A judge in Anne Arundel County has sentenced three staff members at Jessup Correctional Institution in connection with separate contraband smuggling schemes, turning a long-simmering jailhouse problem into a very public reckoning. Sgt. Awungjia Rita Atabong was ordered to serve 18 months behind bars, correctional educator Lakesha Murry received a 90-day term, and officer Kathryn Hawes was given time served and three years of supervised probation. Prosecutors say the schemes revolved around drugs, contraband cellphones and cash payments, and two inmates allegedly tied to the plots are scheduled for court dates later this month. The sentences arrive as the state pushes ahead with plans to close the troubled MCI-J facility and transfer its population to other prisons.
Sentences, Trials And Who Was Punished
As reported by WMAR-2 News, Atabong was sentenced on May 5 to 18 months in jail, followed by three years of supervised probation. Hawes received time served plus three years of supervised probation, and Murry was ordered to serve 90 days in jail and then three years of supervised probation. WMAR-2 News notes that inmates Tavon Williams and Kevin Glover are scheduled to stand trial on May 21 and May 28, respectively.
What Prosecutors Say They Found
According to a press release from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, investigators allege three distinct conspiracies at Jessup in which staff members accepted money in exchange for bringing contraband into the prison. The office says a July search of Atabong’s home turned up thousands of pills, buprenorphine strips, cellphones, and other items that appeared to be packaged for delivery into the facility. Prosecutors charged the staffers with counts that include misconduct in office, contraband conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute.
Not An Isolated Problem At Jessup
Federal prosecutors have previously brought racketeering and corruption cases tied to contraband smuggling at Jessup, a pattern the U.S. Department of Justice has detailed in earlier press releases describing convictions of officers and outside facilitators who funneled drugs, phones, and tobacco into the institution. Those earlier federal cases highlight how contraband networks can take root and persist behind the walls and help explain the multiagency attention trained on the recent state indictments. The long history of prosecutions at JCI is part of why both state and federal authorities have repeatedly put resources into these investigations.
State Response And Closure Plans
The latest sentences come as the state prepares to shutter the Maryland Correctional Institution at Jessup. Governor Wes Moore has announced plans to close MCI-J by June 30, 2026, citing the facility’s aging infrastructure and the high cost of needed repairs, and has said the prison’s population will be phased into other facilities. The governor’s office has framed the closure as part of a broader effort to improve safety and concentrate programming in better-maintained institutions. Corrections officials say staff reassignments and staged transfers of incarcerated people will roll out alongside the shutdown plan.
Legal Fallout And What It Means
The Attorney General’s charging documents list a mix of counts, from misconduct in office and contraband conspiracy to delivery of contraband and possession with intent to distribute, offenses that carry potentially significant prison time if defendants are convicted. Any ultimate sentences will hinge on trial outcomes, plea agreements and the sentencing judge’s discretion, and the inmates charged in the related conspiracies face additional time if they are found guilty. Beyond criminal penalties, the corrections department also has suspension and disciplinary processes it can pursue for current or former employees.
Local Context And What To Watch
Local outlets have tracked the case from the December indictments to this month’s sentencings. WMAR-2 News reported the recent sentencing details, while 10 people indicted in December laid out the allegations that kicked off the investigation. Next up, watch the docket for filings and the upcoming inmate trials later this month, along with any new announcements from corrections officials about staffing, security or policy shifts as MCI-J moves toward permanent closure.
