Western Correctional Institution Explained

Prison Name:	Western Correctional Institution
Location:	13800 McMullen Hwy SW Cumberland, Maryland postal address
Status:	Maximum
Capacity:	1793
Opened:	1996
Managed By:	Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services

The Western Correctional Institution is a maximum security state prison for men located in Cresaptown census-designated place, unincorporated Allegany County, Maryland,^[1] near Cumberland. It opened in 1996.^[2] and has an official capacity of 1793.^[3]

Western Correctional Institution is close to two other correctional facilities: the high-tech "hyper max" North Branch Correctional Institution first opened as an extension of Western which, later was officially separated in 2003, and the Allegany County Detention Center. A third prison, the Federal Correctional Institution, Cumberland, is located in the same county.

History

The grounds of the prison were formerly the location of a plant of the American Cellulose and Chemical Manufacturing Co. Ltd, now known as the Celanese corporation. The plant closed in 1983 and was later demolished to make way for the construction of the prison.^[4]

Notable inmates

Current

• Nicholas Waggoner Browning – murdered his parents and two younger brothers in 2008.
• James Allen Kulbicki – Baltimore City police officer found guilty of murdering his mistress. Story turned into the 1996 TV movie Double Jeopardy.^{[5] [6]}
• Michael Thompson, another Baltimore police officer found guilty of murder. He could have got the death penalty but is facing life in jail.^[7]
• Raymont Hopewell – serial killer, 1999–2005

Former

• Joe Metheny – serial killer – died of natural causes in 2017 at Western Correctional Institution.

References

39.6055°N -78.8172°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Allegany County, MD. U.S. Census Bureau. 2024-08-05. 12 (PDF p. 13/42). Western Corr Inst.
2. Web site: Western Correctional Institution. Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. 2 August 2016.
3. Web site: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY & CORRECTIONAL SERVICES. Mayland Manual Online. 2 August 2016.
4. Web site: Wheeler. Timothy. 1998-12-08. Prison presence in Western Md. Allegany: Corrections jobs are replacing industry jobs that left the county over past 20 years, but a proliferation of prisons is not welcomed by everyone.. 2023-09-17. The Baltimore Sun. en-US. 2020-12-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20201205022915/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1998-12-08-1998342059-story.html. dead.
5. Web site: Maryland DOC Inmate Locator. https://web.archive.org/web/20180413124611/http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/inmate/search.do?searchType=detail&id=80820. 13 April 2018. deviated.
6. Web site: Double Jeopardy. IMDb. 30 January 1996.
7. Web site: Vicky Lee Austin Murder: Where is Michael Thompson Now?. 29 June 2021.