If an escape occurs at one of Maryland’s prisons, citizens now have the option of being notified of the breakout via an e-mail, text message, telephone or cell phone.

A new alert system was put into effect last Wednesday by the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. The service is open not only to Maryland residents, but also to people living in neighboring states.

The service eventually will replace a siren in Jessup and a steam whistle that has served the thee-prison complex near Hagerstown since the 1940s.

Over-the-fence escapes are rare, the agency said. But last January, a convicted murderer escaped from the Maryland Correctional Institution near Hagerstown, the first escape from a medium- or maximum-security prison in six years. The complex's emergency notification system was questioned after the escape. Prison officials say a siren was sounded, but some Hagerstown area residents said they did not hear it. The siren was tested and modified in April.

The agency said anyone wanting to receive an alert should sign up at its Web site, http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/. Standard text message and cellular rates will apply for those who sign up.

“Notifications occur at the time of the event; day or night. One notice will be sent to each requested format. After the notification, please follow the story on your local news service for additional information,” the agency’s Web site states.

We commend the department for responding to citizens’ concerns about the alert system.