In 1971 Seamus Kilty, a member of the management staff at Catholic Social Services of Marin, visited San Quentin State Prison. When he observed families, friends, and children of prisoners standing in the rain, he was dismayed, and knew that he must seek a solution. He met with the Director of Catholic Social Services, Margaret Eilerman, to gain her support in providing a respite site for visitors to San Quentin. With the assistance of Catholic Social Services, he organized friends and other community members. Through hard work and determination a visitor center, The House at San Quentin, opened its doors in 1972 to welcome all who passed through.

Using The House program as the model, Centerforce and its network of visitor centers were established in 1975.While continuing to carry on the original mission of providing direct services to the visiting community, Centerforce also expanded its programming, to encompass a broader perspective and develop new projects such as the Parent Project at the Marin County Jail and the Literacy Project at San Quentin State Prison.

In 1981, with the help of the late state legislator William Filante, Centerforce drafted legislation that mandated visitor centers outside each adult state prison with a population of more than 800 people. The legislation passed and was signed into law in 1982. Today, these visitor centers at each of California’s 33 state prisons provide information about visiting, transportation to and from public transit terminals, hospitality, clothing exchange, social service referrals, and child activities.

Today, Centerforce provides services to incarcerated people and their families at state prisons and jails throughout Northern and Central California. Centerforce promotes opportunities for those who are incarcerated and their families to be successful participants in their communities.