Family Rights and Advocacy in Maryland | InmateAid
Black people make up less than a third of Maryland's population but **72.4% of Maryland state prisoners** (ACLU of Maryland, 2023 data). That disparity is not a side note -- it is the defining context for understanding who Maryland's prison system affects, and who is carrying the weight of these phone bills, these drives to western Maryland, these years of waiting.
In January 2025, the **Connecting Families Coalition of Maryland** -- which includes the Maryland Prisoners' Rights Coalition, the ACLU of Maryland, and other organizations -- wrote to the Maryland General Assembly urging them to make prison communications free. They documented that at Maryland state facilities, incarcerated people are charged **$0.45 for a 15-minute phone call** -- and incarcerated workers earn as little as 30 cents an hour. They documented that **65% of families with an incarcerated loved one struggle to meet basic housing and food needs.** The legislation was pending as of the 2025 session. Verify current status.
Maryland DPSCS (Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services) uses **ConnectNetwork (GTL/ViaPath)** for phone calls. Set up a ConnectNetwork AdvancePay account at ConnectNetwork.com or call **(877) 650-4249**. DPSCS explicitly states they do not manage phone accounts -- all account questions go directly to ConnectNetwork.
Maryland also has a unique video visitation platform: **Microsoft Teams**. Most states use Securus, GTL, or Ameelio for video visits. Maryland DPSCS replaced Skype with Microsoft Teams for virtual social visitations.
DPSCS main: **877-379-8636 | 410-585-3300**
What Families Are Facing in Maryland
Maryland DPSCS operates facilities across the state, with two geographic clusters -- western Maryland and the Eastern Shore -- that create real distance barriers for Baltimore-area families.
**Major facilities:**
- **North Branch Correctional Institution (NBCI)** -- Cumberland, Allegany County (western Maryland mountains; about 2.5 hours from Baltimore)
- **Western Correctional Institution (WCI)** -- Cumberland, Allegany County (same area as NBCI)
- **Maryland Correctional Institution -- Hagerstown (MCI-H)** -- Hagerstown, Washington County (western Maryland; about 1.5 hours from Baltimore)
- **Maryland Correctional Training Center (MCTC)** -- Hagerstown, Washington County
- **Roxbury Correctional Institution (RCI)** -- Hagerstown, Washington County
- **Jessup Correctional Institution (JCI)** -- Jessup, Anne Arundel County (between Baltimore and Washington DC; most accessible)
- **Patuxent Institution** -- Jessup, Anne Arundel County
- **Brockbridge Correctional Facility** -- Jessup, Anne Arundel County
- **Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI)** -- Westover, Somerset County (Maryland Eastern Shore; about 2.5 hours from Baltimore across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge)
Cumberland and Western Maryland are particularly remote for Baltimore families. NBCI and WCI in Cumberland are in the Allegheny Mountains -- a 2.5-hour drive that includes mountainous terrain.
Maryland's parole system exists but has been functionally restricted for people serving life sentences. The ACLU of Maryland documented that no Maryland lifer had been granted parole in over two decades as of a 2016 lawsuit -- a functional abolition, even if formal parole remained on the books. As of 2020, court orders and commutations produced some releases. The Maryland Parole Commission continues to operate but access to parole for lifers has been a documented and litigated issue.
On phone: ConnectNetwork (GTL/ViaPath). AdvancePay at ConnectNetwork.com or **(877) 650-4249**. DPSCS does not manage accounts. Post-FCC rate caps apply; verify current rates.
On video: Microsoft Teams for virtual social visitations. Must complete the DPSCS Video Visitation Form at dpscs.maryland.gov before participating.
On money: Access Corrections (dpscs.maryland.gov uses Access Corrections for processing all money orders). Verify current deposit options at dpscs.maryland.gov.
On mail: Physical mail permitted and encouraged by DPSCS. Must include the facility acronym in the address. See dpscs.maryland.gov/inmateservs/mail_services.shtml for full format.
Your Rights as a Family Member in Maryland
Visitation rights
DPSCS views visitation as a privilege that is an important part of incarcerated individual development and case management. DPSCS retains the right to manage this privilege through procedures ensuring safety and security.
