Baltimore detention facility transfers inmates, staff due to unsafe building conditions

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Inmates and staff at the Maryland Reception, Diagnostics, and Classification Center (MRDCC) in Baltimore are being transferred from the detention facility due to unsafe building conditions, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs announced Thursday.

“The safety and well-being of our dedicated DPSCS staff and incarcerated individuals is my paramount concern. We are prioritizing the health and security of every individual under our care and employment,” Scruggs said, via a press release.

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The facility, which opened in 1981, currently holds 393 incarcerated people and is authorized for 260 budgeted staff positions.

This week, the Department of General Services and DPSCS were notified by an independent engineering consultant that identified concerns regarding the detention facility’s physical structure. DPSCS determined the continued occupancy of the facility isn’t consistent with public safety.

“This week, 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,” Maryland Department of General Services Secretary Atif Chaudhry said, via a press release.

Officials said most of the pretrial population will be transferred to the Metropolitan Transition Center also in Baltimore. Female inmates will be taken to the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women in Jessup, while male inmates with emerging needs have been transferred to Chesapeake Detention Facility in Baltimore. The remaining inmates will be taken to Jessup Correctional Institution in Jessup.

Staff will be relocated to facilities “within proximity of MRDCC in order to support the movement of the incarcerated population to the surrounding facilities,” according to a Dec. 4 press release from DPSCS. The staffing moves will be done in accordance with union contracts.

Officials said Thursday’s move was an emergency transfer, not a final closure. The transfer of incarcerated people is the first step in determining the long-term viability of MRDCC.

DPSCS and the Department of General Services will work closely with the independent engineering firm to determine the next steps for this detention facility.