Federal and local officials announced Monday evening the withdrawal of federal plans to build a jail in eastern Baltimore County.

Correctional Services Corporation withdrew their bid to build a 1,750-bed federal jail in the Dundalk area. Citing community opposition in a December letter to the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee, the private contractor withdrew from the site, according to Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith's office.

And federal lawmakers followed through with action they promised late last year. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Maryland, included language in the final Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations bill to stop the plan from moving forward in 2004, Smith's office said.

Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-District 2, introduced a bill in Congress that will prohibit the entire Department of Justice from constructing a new facility. The bill removes loopholes and ends any plans for a new maximum security detention center in eastern Baltimore County, in Dundalk or elsewhere in Maryland.

Community and county officials describe the area where the proposed facility would have been built as a renaissance area. Over the next few years, Baltimore County plans to invest over $8 million in addition to nearly $3.5 million in state and federal funding for the area.

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