In-person visitation:
- Visitors must be on the approved visiting list
- Background check required
- DPSCS maintains that maintaining and improving relationships between incarcerated people and families is a key initiative
- Visits can be suspended for disciplinary reasons or security needs
- Government-issued photo ID required for in-person visits
Virtual visitation: Microsoft Teams. Complete DPSCS Video Visitation Form before your first virtual visit. The form is at dpscs.maryland.gov.
For current facility-specific visiting hours and procedures: dpscs.maryland.gov or call 877-379-8636.
Communication rights
Your loved one must add your number to their approved call list through the ConnectNetwork system. Set up your ConnectNetwork AdvancePay account at ConnectNetwork.com or call (877) 650-4249. DPSCS does not set up or manage phone accounts.
Two ConnectNetwork service types:
1. **AdvancePay**: prepaid collect service; create an account for a specific phone number; multiple accounts allowed for different loved ones at different facilities
2. **Direct Bill**: direct billing to your phone carrier (subject to billing limits)
All calls are monitored and recorded except legal calls to attorneys.
Notification rights
DPSCS is not required to notify family of transfers. Use the DPSCS inmate locator at dpscs.maryland.gov to track current location. DPSCS notifies next of kin for serious medical emergencies and deaths -- your loved one must have designated you as their emergency contact.
Grievance rights
Internal DPSCS grievances must be filed by the incarcerated person. The **Inmate Grievance Office (IGO)** has jurisdiction over all incarcerated individual grievance complaints against DPSCS officials and employees. Families cannot file internal grievances, but they can support the incarcerated person in filing and can engage PRISM (see below) for legal assistance with the IGO process.
External family pathways:
- DPSCS main: 877-379-8636 | 410-585-3300
- Maryland Prisoners' Rights Coalition (MPRC): mdprisonersrights.org
- ACLU of Maryland: aclu-md.org
- **Intelligence and Investigative Division (IID)**: DPSCS's internal investigations unit for serious misconduct by DPSCS staff. Contact through dpscs.maryland.gov.
- Your Maryland state legislators at mgaleg.maryland.gov
Inmate Grievance Office and PRISM
**Inmate Grievance Office (IGO)**
The IGO has jurisdiction over all grievance complaints against DPSCS officials and employees. Only the incarcerated person can file the internal grievance -- families cannot file on their behalf.
**PRISM (Prisoner's Rights Information System of Maryland)**
People's Law Library: peoples-law.org
Confirmed active: November 26, 2025
PRISM provides free legal guidance and support to people incarcerated in the Maryland Division of Correction and Patuxent Institution on:
- Federal civil rights violations (42 U.S.C. §1983)
- State habeas corpus claims
- Sentence calculation problems
- Medical treatment issues and improper living conditions
- Constitutional rights violations (religion, association, etc.)
- IGO cases
- Parole issues
PRISM is the primary free legal resource for incarcerated people in Maryland. Families can help their loved one access PRISM by connecting them to the organization (through mail or through peoples-law.org).
Maryland Family Advocacy Organizations
Maryland Prisoners' Rights Coalition (MPRC)
mdprisonersrights.org
MPRC is a coalition governed by directly impacted people and supported by advocacy organizations statewide. They work to improve conditions of confinement for adults and juveniles in Maryland state prisons, jails, and detention centers through advocacy, public awareness, legislation, and litigation.
MPRC is a member of the Connecting Families Coalition of Maryland and is actively pushing for free prison communications in Maryland. They have also organized during COVID-19 and on other systemic conditions issues.
If you are a Maryland family who wants to connect with other directly impacted families and engage in state-level advocacy, MPRC is the coalition to contact.
Connecting Families Coalition of Maryland
As of January 2025, a coalition of local, state, and national advocacy organizations urging the Maryland General Assembly to make prison and jail communications free. Members include MPRC, ACLU of Maryland, and others. Verify current status of the free communications campaign at mdprisonersrights.org or aclu-md.org.
Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative (MRJI)
Works for the rights of people serving life sentences in Maryland. Partner in the ACLU of Maryland's Maryland Parole Partnership.
Maryland Parole Partnership (ACLU of Maryland)
aclu-md.org/en/maryland-parole-partnership
ACLU of Maryland program that works with people serving life sentences, their family members, lawyers, and law students to advocate for parole access. Recognizes the wisdom of people serving life sentences and their families as experts in their own situations. If your loved one is serving a life sentence in Maryland and parole access is the issue, this program is the contact.
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM)
famm.org
National network including Maryland families. For families with loved ones serving excessive mandatory sentences.
Prisoner Rights Organizations Families Can Contact on Their Loved One's Behalf
ACLU of Maryland
aclu-md.org
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 350, Baltimore, MD 21211
Phone: 410-889-8555
The ACLU of Maryland is the most active prisoner rights legal organization in the state. Active and documented work:
- Maryland Parole Partnership: litigated Maryland's functional abolition of parole for lifers; won a case establishing that the parole process was unconstitutional for people sentenced as children
- Documented racial disparity: 72.4% of Maryland state prisoners are Black, representing a well-documented pattern of racialized over-incarceration
- Part of the Connecting Families Coalition pushing for free communications in 2025
Does not take individual grievance cases routinely. Contact for systemic conditions issues, constitutional violations, or documented patterns of abuse.
PRISM (Prisoner's Rights Information System of Maryland)
peoples-law.org (through Maryland People's Law Library)
Confirmed active November 26, 2025.
Free legal assistance for incarcerated people in the Maryland Division of Correction and Patuxent Institution. Covers federal civil rights, sentence calculation, medical care, conditions of confinement, IGO cases, parole. Families can help their loved one connect to PRISM through the People's Law Library website or by mailing PRISM information to the facility.
Maryland Legal Aid
mdlab.org
Phone: 1-800-999-8904 (statewide)
Maryland Legal Aid provides free civil legal services to income-eligible Marylanders. While not a prisoner rights litigator, they can assist with civil matters related to incarceration -- family law, housing, benefits -- and may provide referrals.
Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC)
humanrightsdefensecenter.org
Phone (for family members): 561-360-2523
HRDC advocates on phone costs, publications access, and government accountability. Maryland's $0.45 / 15-minute rate at state facilities has been a documented issue for the Connecting Families Coalition. HRDC can advise on communications cost issues. Family members can contact directly.
The Free Communications Campaign: What Families Need to Know
In January 2025, the Connecting Families Coalition of Maryland submitted testimony to the Maryland General Assembly documenting:
- Incarcerated people at Maryland state facilities are charged $0.45 for a 15-minute phone call
- Some local facilities charge up to $3.15 for a 15-minute call
- Incarcerated workers in Maryland earn as little as 30 cents an hour
- 65% of families with incarcerated loved ones struggle to meet basic housing and food needs
- One in three families goes into debt to pay for prison communications
The Coalition -- which includes the ACLU of Maryland, Maryland Prisoners' Rights Coalition, and national organizations -- urged the Maryland General Assembly to make prison and jail communications free in the 2025 session.
Verify the current status of this legislation at mgaleg.maryland.gov or through the ACLU of Maryland (aclu-md.org) or MPRC (mdprisonersrights.org).
If you want to support the free communications campaign in Maryland: contact your state legislators at mgaleg.maryland.gov and contact MPRC or ACLU of Maryland to get involved.
How to File a Complaint on Your Loved One's Behalf
Step 1: Document everything specific
Date, facility, staff name if known, what happened. For conditions issues: document physical conditions, medical care denials, or constitutional rights violations with specifics.
Step 2: DPSCS main contact
877-379-8636 | 410-585-3300 | dpscs.maryland.gov. For general inquiries and issues that can be addressed without formal investigation.
Step 3: DPSCS Intelligence and Investigative Division (IID)
For serious misconduct by DPSCS staff. Contact through dpscs.maryland.gov for IID contact information.
Step 4: Internal grievance (incarcerated person must file)
The Inmate Grievance Office handles complaints against DPSCS staff. Only the incarcerated person can file internally. Help them document the issue and file. PRISM can provide legal assistance for IGO cases.
