Howard County Detention Center Overview
The Howard County facilities page identifies the Detention Center as the county's secure adult detention facility on the Jessup corrections campus. It is run by the Howard County Department of Corrections, not a sheriff jail division. The jail serves the local criminal process: people arrested in Howard County may be booked nearby, appear before a District Court Commissioner, and then remain in local custody if release is not ordered or bond is not posted.
Howard County describes the Detention Center population as adult male and female offenders who are legally confined in the county. That includes pretrial detainees, pre-sentenced people, and sentenced people serving up to 18 months. The difference matters for inmate lookup. A person awaiting court in Howard County usually remains in the county jail system, while a person committed to Maryland state prison is searched through the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, often called DPSCS.
The county traces local jail history to the 1878 Ellicott City jail, which was built for 12 inmates. The current Jessup Detention Center opened in 1983, then expanded in 1994 after the population exceeded the original rated capacity. Security staff provide 24-hour supervision in three eight-hour shifts, with Correctional Captains supervising each shift. County materials also describe intake and release processing, rounds, counts, searches, movement, visits, and emergency response as core security duties.
The county Corrections homepage screenshot below is from the official source. The Howard County Corrections homepage is the starting point for facility contact details, operating notices, history, and program information.
The page is useful because Howard County publishes facility and visitor information there, but it does not publish a searchable public inmate roster.
Howard County Detention Center Capacity
Howard County publishes several capacity figures for the Detention Center. The current facilities page gives a maximum capacity of 474 and a rated operating capacity of 398. Research notes also found a county careers paragraph that describes 153 staff and a rated capacity of 475, but the facilities page is the cleaner source for facility capacity. No current official average daily population was located in the county pages reviewed, so no daily population estimate is stated.
| Period | Published Detail | Meaning for Lookup |
|---|---|---|
| 1878 | Original Ellicott City jail built for 12 people | Historic county jail, not the current search point |
| 1983 opening | 108 rated beds and 63 people housed at opening | Current Jessup campus began local detention operations |
| 1994 expansion | Rated capacity increased to 361 | Expansion followed crowding in the older design |
| Current facilities page | 474 maximum and 398 rated operating capacity | Use as the official capacity reference for HCDC |
Search Howard County Detention Center Custody
No official Howard County public jail roster or online inmate population database was located on the county Corrections pages. The county publishes facility, visitor, bond, commissary, mail, and booking information, but not a web roster, booking report, recent booking gallery, or mugshot list. For a current local custody check, use the Detention Center phone line, Central Booking for very recent arrests, Maryland VINE for custody notifications, and Maryland Judiciary Case Search once charges have been filed.
- For a person believed to be housed at Howard County Detention Center, call 410-313-5200 with the full legal name and date of birth if known.
- For a new arrest that may still be in intake, call Howard County Central Booking at 410-313-5300 before assuming the person has reached a housing unit.
- Use Maryland VINE for custody status notices. VINE is a notification tool, not a full booking-record database.
- Search Maryland Judiciary Case Search for court charges, case numbers, hearing dates, and dispositions after filing.
- If the person was sentenced to state custody, use the DPSCS incarcerated individual locator instead of the county jail path.
| Lookup Channel | Best Use | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Detention Center phone | Current local jail custody | No public roster screen to verify independently |
| Central Booking phone | New arrests and commissioner-stage intake | Not for state-prison inmates |
| Howard County PIA | Booking records not posted online | Records may be redacted or withheld |
| DPSCS locator | Sentenced state prisoners | Does not list every person in DPSCS custody |
For a fuller county custody workflow, the Howard County jail inmate records page separates phone checks, VINE, PIA requests, and state prison lookup.
Howard County Detention Center Contact
Use the facility contact line for custody, visitation, and immediate family safety concerns. Research notes state that family and friends with PREA or safety concerns should call the Shift Leader through the main number and press 0. The same campus also has Central Booking, so callers should choose the number based on the person's stage: recent arrest and commissioner review, or housed jail custody.
