Baltimore, Maryland, "Charm City," will host the American Correctional Association's 135th Congress of Correction, August 6-11, 2005, at the Baltimore Convention Center. Attendees will engage in a plethora of social activities, which will allow them to meet and socialize as they stroll from one exhibit booth to the next in an easy-going environment during this six-day event.

Baltimore is situated along the shores of the vast Chesapeake Bay nearly 200 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean . It is located approximately 35 miles northeast of Washington, D.C. and 75 miles southwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . It is the largest city in Maryland and one of the great eastern coast seaports of the United States with extensive facilities for container shipment and the transport of automobiles via roll-on, roll-off cargo vessels. It is a colonial-era city with plenty of character and many historically significant attractions, including the Inner Harbor .

The old inner harbor basin, located at the heart of downtown Baltimore , has been refurbished and converted into a pedestrian-friendly entertainment and shopping spot. The docks and streets surrounding the inner harbor now house museums, restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and hotels. The National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, Port Discovery Children's Museum and the World Trade Center in Baltimore are located around the basin. Docked at the Inner Harbor piers, you will also find: the USS Constellation (the last all-sail war ship built by the U.S. Navy); the USS Torsk (a World War II vintage submarine); the lighthouse ship Chesapeake and the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Taney. Baltimore 's Inner Harbor is a colorful and historically engaging place to visit.

Baltimore was founded in 1729 on a protected harbor on the northwest branch of the Patapsco River at the edge of the Piedmont region, about 14 miles west of the Chesapeake Bay. Downtown Baltimore developed around the intersection of its first two streets, Baltimore and Charles, just north of the harbor.

Be sure to join the American Correctional Association for the 135th Congress of Correction and participate in a variety of social events held in the Exhibit Hall, including the Monday Night Reception and the Tuesday Morning Specialty Break. These fascinating, theme-based events allow attendees and exhibitors a chance to interact, and for attendees to search for the latest in products and services available that will aid them in their career endeavors. On Wednesday afternoon, one lucky attendee will become the instant winner of a spectacular prize – a brand-new vehicle – during ACA's highly anticipated Grand Prize Giveaway Game.