Step 5: Contact your Maryland state legislators
State senator and state delegate at mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland's legislature has been engaged on prison communications, parole, and conditions issues in recent sessions.
Step 6: Contact advocacy organizations
MPRC (mdprisonersrights.org), ACLU of Maryland (410-889-8555), or PRISM for guidance.
Step 7: Federal escalation
For civil rights violations: U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (justice.gov/crt). For federal facilities in Maryland: BOP Northeast Region.
What families cannot compel: You cannot file an internal DPSCS grievance for your loved one. You cannot override DPSCS decisions on visitation or classification. External organizations can advocate and litigate but cannot guarantee outcomes.
Staying Connected: The Practical Guide for Maryland Families
Phone
ConnectNetwork (GTL/ViaPath) is the DPSCS phone platform.
- Set up AdvancePay at ConnectNetwork.com or call **(877) 650-4249**
- DPSCS does NOT manage phone accounts -- contact ConnectNetwork directly for all account questions
- Multiple AdvancePay accounts allowed for loved ones at different facilities
- Post-FCC rate caps apply; verify current Maryland rates
All calls monitored and recorded except legal calls. No call forwarding or three-way calling.
Video visits
Maryland DPSCS uses **Microsoft Teams** for virtual social visitations.
- Complete the DPSCS Video Visitation Form at dpscs.maryland.gov before your first virtual visit
- Scheduled through the facility
Physical mail permitted and encouraged. Must include the **facility acronym** in the mailing address format. Full addressing format at dpscs.maryland.gov/inmateservs/mail_services.shtml.
No known system-wide digital mail scanning announced for Maryland DOC. Verify current policy through dpscs.maryland.gov.
Sending money
Access Corrections is DPSCS's money processing service for all Maryland correctional institutions.
Verify current deposit options at dpscs.maryland.gov or the InmateAid Maryland send money page.
Locating your loved one
DPSCS Inmate Locator: dpscs.maryland.gov
DPSCS main: 877-379-8636
InmateAid Maryland inmate search: [internal link]
Supporting Yourself While Supporting Them
Maryland families are dealing with a system where 72.4% of the prison population is Black and where communications cost as much as $3.15 for a 15-minute call at some local facilities. The Connecting Families Coalition named it plainly: 65% of families struggle to meet basic housing and food needs. The communication costs are not trivial -- they are one of the mechanisms that severs family ties.
The Maryland Prisoners' Rights Coalition (mdprisonersrights.org) is the coalition to connect with if you want to be part of changing that.
The ACLU of Maryland's Maryland Parole Partnership (aclu-md.org) is the place to go if your loved one is serving a life sentence and parole access is the barrier.
PRISM (through peoples-law.org) is the free legal resource for your loved one inside -- help them access it by mailing them the information.
FAMM (famm.org) connects Maryland families dealing with excessive mandatory sentences to advocacy networks nationally.
Worth Rises (worthrises.org) tracks GTL/ViaPath ConnectNetwork costs nationally. Maryland's ongoing campaign for free communications is part of a pattern they document.
Dial **211** for local community resource referrals in your Maryland county.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes up the Maryland prison population by race?
Black people account for 72.4% of Maryland state prisoners (ACLU of Maryland, 2023 data), while making up less than a third of Maryland's general population. This disparity is one of the most documented and extreme racial incarceration disparities in the country and is a central focus of both the ACLU of Maryland and the Maryland Prisoners' Rights Coalition.
What phone system does Maryland DPSCS use?
ConnectNetwork (GTL/ViaPath). Set up a ConnectNetwork AdvancePay account at ConnectNetwork.com or call 877-650-4249. DPSCS is not responsible for phone accounts and does not manage them -- contact ConnectNetwork directly for all account questions.
What is unusual about Maryland's video visitation?
Maryland DPSCS uses Microsoft Teams for virtual social visitations -- which is distinctive compared to most states that use Securus, GTL, or Ameelio. Visitors must complete the DPSCS Video Visitation Form at dpscs.maryland.gov before participating in a virtual visit.
