A 38-year-old inmate at a Maryland prison was found dead in his cell on Sunday, prompting an investigation by state police.

Police said Javon Foster was serving time at the Jessup Correctional Institution in Anne Arundel County at the time of his death.

Troopers were called to the facility on Jan. 18 around 7:30 p.m. after Foster was found on the floor of his cell. He was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.

Foster’s cellmate was believed to be in the cell at the time of Foster’s death, according to police.

The chief medical examiner will complete an autopsy to determine Foster’s cause and manner of death, officials said.

The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services is also investigating the incident.

Maryland inmate deaths

Foster’s death was Maryland’s second recorded inmate death of 2026. The first occurred at North Branch Correctional Institution in Allegany County, according to police.

Last year, prisoner homicides reached their highest level since at least 2012. Thirteen incarcerated people were killed by other prisoners in 2025, according to state officials — a 44% increase over 2024’s total of nine.

In December, three staff members were indicted for separate alleged contraband smuggling schemes at the Jessup Correctional Institution.

According to the indictment, two correctional officers and a correctional educator smuggled drugs, food, cellphones and other prohibited items into the facility and gave them to inmates and incarcerated students.

WJZ is a media partner of The Baltimore Banner. See the original report.