Eastern Correctional Institution

The Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI) is a medium-security state prison for male inmates located in Westover, Maryland. It is owned and operated by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and can house approximately 2,800 offenders. 

Eastern Correctional Institution also has a minimum-security Annex that houses 560 inmates. The total capacity of the minimum and medium-security sections is around 3,400, and it’s current population of 3,300 makes Eastern Correctional Institution Maryland's largest prison. The entire facility is adjacent to the Somerset County Detention Center.

In October 2016, federal authorities indicted eighty people as part of a scheme to smuggle drugs, telephones, and pornography into Eastern Correctional Institution. Federal authorities also investigated six different murders within the facility, and that led to the charge and conviction of inmate Patrick Simpson. He pleaded out to assault with a deadly weapon and received an additional two years on his sentence.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting Schedule for Eastern Correctional Institution East and West is as follows:

• Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Saturday:  9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

All visitors must be registered before one hour prior to the close of visiting day, and visits can last up to two hours. All visiting schedules are subject to change or cancelations without any prior notice. 

Protective Custody Status Inmates have visiting hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Visitors must be processed prior to 8:00 p.m. Visitors should plan to arrive no later than 8:00 p.m. to allow proper time for processing. However, processing time varies and is dependent upon the number of visitors.

Holidays: Holiday visits will be determined by the Warden and distributed through institutional memorandum. Visitors may call the Eastern Correctional Institution's mail phone number and follow the prompts for visiting hours and holiday visits. The inmate population is notified of visits and all changes through the inmate information channel.

General Information

You are not allowed to use the restroom facilities during your visit. If either the inmate or a visitor requires the use of the restroom, the visit will be terminated at that time.  Please keep this in mind, especially when visiting with small children.

All visitors (16 years of age and older) must present photo identification.

Children (18 years of age and younger) visiting the inmate must be immediate family to either the inmate or visitor and must be accompanied by a person 18 years of age or older, who is on the inmate's visiting list.

A maximum of two visits are allowed per week.  The visiting week begins on Tuesday and ends on Monday. Visits are limited to two visits per day.

Administrative Segregation inmate visits shall be of the same duration unless visitors are waiting in the lobby.  In this case, they shall be allowed only one visit per day.

Disciplinary Segregation inmate visits are allowed one hour visit, one time per week.

A maximum of five visitors are allowed to visit an inmate at one time with no more than three adults or no more than three children in the group of five.

Dress Code

All visitors, including children, must dress appropriately for visitation.  All clothing must cover from the neck to the kneecaps.

The following types of clothing are not allowed to be worn in the visiting room:

• tube tops, tank tops, or halter tops
• see-through clothing
• mini-skirts, mini-dresses, shorts, skorts, or culottes (at or above the kneecap)
• form-fitting clothes such as leotards, spandex, and leggings
• clothes that expose a person's midriff, side, or back
• tops or dresses that have revealing necklines and/or excessive splits
• coats, jackets, shawls, and scarves will be placed in an appropriate area.

When sending correspondence via US Mail to the institution please remember that mail MUST contain:

• The name and identification number of the inmate for the purpose of delivery
• The name and return address of the sender

Mail MUST NOT Contain:

• An item glued, taped or otherwise attached
• Have aftermarket alterations, such as paint, crayon, marker ink, including highlighter, glitter, cloth, or string
• Have a label or sticker (including address labels), except for a postage stamp
• Contain a biohazard substance, scent (including perfume),or lipstick
• Have a liquid stain
• Suggest acts of criminal or illegal gang activity
• Depict writing, images, or references that may incite violence, riots, racism, or threaten the security of the facility

How to Call an Inmate

You can’t call an inmate at the Eastern Correctional Institution, but they do have access to a phone during assigned times and are allowed to make monitored outgoing calls. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Maryland, please click here.

How to Send Money

The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services –Division of Correction only accepts Money Orders. NOTE: Cashier Checks, Personal Checks, Official Checks, Bill Pay Checks, Bank Checks, Non-Electronic Transfers, and Non-US Currency Checks/Money Orders will not be accepted.

You must include the following info on the money order:

• The Inmate’s Name, Institution, and Inmate SID # (State Identification Number).
• Sender’s Name and Address.

Please use Black or Blue Ink pen only on the money orders and neatly PRINT the required information.

Money Orders should be made payable to the Inmate (Full Committed Name; no AKA’s, etc) and sent to:

Inmate Name, DOC Number
Eastern Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 17111
Baltimore, MD 21297-0382

​Programs For ​Inmates

Eastern Correctional Institution partners with Maryland Correctional Enterprises, which allows inmates to work in furniture restoration and in textiles. Inmates can also work on community projects restoring cemeteries and playgrounds.

The institution also offers adult literacy and GED classes, along with vocational training in masonry, automotive repair, architecture, graphic arts, carpentry, and office technologies.  

Inmates at Eastern Correctional Institution can also receive substance abuse treatment and counseling services.

Pictures of Eastern Correctional Institution

Careers at Eastern Correctional Institution

If you are interested in a career with the Maryland Department of Corrections at the Eastern Correctional Institution, you can find job listings by clicking here. If you are interested in a career as a correctional officer with the DOC, click here.