Inmate Killed In Fight Outside Jessup Prison Library

JESSUP, MD — A state prison inmate serving time at the Jessup Correctional Institute died Monday night during a fight with another prisoner, officials say.

The prisoner, identified as 33-year-old Joseph Harrell, was involved in a fight with another inmate in front of the prison library, according to the Maryland State Police. Medical staff were called to the area and pronounced Harrell dead at the scene, according to police.

The suspect also is an inmate. He won't be publicly identified, officials said, until formal charges are filed.

Maryland State Police investigators responded to the scene, along with crime scene technicians from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division. The investigation is active.

Maryland online court records show that in January 2023, a Baltimore City Circuit Court judge sentenced Harrell to five years in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Harrell's criminal record includes past assaults on Department of Corrections employees, according to WMAR.