Maryland State Police Investigating Inmate Death at Jessup Correctional Institution

Maryland State Police are leading an investigation into the death of a state prison inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell at the Jessup Correctional Institution in Anne Arundel County. The deceased has been identified as Javon Foster, a 38-year-old inmate serving a sentence at the facility. Emergency medical service personnel pronounced Foster deceased at the scene and he was subsequently transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy to determine the official cause and manner of his death.

The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit was notified on the evening of January 18, 2026, by investigators with the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Internal Investigative Unit (DPSCS IIU) regarding the inmate’s death. Initial findings from the preliminary investigation suggest that Foster was discovered on the floor of his cell. Authorities believe his cellmate was present in the cell at the time of the incident. Investigators from the State Police Homicide Unit, with assistance from State Police crime scene technicians and personnel from the DPSCS Internal Investigative Unit, are continuing their efforts to thoroughly examine the circumstances surrounding this death.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from Maryland State Police

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