Western Correctional Institution

Western Correctional Institution
Governor of Maryland Larry Hogan visiting the prison, 2017
Map
Location13800 McMullen Hwy SW
Cumberland, Maryland postal address
StatusMaximum
Capacity1793
Opened1996
Managed byMaryland 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

  • 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

  1. ^ "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Allegany County, MD" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. p. 12 (PDF p. 13/42). Retrieved August 5, 2024. Western Corr Inst
  2. ^ "Western Correctional Institution". Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  3. ^ "DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY & CORRECTIONAL SERVICES". Mayland Manual Online. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  4. ^ Wheeler, Timothy (December 8, 1998). "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". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  5. ^ "Maryland DOC Inmate Locator". Archived from the original on April 13, 2018.
  6. ^ "Double Jeopardy". IMDb. January 30, 1996.
  7. ^ "Vicky Lee Austin Murder: Where is Michael Thompson Now?". June 29, 2021.

39°36′20″N 78°49′02″W / 39.605455°N 78.817209°W / 39.605455; -78.817209