Jessup Correctional Institution Explained

Prison Name:Jessup Correctional Institution
City:Jessup
County:Howard County
State:Maryland
Country:United States
Pushpin Map:Maryland
Former Name:Maryland House of Correction-Annex
Coordinates:39.1444°N -76.7778°W
Status:Operational
Classification:Maximum adult males
Population:1,396 (daily average)
Populationdate:2010
Opened:1991
Managed By:Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services
Warden:Robert Dean
Street-Address:7805 House of Correction Rd
Zip:20794

Jessup Correctional Institution (JCI) is a maximum security prison operated by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services in Jessup, Maryland. It was formerly called the Maryland House of Correction-Annex.[1] [2]

Prisoners

In 2013, inmates from JCI helped remove asbestos from contaminated buildings at the Maryland House of Correction.[3] A lifer at JCI, Larry Bratt, wrote about dying in prison.[4] Inmates at JCI participated in the Beyond Scared Straight program.[5] Inmates at JCI participate in the Prison Puppy Raising Program.[6] A 2010 phone call to a college class by Marshall Conway, a former black panther in Baltimore, from inside JCI inspired an award-winning documentary, Comrade Sunshine.[7]

One prisoner, Wes Moore, is one of the subjects of the 2010 book The Other Wes Moore by Westley "Wes" Moore, who shares a similar name.[8]

Education

Inmates have a library that they use for legal research and writing, writing letters, and other purposes.[9]

JCI has a college program, called the Prison Scholars Program, run by Joshua Miller.[10] Many of the courses in the JCI Prison Scholars Program are on philosophy.[11] A chapter in "The Beautiful Prison" discusses a philosophy course run by Loyola University Professor Drew Leder and the scholars at JCI. The chapter is entitled: "The Enlightened Prison: Drew Leder and the Jessup Correctional Institution Scholars."[12]

Starting in August 2016, the University of Baltimore has begun offering bachelor's degrees JCI prisoners in Community Studies and Civic Engagement.[13] This program is a part of the US Department of Education's Second Chance Pell Experiment,[14] which involves 66 other universities. However, University of Baltimore is the first to implement the program.

Notable incidents

In 2008, Kelvin Poke, a man who was serving a life sentence at JCI, escaped from a local hospital and was killed by police.[15]

In 2012, a man killed his cellmate and eventually pleaded guilty to the crime.[16]

In 2015, three correctional officers were placed on administrative leave after an inmate was found dead inside a cell full of steam.[17] Visits were halted after an outbreak of an illness.[18] A former JCI guard was suspected of shootings in Maryland.[19]

In August 2016, an inmate was stabbed to death by other inmates in the F building. Officers responded to the call of a fight around 10 AM and found the victim, John A. O'Sullivan lying on the floor with multiple stab and puncture wounds.[20]

In May 2023, Nicholas Joseph Delfosse, an inmate at JCI, was found in his cell with multiple injuries. An autopsy revealed Delfosse was stabbed to death and his death was ruled a homicide. [21]

Notable Inmates

width=13%Inmate Namewidth=10%Register Numberwidth=28%Statuswidth=35%Details
Willie Horton1019284 / 189182Serving a life sentence.Convicted murderer who is best known for his crimes being noted in an ad during the George H. W. Bush 1988 presidential campaign.[22] [23] [24]
Sean Urbanski4511249 / 00481576Serving a life sentence.Perpetrator of the 2017 Murder of Richard Collins III in which he was stabbed to death by Urbanski on the University of Maryland, College Park campus.[25] [26] [27] [28] [29]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Emptying the Maryland House of Correction eases community safety concerns and prosecution costs. tribunedigital-baltimoresun. 4 August 2015.
  2. Web site: Demolition of House of Corrections [Pictures]]. Baltimore Sun. 17 January 2014. baltimoresun.com. 4 August 2015.
  3. Web site: Matas. Alison. Inmates help tear down House of Correction, earn professional certifications. Baltimore Sun. 4 August 2015.
  4. Web site: Bratt. Larry. Dying in prison can be cruel. 21 March 2013 . Winnipeg Free Press. 4 August 2015.
  5. Web site: Andy Dehnart. Andy Dehnart. Beyond Scared Straight's Real-Life Controversy. 24 February 2011 . yahoo. 4 August 2015.
  6. Web site: Our Puppies. Canine Partners for Life. 4 August 2015.
  7. Web site: Documentary featuring AFSC staffer wins top prize. afsc.org. American Friends Service Committee. 4 August 2015.
  8. Web site: Baker, Jeff. Q&A with the other Wes Moore: Why him and not me?. Oregonlive.com. 2011-01-15. 2019-03-19.
  9. Web site: Prison Library Offers A Place To Escape. npr.org. NPR. 4 August 2015.
  10. Web site: JCI Scholars Program. 4 August 2015.
  11. Web site: Woods. Baynard. A prison philosophy program tells us what we can learn about life from lifers. City Paper. 4 August 2015.
  12. Book: Leder. Drew. The Beautiful Prison. 16 May 2014. EmeraldBooks. 9781783509669. 4 August 2015.
  13. Web site: Give Prisoners a Second Chance . 2024-06-13.
  14. News: Douglas-Gabriel . Danielle . 12,000 inmates to receive Pell grants to take college classes . Washington Post . 23 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190118152308/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/06/24/12000-inmates-to-receive-pell-grants-to-take-college-classes/ . 18 January 2019 . 24 June 2016.
  15. Web site: Schoetz. David. Cops Kill Prison Lifer Who Escaped Hospital. ABC News. 4 August 2015.
  16. Web site: Pratt. Tim. Convicted murderer pleads guilty to killing cellmate at Jessup Correctional Institution. Capital Gazette. 4 August 2015.
  17. Web site: Anderson. Jessica. 3 correctional officers placed on leave after inmate found inside cell full of steam. Baltimore Sun. 4 August 2015.
  18. Web site: Wenger. Yvonne. Visits halted at Jessup prison after outbreak of illness. Baltimore Sun. 4 August 2015.
  19. Web site: Molinet. Jason. Former corrections officer going through divorce charged in five Maryland shootings, including gunfire at NSA building, police say. 4 March 2015 . NY Daily News. 4 August 2015.
  20. Web site: Jessup Prison Fight Leaves One Dead: Police. 15 August 2016. Columbia, MD Patch.
  21. Web site: Ng . Greg . 2023-07-07 . Jessup prison inmate charged with murder of cellmate . 2024-01-30 . WBAL . en.
  22. Web site: Love . Keith . 1988-10-08 . Bush Backers Have Horton Victims Speak . 2024-01-30 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
  23. Web site: A couple who was attacked by a convicted murderer... - UPI Archives . 2024-01-30 . UPI . en.
  24. News: 2023-12-31 . THE BARNESES AND THE HORTON DEBATE . 2024-06-13 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
  25. Web site: 2017-05-22 . Maryland student's dad mourns son's 'horrific and senseless' killing . 2024-01-30 . NBC News . en.
  26. Web site: 2017-07-13 . Bowie State Student's Alleged Killer Indicted On Murder Charge - CBS Baltimore . 2024-01-30 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.
  27. Web site: Robertson . Stephanie Ramiraz and Marcella . Former University of Maryland student to face hate crime charge in stabbing death . 2024-01-30 . USA TODAY . en-US.
  28. News: Mettler . Katie . 2021-01-15 . Sean Urbanski sentenced to life in killing of Black Army Lt. Richard Collins III . 2024-06-13 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
  29. Web site: White Man Gets Life In Prison For Killing Black Army 1st Lt. Richard Collins III . . 2024-01-30.