High Desert Prison (HDSP)
475-750 Rice Canyon Rd., Susanville, CA 96127, (530) 251-5100
This is a maximum security prison in Northern California. It 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.
Susanville is located in far eastern California, with the closest city being Reno, Nevada about 100 miles south. The majority of the prison's roughly 3,000 inmate population is comprised of younger inmates who are serving long sentences and/or those who have proven to be management problems while in prison.
The prison offers vocational programs, educational programs, and work assignments for those inmates who are willing to participate. The prison is designed to house inmates with disabilities who require specialized placement to accommodate accessibility issues under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).
The prison was completed in 1995. It is at 4,000 feet elevation, so it experiences cold winters, especially given its location just miles from the Nevada border.
Nevada has a prison within its state called the High Desert State Prison, too. It is located about 40 miles outside Las Vegas.