What is the Connecting Families Coalition of Maryland?
A coalition of local, state, and national advocacy organizations that in January 2025 submitted testimony to the Maryland General Assembly urging that prison and jail communications be made free. They documented that state facilities charge $0.45 for a 15-minute call and that 65% of families struggle to meet basic housing and food needs. Members include the ACLU of Maryland and the Maryland Prisoners' Rights Coalition. Verify current status at mdprisonersrights.org or aclu-md.org.
What is the Maryland Parole Partnership?
An ACLU of Maryland program (aclu-md.org/en/maryland-parole-partnership) that works with people serving life sentences, their family members, lawyers, and law students to advocate for parole access. It recognizes that people serving life sentences and their families are the experts on their own situations. The program followed a successful lawsuit establishing that Maryland's functional abolition of parole for lifers was unconstitutional for those sentenced as children.
What is PRISM?
The Prisoner's Rights Information System of Maryland provides free legal guidance and support to people incarcerated in the Maryland Division of Correction and Patuxent Institution. Confirmed active November 26, 2025. Covers federal civil rights (§1983), sentence calculation, medical treatment, living conditions, IGO cases, and parole. Families can help their loved one access PRISM through peoples-law.org or by mailing them PRISM information.
How do I send mail to someone in a Maryland state prison?
Physical mail is permitted and encouraged. You must include the facility acronym in the mailing address. Find the correct format and facility acronyms at dpscs.maryland.gov/inmateservs/mail_services.shtml. Maryland has not announced a system-wide digital mail scanning transition. --- [SPEC NOTE: Series folder 1intOvghBAhj6-_YzDsYllOy4scUOeEGh. Internal CTAs: Maryland inmate search, send money to Maryland inmates, Maryland reentry resources, Staying Connected hub, how prison works hub. SOURCING: mgaleg.maryland.gov January 2025 testimony Connecting Families Coalition Maryland (coalition local state national advocacy organizations concerned directly impacted community members urge Maryland General Assembly make prison jail communications free 2025 legislative session; incarcerated people charged 45 cents 15-minute phone call state-run facilities up to $3.15 some local facilities; incarcerated people can make as little as 30 cents an hour; families must shoulder burden paying communication many forced go into debt cut ties; 65 percent families incarcerated loved one struggle meet basic housing food needs; one in three families go into debt; many major counties cities Los Angeles Miami New York City San Diego San Francisco made communications free); dpscs.maryland.gov/inmateservs/phone_services.shtml (DPSCS not in charge setting up phone accounts ConnectNetwork creates all phone accounts; ConnectNetwork should be contacted concerns phone accounts 877-650-4249; two ConnectNetwork services ConnectNetwork AdvancePay fastest most convenient phone service connecting friends family members loved ones Incarcerated Individuals; AdvancePay prepaid collect calling service allows Incarcerated Individual call your phone number using deposited funds; multiple AdvancePay accounts allowed separate facilities; after setting up can start adding money receiving phone calls; DirectBill direct billing phone carrier); dpscs.maryland.gov/contact.shtml (main phone number 877-379-8636 410-585-3300; 6776 Reisterstown Road Baltimore MD 21215; 6852 4th Street Sykesville MD 21784); dpscs.maryland.gov/inmateservs/mail_services.shtml (supports embraces family friends loved ones maintain contact; permits encourages incarcerated individual correspond family friends loved ones minimum interference consistent legitimate security needs facility; permits encourages receive mail reading materials publications consistent United States Constitution Maryland State Federal laws regulations DPSCS policies procedures; facility acronym in address); dpscs.maryland.gov/inmateservs/index.shtml (Access Corrections management processing all money orders sent incarcerated individuals all Maryland correctional institutions); dpscs.maryland.gov/publicinfo/visitation.shtml (maintaining improving relationships incarcerated individuals families friends loved ones key initiatives; strengthening bond support net help incarcerated individuals achieve success after leave Department heal families social support systems; DPSCS views