Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP)
Main Phone: (209) 274-4911
Physical Address: 4001 Highway 104, Ione, CA 95640 (Directions)
P.O. Box 409099, Ione, CA 95640
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.
Mule Creek State Prison in Ione is located at the base of California’s gold country foothills in Amador County. Ione’s central and convenient location is attractive to residents and business alike. There’s so much to see and do in and around Amador County. Wineries are scattered throughout the county as well as farmers markets and farm-to-fork dining in the locally owned restaurants. Camping in El Dorado National Forest provides a great base for outdoor recreation, with plenty of hiking trails and fishing spots. For golf enthusiasts, Castle Oaks Golf Club in Ione is one of the Northern California’s premier public courses – named “Best Public Golf Course in Nor-Cal” by Golf Digest when it opened in 1994 – it remains a Golf Digest Places to Play 4-Star rated course. Without a doubt, the city is a wonderful location to relax, play, and live!
Details
Mule Creek State Prison offers the following programs for inmates: Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Criminals and Gang-members Anonymous, Criminals and Gang-members Anonymous re-entry, Christian 12-Step, Self-Awareness and Recovery (anger management), Gavel Club, Veterans’ Support Group, Lifers’ Support Group, Self-Exploration through Writing, Victim Awareness Offender Program, Juvenile Diversion Program, New Options for Wellness, Celebrate Recovery Inside, CARE (Concerned About Recovery Education, formerly IMPACT), GRIP (Guiding Rage Into Power), Al-Anon, 2×2 Anger Management Program, International Bodhisattva Sangha (IBS), Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP), Prisoners Overcoming Obstacles and Creating Hope (POOCH, Tender Loving Canine – TLC), and Paws for Life Program (PFL, Karma Rescue).
Luis Garnica currently serves as the acting warden of Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP). He began his career in 2006 at Centinela State Prison as a correctional officer. In 2014, he promoted to correctional sergeant at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJDCF) and subsequently held various classifications, including correctional counselor, correctional counselor II–supervisor, grievance coordinator, litigation coordinator, assistant classification and parole representative, and acting positions as classification and parole representative (C&PR) and correctional counselor III with the Division of Rehabilitative Programs (DRP).
In 2020, Garnica was promoted to C&PR at the California Health Care Facility (CHCF). Then in 2021, he promoted to California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS), where he served as a classification services representative (CSR), captain, and acting chief of the Health Care Placement Oversight Program (HCPOP).
In 2023, he was promoted to chief within the Division of Adult Institutions (DAI), Population Management Unit (PMU), and in 2025, he served as acting chief deputy warden at the California Medical Facility (CMF).
In addition to his extensive experience with CDCR, Garnica holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice. He is also a veteran of the United States Army (1997–2001) and the California Army National Guard (2002–2006).
Garnica is dedicated to supporting CDCR’s rehabilitative mission by fostering a safe and secure environment, developing future leaders through mentorship and example, and promoting accountability and collaboration among staff, incarcerated individuals, and stakeholders to build safer communities.
Bob Edwards has a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s in respiratory therapy. He has served as a director and as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in large, medium and small hospitals.
During his tenure he as built strong healthcare teams to provide excellence and earn recognition (Top 100 Hospitals in two USA Hospitals; Top Performer for The Joint Commission; Missouri Quality Award [Malcom Baldrige metrics] and International Recognition Award from Gallup for Employee Engagement).
Mr. Edwards has served six years as CEO with CCHCS. He has also served at California Health Care Facility, the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison at Corcoran, California Correctional Institution, and now at Mule Creek State Prison.
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.