Detainees moved from Maryland correctional facility amid concerns about building structure
Incarcerated individuals were transferred from a Maryland correctional facility in Baltimore Thursday after concerns were raised about the structure of the building, according to the State Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
The Maryland Reception, Diagnostic, and Classification Center, or MRDCC, opened in 1981. The facility holds 393 pre-trial detainees and has 260 staff positions, DPSCS said.
The emergency transfer took place after DPSCS was notified about the building concerns from an independent engineering consultant. The department said the decision to move from the building was "in the interest of the safety and well-being of the facility's staff and incarcerated individuals."
Following the transfer, the future of the facility will be assessed.
"The engineering consultants informed our agencies that continued occupancy of the facility would pose an imminent risk, and critical repairs would be necessary to continue operations," said Atif Chaudhry, Secretary of the Maryland Department of General Services. "The health, safety, and security of the 260 staff and roughly 400 incarcerated individuals is our main priority, and the current building conditions do not meet the standards needed to serve the facility's purpose."
Most of the incarcerated individuals were transferred to the Metropolitan Transition Center in Baltimore, while women were taken to the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women in Jessup.
Men with emerging needs were taken to the Chesapeake Detention Facility in Baltimore, and all others were taken to Jessup Correctional Institution, officials said.
Corrections staff were moved to facilities near MRDCC to help with the transfer, and other staffing moves will follow union contracts, according to officials.
"The transfer of incarcerated individuals is the first step in determining the long-term viability of MRDCC," DPSCS said. "The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and the Department of General Services will work closely with the independent engineering firm to determine the next steps for this facility.
Similar conditions have been reported in other state facilities. In September, Gov. Wes Moore's office announced plans to close the Maryland Correctional Institution by June 30, 2026, due to "building and infrastructure degradation across the facility," along with foundation issues, drainage concerns and the need for extensive repairs.