Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Announces the Emergency Transfer of Individuals from Maryland Reception, Diagnostic, and Classification Center in Baltimore City

December 4, 2025

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Today, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs announced the emergency transfer of individuals from the Maryland Reception, Diagnostics, and Classification Center, known as MRDCC, located in Baltimore City. The decision is in the interest of the safety and well-being of the facility's staff and incarcerated individuals.

"Today, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services is executing an urgent, comprehensive strategy for the immediate and orderly depopulation of the Maryland Reception, Diagnostic and Classification Center," said Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs. "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."

Open since 1981, MRDCC is a pre-trial intake and classification facility. The facility, which formerly operated as intake and classification for individuals who were sentenced and transitioning to a Division of Correction facility, currently holds 393 incarcerated individuals and is authorized for 260 budgeted staff positions.

This week, the Department of General Services and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services received notification from an independent engineering consultant that identified concerns regarding the facility's physical structure. The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has determined that the continued occupancy of the facility is not consistent with public safety.

Secretary Scruggs-in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and DGS, and based on the findings of the third-party facility assessment-decided to transfer all staff and incarcerated individuals from the facility and assess the long-term future of MRDCC.

"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," said Maryland Department of General Services Secretary Atif Chaudhry. "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."

The majority of the pretrial population will be transferred to the Metropolitan Transition Center in Baltimore City. Incarcerated women will be transferred to the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women in Jessup. The incarcerated male population with emerging needs have been transferred to Chesapeake Detention Facility in Baltimore City. The remaining incarcerated individuals will be transported to Jessup Correctional Institution in Jessup.

Correctional staff will be relocated to facilities within close proximity of MRDCC in order to support the movement of the incarcerated population to the surrounding facilities. All the staffing movement will be in accordance with union contracts.

The move announced today is an emergency transfer, and not a final closure. The transfer of incarcerated individuals is the first step in determining the long-term viability of MRDCC. 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.