Howard County Detention Center
7301 Waterloo Road
Jessup, MD 20794
410-313-5200
Facility custody and general information line
Howard County Central Booking
7301 Waterloo Road
Jessup, MD 20794
410-313-5300
Use for new arrests and intake-stage questions
Howard County Detention Center Visits
The Howard County visitor information page says the Department of Corrections recognizes family and friend contact and allows regular non-contact visits. The current Corrections notice states that in-person visits are suspended from April 20, 2026 through June 30, 2026 because of lobby renovations, with attorney visits permitted during that period. Because the notice is date-specific and operational, confirm with the facility before traveling.
| Visit Topic | Official Detail | Practical Step |
|---|---|---|
| Regular visits | County describes regular non-contact visits | Check the current visiting schedule before planning |
| Temporary suspension | In-person visits suspended April 20-June 30, 2026 for lobby renovations | Call 410-313-5200 to confirm status |
| Attorney visits | Attorney visits permitted during the 2026 suspension | Coordinate through facility procedure |
| Rules | County links to schedule and rules material | Do not rely on old printed schedules |
Note: Visit status can change faster than static records pages, so confirm custody and visit access before leaving for Jessup.
Howard County Detention Center Mail
Mail for Howard County Detention Center does not go to the Waterloo Road street address. Research highlights the Greensboro processing address and Facility ID 5306 as a common source of mistakes. The county inmate information also says packages are not accepted at the lobby or through the mail, and Keefe Commissary handles clothing and hygiene package orders. Incarcerated people can use assigned tablets or housing unit phones to order approved items and see transaction status.
| Service | Provider or Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail address | Howard County Detention Center, inmate name and ID, Facility ID 5306, P.O. Box 18247, Greensboro, NC 27419 |
| Package services | Keefe Commissary for approved clothing and hygiene packages |
| Internet deposits | Access Corrections |
| Phone deposits | 1-866-345-1884 |
| Lobby kiosk | MasterCard, VISA, and cash denominations except $1 bills |
| Deposit Amount | Website Card | Phone Card | Lobby Card | Lobby Cash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.01-$19.99 | $2.95 | $3.95 | $2.95 | $3.00 |
| $20.00-$99.99 | $5.95 | $8.95 | $5.95 | $3.00 |
| $100.00-$199.99 | $7.95 | $8.95 | $7.95 | $3.00 |
| $200.00-$300.00 | $9.95 | $10.95 | $9.95 | $3.00 |
Howard County Detention Center Intake
Local custody can start at Central Booking and continue at Howard County Detention Center if the District Court Commissioner does not release the person or if bond is not posted. Central Booking searches, fingerprints, photographs, and processes arrestees before the initial hearing. After release paperwork is issued, county research notes a practical handoff: the person posting bond must bring release documents to the Detention Center Upper Control window in the lobby.
The facility also has 24-hour medical staff. County materials list sick call, dentistry, mental health, emergency treatment, follow-up treatment deemed necessary, substance-use counseling, medication-assisted treatment, anger management, education, housing help, employment help, transition counseling, and work release among available programs or services. A Behavioral Mental Health Unit is described as a place for rehabilitative and social programs for residents of that unit.
About Howard County Detention Center
The Howard County Department of Corrections states that it follows American Correctional Association and Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards requirements. The county history material says the department has maintained full compliance with Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards since that state standards program began in 1980. A county release also states that Howard County Corrections earned national accreditation and will submit annual reports and undergo renewal review in 2026.
The facility should not be confused with Jessup Correctional Institution or Patuxent Institution. Those are Maryland DPSCS facilities for state custody and use the DPSCS locator. Howard County also announced in May 2021 that ICE transferred its last detainee from the Detention Center, so immigration custody should be checked through ICE ODLS rather than assumed at HCDC.
Note: Confirm custody, visiting status, and mail rules with Howard County Detention Center before traveling or sending funds.