Centinela State Prison (CEN)
Main Phone: (760) 337-7900
Physical Address: 2302 Brown Road, Imperial, CA 92251 (Directions)
- Institution: P.O. Box 731, Imperial, CA 92251-0731
- Inmates (make sure to include Inmate’s Name and CDCR number):
- Facility A, P.O. Box 901, Imperial, CA 92251-0901
- Facility B, P.O. Box 911, Imperial, CA 92251-0911
- Facility C, P.O. Box 921, Imperial, CA 92251-0921
- Facility D & E, P.O. Box 931, Imperial, CA 92251-0931
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.
- Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT)
- Long-Term Offender Program (LTOP)
- Vocational: Electrical, Office Services/Related Technologies (OSRT), Building Maintenance, Small Engine Repair, Auto Body, Auto Mechanics, Electronics, Roofing and Welding.
- Academic: Adult Basic Education (ABE I, ABE II, ABE III), GED, Voluntary Education Program (VEP), Independent Study and Literacy Lab.
- Other: Service Crews, Religious programs for all Faiths, Alternatives to Violence Programs, Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous, Creative Conflict Resolution Workshops, Life Without a Crutch Workshops, Cage Your Rage Workshops, Kairos Christian Fellowship, Choice Theory/Internal Empowerment Coaching and TUMI Discipleship Program
DRP Programs
Integrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment (ISUDT)–Overview
On January 21, 2020, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) implemented ISUDT. ISUDT is a comprehensive and evidence-based cross-divisional program with pathways to treatment through DRP Cognitive Behavioral Interventions (CBI) programs referred to as:
CBI-Intensive Outpatient (Medical Classification T1, SOMS assignment code ISI) 2-hours/day, 5-days/week, 52-weeks completion
CBI-Outpatient (Medical Classification T2, SOMS assignment code ISO) 2-hours/day, 3-days/week, 14-weeks completion
CBI-Life Skills (Medical Classification T3, SOMS assignment code CB2) 2-hours/day, 3-days/week, 29-weeks completion
All participants will be assessed by medical and referred to one of the CBI classes.
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.
El Centro is the nearest city to Centinela State Prison, has a desert climate, and is the southernmost desert city below sea level in the continental United States. There are two international border crossings for commercial and noncommercial vehicles. El Centro is just 15 miles from the international industrial complexes in Mexicali, Baja California. The nearby Algodones Dunes, the largest dune field in the U.S. drawing thousands of visitors each year, mainly for off-road driving. The Salton Sea is 30 miles north of El Centro, and for water sport enthusiasts, there the Colorado River an hour to the east. Mexico (the border city of Mexicali, Baja California) is ten miles away and offers big city amenities like museums, a zoo and a sports/convention center.
Details
Centinela State Prison attempts to achieve inmate productivity and self-improvement by providing legally mandated work and study opportunities for all inmates (AB 1403 – Chapter One Statues of 1982). This goal is accomplished through the development of support services, academic education, vocation instruction, spiritual programs, work assignments, substance abuse programs and the availability of self-help programming.
Centinela State Prison provides for the confinement of General Population, Level I, Level III inmates, Level III sensitive needs and maximum security (Level IV) inmates.
History
Centinela State Prison was named for Mount Signal, the mountain located on the US Mexico international line once used to watch over the state’s borders to prevent unauthorized passage into the US. Centinela is the Spanish word for “Sentinel” or signal.
Andre Green has served as Acting Warden since January 2026. He has more than 25 years of service with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and began his career in 2000 as a Correctional Officer at Lancaster State Prison.
Mr. Green has promoted through the ranks to Correctional Sergeant, Correctional Lieutenant, Correctional Captain, Associate Warden and Chief Deputy Warden. Throughout his career he has gained experience in Programs, Health Care, Central Operations, Business Services and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
Mr. Green also served on the activation teams for the California Health Care Facility in 2012, and the Centralized Allegation Resolution Unit (CARU) in 2025.
Mr. Green holds an associate’s degree from Cosumnes River College and has senior standing in Business Marketing and Management at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
Muhammad Nasir, MD, MPH, MBA has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Centinela State Prison (CEN), effective April 20, 2026. He began his CEO career with California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) in January 2016 and has since served in the same capacity at the California Correctional Center, Calipatria State Prison, and the California Rehabilitation Center.
Dr. Nasir earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from Nishtar Medical University & Nishtar Hospital in Pakistan. He later obtained a Master of Public Health (MPH) from California State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Paul & Virginia Engler College of Business at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.
He also holds professional certifications in Project Management, Electronic Health Record Systems (Trainer & Implementation Manager), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and Lean White Belt.
Throughout his career, Dr. Nasir has held a variety of medical administrative roles and has served in diverse hospital settings across the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. For more than two decades, he has been a leader in identifying and implementing initiatives that support organizational growth through a patient‑centered and efficiency‑driven approach to processes and systems. His focus on a shared organizational vision, combined with a strong commitment to open and consistent communication, has been instrumental in strengthening the trust, respect, and engagement of both internal and external stakeholders.
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.