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Winn Correctional Center — Highest Average Daily Population in Louisiana

Winn, LA FIPS 22127
~1,500 beds
Bed capacity
Operator: LaSalle Corrections

Overview

Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Winn Parish, was a state prison that converted to ICE detention in 2019, shifting from state prisoners to asylum seekers and immigrants. Operated by LaSalle Corrections, it had an average daily population of 1,491 detainees as of late 2023 — the highest of any Louisiana facility.

The facility has been the subject of years of complaints about filthy conditions, inadequate medical care, brutal use of force, and systemic problems. Both Winn and Richwood Correctional Center were operating over their contractual capacities by several dozen detainees. As of April 2026 Winn held approximately 1,577 people.

Death in Custody (April 2026)

On April 11, 2026, Alejandro Cabrera Clemente, a 49-year-old Mexican national, was found unresponsive at Winn. Staff began life-saving measures and EMS transported him to Winn Parish Medical Center, where an onsite physician pronounced him deceased at approximately 8:51 a.m. No cause of death was disclosed in the initial ICE release.

Cabrera Clemente was the 16th person to die in ICE custody nationally in 2026 — a pace of roughly one death every 6.3 days over the year’s first 101 days. For context, 2025 was the deadliest year for ICE detention in over two decades (32 deaths nationwide); 2026 reached half that total within four months. Analyses of the 2025 deaths found that in at least 17 of 32 documented cases, doctors concluded the person might still be alive absent delays or failures in medical care. Winn’s documented history includes a 2021 DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties report describing a “culture and conditions that can lead to abuse.”

DHS OIG Report: Chokehold, Pen Stabbing, Sanitation Failures (June 2026)

On June 2, 2026 the DHS Office of Inspector General published the report from its unannounced inspection conducted March 4–6, 2025, when Winn held approximately 1,576 male ICE detainees at maximum capacity. The report (covered widely June 4–5) documented:

  • Prohibited use of force. Of five use-of-force incidents reviewed, inspectors found violations in three. In one, an officer applied a chokehold around a detainee’s neck — a technique ICE detention standards specifically prohibit — to gain control during an altercation. In another, an officer stabbed a detainee’s right thumb with a pen because the detainee would not move his hand from a housing-unit door opening. A third involved restraints applied without proper documentation, including failure to document the required medical review on camera.
  • Unsafe/unsanitary conditions. Holes in the ceiling and insulation hanging from ceiling tiles in the intake building, with water dripping onto the floor; staff used napkins and Styrofoam containers to catch the leaks.
  • Food safety. Perishables stored in coolers reading 44–60°F (standard: 35–40°F); a freezer at 11°F (standard: 0°F or below).
  • Medical and legal-access failures. Incomplete/outdated medical files (missing treatment-plan updates and lab results); 25 of 30 detention files lacked required criminal-history documentation; detainees shared USB drives for legal work, raising confidentiality concerns.

OIG issued nine recommendations — five resolved-but-open, four resolved-and-closed. ICE said it is “working to address” the issues including additional staff training; a DHS spokesperson asserted the facility complies with detention standards. Rep. Pramila Jayapal called it a “damning” report. The findings landed less than two months after the April 11, 2026 in-custody death of Alejandro Cabrera Clemente (below) and intensify scrutiny of Winn as the largest ICE facility in the No. 2 detention state. OIG’s inspection capacity is expanding from 4–6 facilities/year toward 40–60 after a $20M funding increase.

Why It Matters

Winn Parish (population ~14,000) is one of Louisiana’s most budget-distressed parishes. The detention center is a major employer and revenue source. The town of Winnfield is where the Washington Post profiled how locals supported the ICE center as economic lifeblood even as conditions deteriorated — a textbook example of the detention economy creating dependency.

Sources

Edit Report issue County profile
Last updated: Jul 3, 2026