High Desert State Prison (HDSP), Susanville CA
Main Phone: (530) 251-5100
Physical Address: 475-750 Rice Canyon Rd., Susanville, CA 96127 (Directions)
- All Staff: P.O. Box 750, Susanville, CA 96127-0750
- Inmate Mailing: P.O. Box 3030, Susanville, CA 96127-3030
- Inmate Trust: P.O. Box 270-249, Susanville, CA 96127
Visiting an incarcerated person: learn how to visit an incarcerated person at our institutions.
Other Resources: explore family & friends resources, including how to contact or send packages to those incarcerated in our institutions.
Vocational, now referred to as Career Technical Education (CTE):
- All Four Yards, CTE Computer Literacy
- B Yard, CTE Building Maintenance, Auto Body/Paint, Electronics
- C yard, CTE Building Maintenance
Academics:
Adult Basic Education (ABE)1, ABE2, ABE3/GED. ABE2/3/GED, VEP High School, Face to Face College (A yard only), VEP college all yards, Transitions (Financial Literacy, Life and workplace behavior skills, community resources)
Other Education Programs:
Law and reading Libraries, Recreation activities, Media Center, Developmental Placement Program (DPP)
Programs:
Faith Based Programs, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Criminals and Gangs Anonymous, Getting Out By Going In, Juvenile Diversion Program, Veterans Group, House of Healing, Positive Parenting, Victims Impact, Actors Gangs, Arts in Corrections, Lifers Group, Alternatives to Violence, Cage you Rage, Fatherless Fathers.
Reentry Hub:
HDSP is involved with the Department’s new Reentry Hub program. Reentry Hub programming is geared to ensure that, upon release, offenders are ready for the transition back into society. The core of Reentry Hub programming is Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) programming, an evidence-based program designed for inmates who have a moderate-to-high risk to reoffend, as assessed by the California Static Risk Assessment (CSRA), and who have an assessed criminogenic need, as identified by the Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS) and/or other assessment(s) identified by CDCR. CBT programs address the following major areas:
- Substance Abuse
- Criminal Thinking
- Anger Management
- California ID Program
Currently, every Facility is receiving a Reentry program for all eligible inmates. This will enable CDCR to bring the program to the inmates rather than moving inmates around the state to go to the program.
Family Liaison Service Specialist
CDCR provides through a contract with a community-based organization an on-site Case Manager as a family reunification liaison for inmates and family members, to assist with an inmates pre-release preparation; and conduct Parenting and Creative Conflict Resolution classes for inmates. Please call the Institution to contact the Family Reunification Liaison.
High Desert State Prison is located in the north eastern part of California near Susanville. The area offers year round outdoor activities including, swimming, fishing, biking, snow skiing and riding all-terrain vehicles. You can do most of those activities at nearby Eagle Lake and Thompson Peak, located in Honey Lake Valley. You can hang glide from nearby peaks, and maybe catch a glimpse of the hawks and eagles that frequent the area. Nearby Lassen National Park includes the Sulfur Works, Kings Falls, Summit Trails and Bumpass Hell for hiking and backpacking. If you’re looking for a change of scenery, Reno, Nevada is 90 miles south.
Details
HDSP provides vocational programs, educational programs, and work assignments for those inmates who are willing to participate. HDSP has a 35 bed Correctional Treatment Center (CTC) to provide for the health care needs of the inmates. Additionally, HDSP is designed to house inmates with disabilities who require specialized placement to accommodate accessibility issues under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).
Institution Operation
In September 1995, following completion of construction, HDSP received its first inmates. The first housing units to be activated were the MSF and two Level III 270 design facilities. These were soon followed by the two Level IV 180 design facilities. In the spring of 1996, a 200-bed reception center was established, which was converted to Level III General Population (GP) in October 2012. In May 1997, one of our Level III 270 design facilities was converted to a Level IV general population to accommodate departmental needs. In October 2007, once again we converted our Level IV 270 design general population facility to a Level IV sensitive needs yard based on departmental needs.
HDSP has an electrified fence surrounding the perimeter of our level III and IV facilities which provides a secure and cost effective method for preventing escapes.
American Correctional Association: Accredited Since August 2013
Fiscal Year 2016/2017 Budget: $143,282,218
History
In early 1990, the CDC initiated discussions for a new prison in Lassen County on the grounds of the California Correctional Center (CCC). This location took advantage of existing state property and the ability to share operations with an existing prison.
Construction of the new prison began on July 14, 1993, with a budget of $240 million. In just 24 months the new prison became a dominant part of the surrounding landscape. The construction of the prison consumed 71,985 yards of concrete, 20,000 tons of steel, 364 miles of electrical wire and 7 miles of chain link fencing, combined with the multitude of other required construction materials necessary in the completion of this modern prison complex.
Named High Desert State Prison by the Lassen County Board of Supervisors, the prison is located approximately eight miles east of the town of Susanville, or about a 1 hour 30 minute drive northwest of Reno, Nevada.
Rob St. Andre was appointed Warden at High Desert State Prison (HDSP) in Susanville in June 2023. He was Acting Warden since March 2022.
In 1996, he began his CDCR career as a Correctional Officer at HDSP. From 2002 to 2013, he has held the positions of Correctional Sergeant, Correctional Lieutenant, and Captain Adult Institutions. In 2013 he was promoted to Correctional Administrator. In 2015 he was assigned to Acting Chief Deputy Warden at HDSP. In 2018, he completed a lateral transfer as Associate Warden at California Correctional Center (CCC).
While at CCC, he served as Associate Warden Northern Camp Division and Operations and from 2020 to March of 2022 as Acting Chief Deputy Warden of CCC.
Todd Murray was appointed CEO at HDSP in 2016. Dr. Murray began his career with CDCR/CCHCS in 2006, and has served in various clinical, supervisory and management positions, including Chief Psychologist and Chief of Mental Health at HDSP and at California Correctional Center. He brings over 25 years of diversified healthcare experience working in private, public and academic settings, and maintains his licensure as a clinical psychologist. Dr. Murray earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from California State University, Long Beach, and a Master of Arts and Doctorate degree in clinical psychology, with an emphasis in Family Psychology from Azusa Pacific University.
Local Inmate Family Councils (IFC’s) are a gathering of family and friends of the incarcerated who meet regularly with Wardens to support visiting since keeping strong family connections with loved ones is a powerful rehabilitative tool. These IFC’s promote visiting by clarifying rules and regulations as well as discussing health, education, vocational training, packages, books, and related issues. For more information on connecting with a local IFC, please visit the Statewide IFC website.