Maryland records 3rd inmate death of 2026; fellow inmate identified as suspect

Maryland recorded its third inmate death of the year on Monday at a facility in Anne Arundel County, according to State Police. 

The inmate, 33-year-old Joseph Harrell, was serving time at the Jessup Correctional Institute when he was pronounced dead following an altercation on Jan. 26, officials said. 

Troopers were called about a death at the facility on Monday around 7:30 p.m. 

A preliminary investigation revealed that Harrell was involved in an altercation with another inmate in the library. When medical staff arrived at the area, Harrell was dead, according to officials. 

The other inmate was identified as a suspect. They will be identified once charges are filed, police said. 

Harrell's death was reported to police by the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, and remains under investigation. 

Inmate deaths in Maryland

The state's first inmate death of the year was reported on Jan. 10 at the North Branch Correctional Institution in Allegany County, according to police. 

A fellow inmate was identified as a suspect in 51-year-old Larry Horton's death, police said. 

The second inmate death occurred on Jan. 18 when 38-year-old Javon Foster was found dead in his cell. Foster's cellmate was in the cell at the time, but was not named as a suspect. 

In 2025, Maryland recorded 68 inmate deaths, a nearly 200% increase from the 22 deaths in 2024, according to data from police.

Of the 68 deaths reported in 2025, 15 of them happened at the Jessup Correctional Institute, police data shows.