On June 11, 2016, Captain Michael R. Merican, Warden of the St. Mary’s County Detention Center, was presented the Sal Russoniello Service Award during The Middle Atlantic States Correctional Association (MASCA) 78th Annual Conference and Training Event held in Ocean City, Maryland.

The award is presented to a professional who has demonstrated an extraordinary devotion to advancing the educational mission of the Middle Atlantic States Correctional Association (MASCA), composed of Correctional Institutions throughout Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

As a thirty-three year veteran of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Captain Merican has served in a wide variety of positions. He has acquired a vast amount of training throughout his career with an extensive amount of specialized training in the administrative arena. Captain Merican’s last ten years have been devoted to Warden of the St. Mary’s County Detention Center. Some of his contributions and achievements in advancing the correctional mission, to name a few, include:

2002                       Reimplementation the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Detainee Housing Program

2008                       Recipient of joint grant with Department of Social Services (DSS) for inmate re-entry program targeting non-custodial parents

2008                       Recipient of state grant for recognizing inmate gang activity and counter-intelligence
2009                       Recipient of state grant for automating Jail Security Checks

2010                       Honorary Correctional Officer of the Quarter

2011-2015              Maryland Correctional Administrators Association (MCAA) Vice President and President

2014                       Appointed to Governors Commissions on Pretrial Reform

2014-Present          inoperableDevelopment and implementation of the first interoperable jail/prison management system

2015                       Recipient of a state grant for Inmate Vivitrol and Naloxone Program to combat opioid abuse

2015                       Designed and implemented a pretrial service unit to address alternatives to incarceration and supervision

2016                       Selected to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) Forensic Services Work Group to address incarceration of the mentally ill