The Howard County Department of Corrections (HCDC) is the corrections agency servicing 3500 arrests within of Howard County, Maryland yearly.
Corrections in Howard County was handled through the county police. The first institution built was the twelve person Ellicott City Jail in 1878. In 1975 a separate division was created by County Executive Edward L. Cochran. Its first director was Gerald H. McClellan.
The department operates the following facilities:
In 2009, the department took over operations of the Howard County Community Service Program, subcontracting to the Serenity Center.