Central State Prison

Central State Prison is a medium-security prison for male inmates in Macon, Georgia. It was built in 1978 and can house a maximum of 1,153 inmates.

The mission at Central State Prison is to ensure public safety and effectively house offenders while operating a safe and secure facility. Central houses general population and Mental Health Level III offenders. This facility also operates a Correctional Industries Garment Factory. 

Central State Prison is a central tool, vehicle storage, and warehouse for the Offender Construction Division. It is also a Sex Offender Release Site and a host facility for the Macon Transitional Center.

There are six housing units, each containing four pods. Each pod has 12, two-man cells. Half of one unit contains 24 Isolation/Segregation beds. 141 beds are reserved for Mental Health Level III. A separate "fast track" unit houses 288 general population offenders in four open dormitories with 72 beds per dorm. This facility also houses a C.E.R.T. Team and a Canine Unit.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

The visiting days and hours at Central State Prison are on Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM.

You must fill out an application and be approved by the Georgia Department of Corrections before you can visit an inmate at Central State Prison. For complete details about the visiting process, click here.

Visitors are required to present photo identification prior to their admission for visiting. A driver's license with a picture, a picture identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety, or other acceptable photographic identification card is required for all visitors age sixteen (16) and over.

Visitors can only bring items identified by the facility (i.e., identification card, car keys, money). No food or drink can be brought into the facility from the outside other than bottled formula or store-bought products for babies. 

You can bring a maximum of twenty dollars ($20.00) in coins to be used for the vending machines. Musical instruments, radios, pets, cameras, or electronic devices are not allowed in the visiting area. 

All visitors are subject to a preliminary search of their person by electronic surveillance instruments (metal detectors, etc.). All items brought into the facility by a visitor will be searched by officers assigned to the visitation area.

Visitors must wear appropriate clothing. Shoes are required at all times for visitors, including children if they are able to walk or stand. 

Male visitors are required to wear shirts and full-length trousers. Females may wear trousers, or if a female visitor wears a dress, skirt or other similar garment, it may NOT be more than two (2) inches above the knees. Furthermore, all female visitors must wear undergarments such as bras, panties, and slips. 

Inappropriate clothing includes, but is not limited to:  

• Dresses or tops with thin straps which expose shoulders or chest area in any manner
• Tube tops or halters of any type
• Any type of clothing which reveals the stomach or midriff area
• Any type of clothing that is made of sheer or transparent material
• Shorts of any kind or any kind of slacks that are above the knee (twelve years old and under may wear shorts)
• Male visitors are not permitted to wear tank tops or short tops of any kind, nor see-through tops made of net or mesh webbing. 
• Shorts are not permitted (children twelve 12 years old and under may wear shorts)
• Any other type of clothing that is suggestive or revealing in any way is prohibited

Video Visits

Central State Prison does offer video visits through JPay. You must have a JPay account, and the video visit can last up to 30 minutes. The fee for a 30-minute video visit is $3.95.

You can send a package to an inmate through the George Inmate Package Program. You can also send and receive Videograms and emails through JPay.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at Central State Prison can’t receive incoming calls, but they do have access to phones during approved hours. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Georgia, please click here.

How to Send Money

JPay Options

• Online or Mobile App: To send an inmate money with your credit or debit card, visit JPay.com or download the JPay Mobile App that is available at the Apple App Store (for iPhones) and Google Play (for Android phones).
• By phone: Call (800) 574-5729 to talk with a live JPay call center agent and send money with a debit or credit card. 
• Mail a money orderㅡmade payable to JPayㅡwith a deposit slip to:

JPay
P.O. Box 260010
Hollywood, FL 33026

A money order deposit slip is available here.

Moneygram

If you would like to use cash, visit a MoneyGram location in person and use receive code 6857. MoneyGram locations include all Walmarts and CVS Pharmacies. 

Programs For Inmates

WORK DETAILS

Correctional Industries, Mobile Construction

PROGRAMS:

Academic: Literacy/Remedial, Adult Basic Education, General Education Diploma Preparation

Counseling: Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous, Motivation for Change, Thinking for a Change, Case Management, Individual Counseling, Family Violence, Moral Reconation Therapy, Lifer's Confronting Self Concept, Health Awareness

Recreation: General Recreation, Wellness Program, Special (Mental Health/Mental Rehabilitation) Recreation

Religious Activities: Various Worship Services, Pastoral Counseling, Religious Education

Vocational/OJT: Carpentry, Plumbing, Building Maintenance, Correctional Industries Garment Manufacturing

Pictures of Central State Prison

Careers at Central State Prison

If you are interested in a job at Central State Prison, click here. Employees at Central State Prison ensure public safety and effectively house offenders while operating a Safe and Secure facility by housing General Population and Mental Health Level III offenders. 

This facility also operates a Georgia Correctional Industries garment Factory. It is also the central tool/vehicle storage and warehouse for the Offender Construction Division, Sex Offender Release Site, and serves as host facility for Macon Transitional Center.