Howard County Detention Center

The Howard County Detention Center is an ICE detention center for detainees who are in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This facility is located in Jessup, Maryland.

For information about a detainee housed at the Howard County Detention Center, call (410) 637-4000 between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm.

You must have the detainee's information ready when you call. Including their full name (first, last, and hyphenated), any known aliases, their date of birth, and their country of birth.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours at Howard County Detention Center are as follows:

General Rules

Detainees are allowed to visit for one hour. If you are traveling a long distance, the Assistant Warden may approve a longer visiting period. All visits are non-contact.

A maximum of two adults and two children may visit a detainee at any one time. This rule is flexible and is subject to exceptions, depending on staff and available space.

To allow enough time to process through security, all visitors must arrive 45 minutes prior to their visiting time. All adult visitors must have a valid photo ID to enter the Howard County Detention Center. Minors must be accompanied by an adult guardian (18 years or older) and can't be left unattended in the waiting room, visiting room or any other area.  

Visitors are not allowed to bring items into the visiting room or pass items to a detainee. You will be subject to a search of your person and an inspection of your belongings. You must successfully pass through a metal detector. If you refuse to cooperate with search procedures, your visit will be denied.

No firearms or weapons of any kind are permitted. No electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios, etc.) are permitted in the secure areas of this facility.

Attorney Visits
Attorneys and paralegals may visit their clients at any time between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm, including holidays.

Consular Visits
Consular officials are allowed to meet with their detained nationals daily, at any time. Whenever possible, arrangements should be made with the ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer in advance. All consular officials should bring appropriate credentials. 

The ICE Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer in charge of Howard County Detention Center can be reached by calling (410) 637-4000.

Clergy Visits
Clergy are allowed to visit detainees housed at Howard County Detention Center at any time. Arrangements must be made in advance with the Chaplain’s Office.

When sending a detainee mail through the US Postal Service, you must include the last four digits of their Alien number, plus your name and address. The staff at Howard County Detention Center does not read incoming detainee mail, but they do screen it for contraband. 

Sending Packages

Detainees at Howard County Detention Center are not allowed to receive care packages. However, a detainee is allowed to receive items that are necessary for travel or release from agency custody. Before sending packages to detainees, get the approval of the facility director at:

Howard County Detention Center Director
7301 Waterloo Rd
Jessup, MD 20794
(410) 313-5200

Detainees who are being removed from the United States are allowed to have one small piece of luggage. You can send the luggage and travel items after getting approval from the Supervisory Deportation Officer. For security reasons, you are not allowed to send electronic devices (cell phones, electric razors, laptop computers, radios, etc.).

How to Call an Inmate

You can't call a detainee at Howard County Detention Center directly, but if you need to leave an urgent message for a detainee, you can call (410) 313-5200.

The message must include:

• The detainee's full name
• Their alien registration number, and 
• A telephone number where you can be reached

How to Send Money

You can mail money directly to a detainee at Howard County Detention Center by sending a money order or cashier's check. Do not send cash. Mail the money order or cashier's check to:

Howard County Detention Center
Detainee Name/Alien Number
7301 Waterloo Rd
Jessup, MD 20794
United States

When you send money to a detainee in the mail, it is taken to the processing area and placed into their account. The processing officer will give a receipt for all funds received. 

To Post a Delivery Bond

When a detainee in ICE custody is placed into removal proceedings while they are in the United States, a delivery bond may be posted. When you post a delivery bond, you are required to show proof of identity.

Bonds for aliens detained by ICE can be posted at ICE ERO bond acceptance offices nationwide, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., local time. For a list of ICE ERO bond acceptance offices nearest you or for bond information, click here. You must have the last name of the detainee and their alien registration number before calling. 

Acceptable forms of payment are: 

• money orders
• cashier’s checks 
• certified checks

Payments must be made payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security” or “Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

Programs For Inmates

This information is not publicly available.

Pictures of Howard County Detention Center

Careers at Howard County Detention Center

If you are interested in a career with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and would like more information about job openings at Howard County Detention Center, click here.