Baltimore City Men's Detention Center Closes for Good: Hogan

The Baltimore City Detention Center has closed for good.

The men’s detention facility shuttered at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, according to Gov. Larry Hogan.

Hogan said the facility opened in the 1850s, long before there were standards for penal facilities, and has cost the state more than $10 million in the past five years alone for repairs.

From blind corners to dark corridors to plumbing and structural issues, he said the complex of a dozen buildings presents a host of concerns.

“For years, corruption, criminal activity, and deplorable conditions have plagued this facility, but that ends today,” Hogan said Tuesday.

The 1,100 detainees and inmates have been transferred to other facilities in Baltimore near courts, according to Hogan, who said the transfer process began July 30 when the shutdown was first announced.

Related: Baltimore City Detention Center to Shut Down, Hogan Says

“The final closure of this detention center removes a stain on the reputation of our state and Maryland’s correctional system,” Hogan said in a statement Tuesday.

In the past few years, 27 corrections officers were indicted as part of a probe into the Black Guerrilla Family, a gang that conspired with officers to smuggle drugs, money and cell phones inside the facility.

He announced the closure of the facility less than four weeks ago.

“I am extremely proud of Secretary Moyer and the employees and correctional officers at [the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services] who have quickly and safely closed down this facility in just a few weeks,” Hogan said. ”Their work on this matter has been nothing short of outstanding.”

Family members of detainees trying to contact their loved ones who have been moved to other facilities may use these customer service lines: 410-545-8120, 410-545-8121, 410-545-8128 and 410-545-8129.

Photo Credit: Gov. Larry Hogan.