Inmate Runs, Still Running

Adapted from KOMU-TV, Missouri:

Cops and deputies continue their search for escapee, 31-year-old Curtis Jones, who walked out of the Howard County Jail Sunday night. Trackers are moving across the county trying to find him.

The escape happened around 1 a.m. when inmate Curtis Jones pulled an old jail trick: He jammed the lock with the cardboard from a roll of toilet paper and while the guards were away, he slipped right out.

This wasn't Jones' first break-out. He escaped from the old Fayette jail in 1996. Curtis Jones was imprisoned for multiple counts of theft.

The convict is a white male with a shaved head. Jones was last spotted in Fayette riding a red bicycle and wearing orange jumpsuit pants, a red shirt and red flip-flops.

Monday night, the Howard County Sheriff's Department disclosed that they found Jones' clothes and bike, but did not say where.

If they dressed me like that I’d escape too, if only for a change of clothes., The only jail uniform worse than this is at Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Tent City lockup in Phoenix, where the residents wear the traditional horizontal black-and-white broad stripes over pink underwear. It irks the prisoners even more than the all-bologna-sandwich diet.

Guards find Unauthorized Egress

Adapted from KSWT-13 television news, Yuma, Arizona:

Over the weekend correction officers at the Imperial County Jail, El Centro, California, found a 2 1/2 foot hole in the roof covered up with a plaster finish. It was located where the inmates were housed.

The guards say some inmates broke a drain pipe and used it to break the roof. They were reportedly going to escape through the air ducts.

Responding to the find, corrections officers moved eight inmates from minimum to maximum security. Three of those inmates are being charged with attempted escape.

Because they were federal inmates, the investigation is now in the hands of the U.S. Marshals.

Inmate Runs Out Front Door

Adapted from WAFB television news, Louisiana:

Hours after his escape, a Livingston Parish inmate is back in custody.

Early Monday morning, 31-year-old Jared Federic sat in a booking room at the jail waiting to be taken back to his cell. A few hours later, authorities say, Frederic climbed through the ceiling, down into the lobby, and ran out the front door.

Officers from a number of agencies barricaded the surrounding area.

Frederic was at the Livingston jail after being arrested Monday morning. He was at large then because on Friday night the jail had erroneously released him while he was serving time on a drug charge.

"To tell a man he's free and then come home to his kids and then they put him back in? That would mess anybody's mind up," said Frederic’s fiancé, Deona Chandler.

After almost four hours at large, Federic was captured just a few miles from where he escaped.

Federic now faces a whole new set of charges, including escape. Authorities say it could land him in jail for up to five years.

Inmates Brought Down From the Ceiling

Adapted from the Terre Haute TribStar, Indiana:

Two inmates were discovered in the ceiling of the Vigo County Jail about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Jake Compton, who acknowledged the inmates were most likely trying to escape.

The inmates allegedly forced a section of the jail ceiling up in the jail’s M-Block and tried to climb through metal spacings, Compton said.

Anthony Cross, one of the inmates allegedly in the ceiling, became “very aggressive and combative” with jail personnel during the recapture process and would not come down. A struggle ensued, leaving officers with scratches and bruises and Cross with a possible broken jaw. Compton said Cross’s injuries are “unfortunate.”

Cross is “a violent offender” in jail facing charges for multiples offenses, including receiving stolen property, probation violation, false reporting, driving while suspended, robbery and carjacking. He was in custody in lieu of a total $110,000 cash bond.

His next court date was scheduled for July 14.

Cross was transported to Union Hospital and then Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis before returning to the jail.

Dayton, Texas, Escape is Foiled

Adapted from Texas media:

Jarrod Wayne Gee, 31, a federal prisoner being housed in Liberty County Jail, attempted a jail-break in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 14, but he was captured before he could make it off jail property.

The attempted escape was first reported at 2:30 a.m. Sunday, June 14.

Gee gained access to a ‘pipe chase,’ which is an area used to access water and sewer pipes. In order to get to that area, Gee reportedly climbed through a hole in a sheet metal wall in his jail cell. Gee claims he cut through the 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick steel wall by using blades from disposable razors and pencil sharpeners.

Authorities are skeptical of his story.

Around the time that Gee had gained access to the pipe chase, Correctional Officer David Trahan was called to that area of the jail by another inmate regarding a clogged water pipe.

As Trahan opened the door to check the pipe, Gee jumped out on him. A scuffle ensued and Trahan dropped his hand-held radio. Gee ran to the control room.

Gee was attempting to open the doors when Trahan caught up with him. A struggle ensued again.
At that time an unnamed female officer called for the dispatcher to send assistance.

Gee broke loose from Trahan again and ran to the sally port area, which is where officers load and unload prisoners.

Gee reportedly manually opened the rolling doors to escape.

As he crawled under the door, officers from the Liberty Police Department, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety arrived, ending the escape attempt

Three correctional officers for Community Education Centers, the jail contractor, have been suspended pending further investigation.

According to LCSO Chief Deputy Ken Defoor, there were some doors that appear to have been left unlocked.

Don’t you hate it when inmates jump out of the wall at you?

This is enough for me. I will blog again the next time someone bolts for freedom.