State Police Investigate Jessup Inmate’s Death as Maryland Toll Rises

An autopsy will determine how 38-year-old Javon Foster died after he was found in his cell with his cellmate present.

Overview

Troopers were called to Jessup Correctional Institution around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 18 and found Javon Foster on the floor of his cell, where he was pronounced dead.
Maryland State Police and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services opened an investigation, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct the autopsy.
Police said Foster’s cellmate was believed to be in the cell at the time of his death as the investigation continues.
Foster’s death is the sixth involving a Maryland inmate since December and the second at Jessup in two months, with suspects identified in several of the earlier cases.
State data show 68 inmate deaths in 2025, including 15 at Jessup, and a December indictment charged 10 people — including three staff — in alleged contraband smuggling at the facility.