CUMBERLAND — The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services provided an inside look at how correctional officers are using body-worn cameras at North Branch Correctional Institution Tuesday as part of the department’s effort to improve safety, accountability and transparency inside Maryland prisons.
During the demonstration, officers showed how the cameras are used during routine duties, emergency responses and interactions with incarcerated individuals.
As of July, correctional officers at every Maryland state prison have been provided body-worn cameras. The technology gives investigators and supervisors an objective record of incidents, supports deescalation and accountability and can help protect staff and incarcerated individuals when questions arise about an encounter.
“Body-worn cameras give our staff and the individuals in our custody an added layer of protection and transparency,” said David C. Greene, DPSCS deputy secretary for Operation. “This technology helps deescalate situations before they become dangerous, provides an objective record when incidents do occur, and reinforces the accountability our officers and the public both expect from this department.
Greene said the technology also has a track-record of success as officials have seen a significant reduction in assaults at NBCI.
The rollout comes as DPSCS is reporting substantial improvements in institutional safety. As of September, monthly assaults across the department were at their lowest level since November 2023.
Despite summer months historically producing higher assault rates, statewide assaults in August were lower than the same period in each of the previous three years. At the Cumberland correctional facilities, assaults were 51% lower than during the same period last year, giving the western region the lowest assault rate in the state.
The department has also invested in correctional officer recruitment and retention, staff training, deescalation, intelligence gathering and upgrades to fixed-camera systems throughout Maryland correctional facilities.
Independent research also supports the use of body-worn cameras in correctional settings. A randomized controlled trial published in 2024 and catalogued by the U.S. Department of Justice found a decrease in response-to-resistance events when correctional body-worn cameras were used in a jail setting.
DPSCS will continue reviewing assault data, use-of-force incidents, complaints and other measures as the department evaluates the long-term impact of body-worn cameras across Maryland’s correctional system.