/2026”) says:

• Address format: ICE gives this format:

Detainee Name (last 4 of A#)
Address
City, State Zip

The facility street address ICE lists is 3649 Lower Newton Road, Swanton, VT 05488.

• Letters must have the detainee’s complete first and last name, plus the sender’s name and address. ICE says nicknames or incomplete return addresses “will result in the mail being rejected.” Outgoing mail is routed to the post office within 24 hours of receipt by facility staff.
• Stamps: detainees get 7 free stamps per week. ICE says: “While there is no limit to the amount of correspondence detainees may send, it will be at their own expense after the 7 free stamps are used.”
• Money: money is not to be given directly to the detainee. It can be placed on the detainee’s account by calling ICS Corrections at (866) 345-1884, or online. Funds a detainee receives in the mail are returned to sender, and ICE cautions detainees not to have cash sent to them by mail.
• Packages: the facility does not accept packages from family or friends. Items must be pre-approved and come directly from an approved vendor, arranged through the detainee.
• Transfers and departures: only legal mail is forwarded; general correspondence is endorsed “Return to Sender” and returned to the post office.
• Tablet messages: ICE says this facility has tablets, and non-confidential messages can be sent online (instructions are linked on ICE’s page).

Visiting in person

Friends and family visits for general population are scheduled by the first letter of the detainee’s last name (checked October 16, 2026):

• Approval: visitors must be requested by the detainee and approved before the visit.
• Age: unaccompanied visitors must be at least 18. Persons under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and proof of the relationship is required (a birth certificate or court-ordered guardianship).
• ID: visitors must have a government-issued photo ID with them.
• Visit time: ICE’s page reads “Each detainee will receive up to one (2) one-hour block of visitation time per week.” The two numbers in that sentence do not match; we quote it as published.
• Restrictions: no firearms or weapons of any kind; visitors who are or appear to be intoxicated are not allowed to visit; all visitors are subject to search; visitors may not pass or attempt to pass items to detainees or carry any items into the visitation area.
• Search: everyone entering the facility or visiting area is subject to an inspection of belongings and a metal scan search; anyone refusing a reasonable search is not admitted. No electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios, etc.), tobacco products or money are permitted in the secure areas.
• Clergy may visit at any time but must make prior arrangements with the volunteer coordinator at (802) 527-4346.
• Consular officials may meet their detained nationals at any time; ICE requests prior arrangements with the ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer “to the extent possible” and appropriate credentials. ICE gives that officer’s number as (781) 359-7500.
• Parking: ICE says free public parking is available at the facility.

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

Per ICE’s page for this facility (checked October 16, 2026):

• Attorney visits: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Visits outside these days or hours must be pre-approved. Attorneys may arrive unannounced, but ICE recommends reserving time because space is limited. To schedule a space or an after-hours time: Brad.Dunsmore@vermont.gov and/or Christopher.Lapan@vermont.gov.
• Legal calls: between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., 7 days a week, at (802) 527-4362. Attorneys must have an approved Vermont DOC PIN number, obtained by emailing Monique.Sullivan@vermont.gov.
• G-28s can be submitted through ERO eFile. Facility staff do not have access to it, so legal representatives should bring downloaded copies of the submitted G-28 to any in-person or remote legal visit.
• Case information: requests can be sent to Boston.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov; this mailbox does not accept applications for Stay of Removal or Case Appeals.
• Identifying the Deportation Officer: contact the Boston Field Office at (781) 359-7500; a G-28 must be on file for any information to be disclosed.
• Board of Immigration Appeals: ICE’s page for this facility gives (703) 605-1007 for BIA matters, with automated information or a live representative during office hours.
• Pro bono list: posted in all detainee 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 Boston 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, or a misconduct complaint to the field office: Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 1000 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803; for misconduct complaints ICE also gives (781) 359-7500.
• 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.

A news reporter who wants to interview someone held here must apply in writing to the Boston Field Office, Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, indicating familiarity with and agreement to comply with the facility rules and regulations provided by staff. ICE says a detainee has the right not to be interviewed, photographed or recorded, and the reporter must first obtain the detainee’s written permission. Media questions about ICE go to ICEMedia@ice.dhs.gov.

ICE inspection record

ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight (ODO), part of ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, issued Inspection 2025-006-012 for Northwest State Correctional Center, Swanton, Vermont, dated July 29, 2025 ( ODO report). Per ICE’s July 2025 inspection report:

• Standard: the Federal Performance-Based Detention Standards (May 2025).
• Field office: ERO Boston.
• Findings area: the report’s table of contents lists its inspection findings under Health Care, Health Care Administration.

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 Vermont
• Other ICE detention facilities in Vermont
• All facilities under the Boston Field Office