(The Center Square) – One of Maryland’s oldest state prisons, the Maryland Correctional Institution at Jessup, will close by June 30, 2026.
The closure is projected to save about $21 million a year in operating costs and avoid roughly $200 million in capital repairs.
Officials say years of underinvestment left the medium-security prison with drainage failures, a sinking foundation, and plumbing, electrical, and roofing systems past their life cycles.
“MCJ-J has long outlived 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.”
Opened in 1981 as an annex to the now-demolished Maryland House of Correction, the facility houses about 709 people and is authorized for 308 staff positions.
Incarcerated individuals will be transferred in phases over several months. Priority groups include aging people serving life sentences and those who need Americans with Disabilities Act-guided housing. Transfers will go to facilities across the state, including the Maryland Correctional Institution at Hagerstown, Roxbury Correctional Institution and North Branch Correctional Institution.
All staff will be reassigned within the Jessup complex, including to the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women and the Dorsey Run Correctional Facility. The department says redeploying staff will improve coverage and reduce mandatory overtime.
An agency analysis estimates overtime savings at $27.6 million by fiscal 2027 at MCI-W and DRCF alone. After accounting for expected overtime increases at two other facilities absorbing staff, the projected net overtime savings in the Jessup region is $19.2 million.
“After careful evaluation, the decision to close MCJ-J is a fiscally responsible step forward for our state,” Maryland Department of General Services Secretary Atif Chaudhry said. “By closing MCJ-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.”
Following the shutdown, the state plans to shutter and winterize the building at an estimated cost of $1.5 million while it evaluates long-term options. If the facility were ever reopened after a multi-year pause, rehabilitation is estimated at $5 million to $8 million.
Full demolition is planned for 2036, estimated at $31 million, according to the plan.