visitation privilege important part incarcerated individual development case management; 877-379-8636); dpscs.maryland.gov/inmateservs/inmate_visitation.shtml (DPSCS views visitation privilege; DPSCS reserves right manage this privilege effectively through procedures ensure safety security institutions employees members public incarcerated individuals; replace software service Skype with Microsoft Teams all virtual social visitations; DPSCS Video Visitation Form prior to participating virtual visitation); dpscs.maryland.gov/agencies/ (Inmate Grievance Office jurisdiction all incarcerated individual grievance complaints against DPSCS officials employees; Intelligence Investigative Division criminal administrative investigations serious misconduct within DPSCS; Maryland Parole Commission determining case-by-case incarcerated individual s serving sentences six months or more state or local facilities suitable release community certain conditions supervision Division Parole Probation; Secretary Scruggs Governor Office Minority Affairs); peoples-law.org PRISM (PRISM provides free legal guidance support current individuals incarcerated Maryland Division Correction Patuxent Institution federal civil rights 42 USC 1983 state habeas corpus claims incarcerated individual grievance office cases; sentence calculation problems medical treatment issues improper living conditions constitutional rights religion association; prisonpolicy.org PRISM confirmed listing November 26 2025); mdprisonersrights.org (Maryland Prisoners Rights Coalition coalition governed directly impacted supported advocacy organizations statewide; improve conditions confinement adults juveniles confined Maryland state prisons jails detention centers; advocacy administrative direct public awareness legislation litigation; basic needs human rights parole; COVID-19 advocacy medically vulnerable incarcerated residents; ACLU-Maryland Johns Hopkins Incarceration Health Justice Collective NARAL Pro-Choice); aclu-md.org Maryland Parole Partnership (MPP recognizes expertise wisdom people serving life sentences family members; incorporating professional skills resources legitimacy lawyers law school students advocacy; lawsuit brought Nathaniel Foster Calvin McNeill Kenneth Tucker Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative; Maryland functionally abolished parole lifers no Marylander serving life with parole sentence granted parole more than two decades; 2020 Foster released sentence commuted McNeill released judge's resentencing order; race disparity Black people incarcerated nearly five times rate white Americans; Black people make up less than third Maryland's population account 72.4 percent state prisoners 2023; 3600 Clipper Mill Road Suite 350 Baltimore MD 21211 410-889-8555); mdlab.org 1-800-999-8904 Maryland Legal Aid; famm.org; worthrises.org; humanrightsdefensecenter.org 561-360-2523; dpscs.maryland.gov; mgaleg.maryland.gov; ConnectNetwork.com 877-650-4249; justice.gov/crt; 211 Maryland. NOTE for Poorwa: verify ConnectNetwork GTL/ViaPath still Maryland DPSCS phone platform (confirmed from dpscs.maryland.gov/inmateservs/phone_services.shtml; verify current rate under FCC caps); verify Microsoft Teams still used for DPSCS virtual social visitation (confirm from dpscs.maryland.gov/inmateservs/inmate_visitation.shtml); verify Access Corrections still Maryland money processing vendor; verify free communications bill status in Maryland Legislature 2025 session (was introduced January 2025 by Connecting Families Coalition; did it pass? check mgaleg.maryland.gov or MPRC); verify current per-minute rate under FCC caps for Maryland state facilities (was $0.45/15 minutes or $0.03/min as of January 2025 testimony; FCC caps are $0.06/min for prisons); verify DPSCS 877-379-8636 410-585-3300 current; verify Maryland Prisoners Rights Coalition mdprisonersrights.org current; verify ACLU Maryland 410-889-8555 aclu-md.org current; verify PRISM confirmed active November 26 2025 peoples-law.org current; verify Maryland Legal Aid 1-800-999-8904 mdlab.org current; verify Maryland Parole Commission still operates and parole access for lifers current status post-2020 court orders; verify Maryland mail policy -- digital mail scanning?; verify IGO Inmate Grievance Office contact information through dpscs.maryland.gov/agencies/; verify DPSCS inmate locator at dpscs.maryland.gov current; verify facility acronym requirements for mail at dpscs.maryland.gov/inmateservs/mail_services.shtml; len/char check before publish.]
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