Four detainees at Folkston ICE Processing Center released a five-minute video from inside the facility describing conditions and criticizing the deportation process.
Communications are handled through a private system that charges detainees for calls and video chats, raising concerns about access to legal help and family connections.
The detainees report facing retaliation and segregation after sharing their message, highlighting how private vendors influence daily life in custody.
Quick read · 2 min
Detainees at Folkston ICE Processing Center in Georgia released a five-minute video describing tough conditions and criticizing the private system used to keep them connected to the outside world. They discuss low pay for work, high costs for calls and video chats, and doubts about the fairness of the immigration process.
The video highlights how private vendors influence daily life in custody and raises questions about access to legal help and family contact. Regulators have adjusted rates in the past, but this area remains contested for detainees and advocates.
What this means for you: if a loved one is in custody, expect costs and access to communications to be impacted by private contracts. Watch for policy updates that could curb profits from essential services in detention centers.
Detention, private contracts, and communications pricing will stay in the public eye.
Regulators have shown willingness to revisit rules around pricing and access.
Advocacy groups will push for tighter controls and better protections.
A five-minute scene captured behind bars is lighting up a debate about how immigration detention is run in a rural Georgia facility. Four detainees at Folkston ICE Processing Center describe crowded conditions, a slow and opaque legal process, and a communications setup run by a private vendor that charges for calls, messages, and video chats. They say the current system is designed to keep people from mounting timely defenses while connected to loved ones on the outside.
The video provides an unusual glimpse into how detainees stay in touch with family and lawyers. The men describe a work program that pays very little for tasks like cooking and cleaning, with funds often used to buy extra food or phone time. They point out that the center relies on a proprietary platform for video calls and messaging, a setup that has sparked long-running debates about cost and access to justice in detention settings.
One detainee, Idris Makhmudov, is quoted as saying the work-pay is “a dollar a day, just enough for a short phone call.” The clip’s distribution outside the facility underscores how access to the outside world can hinge on paying for services, and how private companies profit from keeping detainees connected.
The private operator behind the communications system is Telmate, part of ViaPath Technologies. Telmate’s GettingOut platform has previously faced scrutiny after a notable data breach settlement tied to user information. Rates for inmate communications have long been a flashpoint in policy discussions about fairness and access to legal aid.
Advocates and researchers point to this incident as a reminder that private contractors run essential services in detention, shaping how long people stay in custody and how easily they can seek help. Immigration attorney Samantha Hamilton notes that Folkston houses detainees in multiple pods with limited tablet access, making outside contact both expensive and logistically challenging.
Folkston is operated under a contract with GEO Group, a private firm that runs several detention facilities. Critics say the video demonstrates how privatized services can influence daily life inside custody, including how funds left behind affect a detainee’s ability to challenge their case.
Regulators have previously weighed in on pricing for inmate communications. In 2024 the FCC capped certain call rates, and later votes in 2025 adjusted some caps upward in response to ongoing concerns. The mix of regulation, contract management, and government funding continues to evolve, and this video adds to the pressure for clearer rules around access and privacy in detention settings.
The upshot is simple: detainees arguing with the system are able to share their experiences, but doing so can carry risks in a system that depends on private vendors for basic communication tools.
Harrowing video made by ICE detainees at Folkston, GA who want the public to know what is happening inside.
Take the time to watch this video, made by people who took a risk by sharing their stories. This facility is run by for-profit GeoGroup. pic.twitter.com/GqZ8BbslPX
If a loved one is detained, expect communications to be expensive and sometimes hard to access. The story also spotlights privacy concerns when private companies control the software that connects detainees to lawyers and families. Look for policy changes that could tighten oversight and reduce profits tied to essential services in detention centers.
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Who runs Folkston and why it matters
The Folkston ICE Processing Center is operated under a contract with GEO Group, a private company, using a private communications platform. The video highlights how private control of calls, messages and data can affect access to legal help and family contact while someone is in custody.
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How this could influence policy
Advocacy groups say the case underscores the need for tighter rules around who controls inmate communications, how pricing is set, and how funds in detainee accounts are handled when custody ends. Regulators have signaled willingness to revisit pricing structures and access rules, which could curb profits from essential services inside detention facilities.
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What you can do now
If you care about detention conditions or privatized services inside custody, consider supporting groups that monitor these issues or contacting your representatives to ask how policies address privatized communications, data security, and access to legal help for detainees.
A five-minute recording where four detainees describe conditions inside, critique the deportation process, and question the privatized communications setup.
Who runs the Folkston facility?
The Folkston ICE Processing Center is operated under a contract with GEO Group, using Telmate software owned by ViaPath Technologies.
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