Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced in September that the state plans to close the Maryland Correctional Institution at Jessup, a medium security prison in Anne Arundel County, by June 30, 2026, citing aging infrastructure, high maintenance costs, and a shift toward more sustainable correctional operations.
The closure of MCI-J is expected to save Maryland taxpayers roughly $21 million per year in operating costs. State officials say the move will also allow the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to expand access to education, vocational training, and re-entry programming by relocating services and staff to nearby facilities.
“MCI-J has long outrun its facility lifespan and we refuse to kick the can further down the road,” Moore said in a statement. “Our plan to close this facility will save taxpayers money, ease strain on our hardworking and dedicated correctional staff, and honor the state’s commitment to meeting every Marylander with humanity, including incarcerated individuals.”
MCI-J opened in 1981 as an annex to the now-demolished Maryland House of Correction. The facility currently houses 709 incarcerated individuals and is authorized for 308 budgeted staff positions. Over decades, state officials say prolonged underinvestment in maintenance led to significant deterioration across the campus, including foundation issues, drainage problems that forced the closure of housing units, and aging plumbing, electrical systems, and roofing that have exceeded their expected life cycles.
A Department of General Services assessment estimated that necessary capital improvements would cost approximately $200 million and take years to complete.
“After careful evaluation, the decision to close MCI-J is a fiscally responsible step forward for our state,” Maryland Department of General Services Secretary Atif Chaudhry said. “By closing MCI-J, we’re saving Maryland taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in avoidable costs over the long term and refocusing our resources on more sustainable correctional solutions.”
State officials said all staff currently assigned to MCI-J will be transitioned to other facilities in the Jessup area, including the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women and the Dorsey Run Correctional Facility. The department will work with AFSCME during the transition, which officials say will help improve staffing levels and reduce reliance on mandatory overtime.
“Adequate staff is proactive security,” said Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs. “By shifting staff to surrounding facilities, we will not only provide coverage needed to deter incidents and make our facilities safer, but we can minimize the costly, constant and exhausting cycle of mandatory overtime, improve morale and reduce burnout.”
The incarcerated population at MCI-J will be transferred in phases over several months. The initial relocations will prioritize aging individuals serving life sentences and those requiring Americans with Disabilities Act compliant housing. Individuals will then be reassigned to facilities across the state based on security needs, including the Maryland Correctional Institution at Hagerstown, Roxbury Correctional Institution, and North Branch Correctional Institution.
Educational and vocational programming currently offered at MCI-J will also be moved to other facilities, expanding access to services such as Adult Basic Education, high school diploma equivalency, special education, vocational trade programs, job readiness, work release, apprenticeship programs, and post-secondary education partnerships with institutions including the University of Baltimore, Georgetown University, Goucher College, Bowie State University, and Wor-Wic Community College.
Following its closure, the facility will be shuttered and winterized at an estimated cost of $1.5 million while the state evaluates potential future uses for the site.
