by Renee C. Lee, Associated Press
DALLAS (AP) - A jailbreak by two convicted killers and two murder suspects has raised questions about overcrowding and security in Texas jails, which saw more than 140 escapes last year.
The FBI, Texas Rangers and local police searched Wednesday for the four inmates who broke out of a North Texas jail Monday after overpowering a guard with a homemade knife.
Two had been serving life sentences for killing an Oklahoma high school cheerleader. The other two had been awaiting trial on charges of murdering an elderly couple.
Authorities alerted witnesses and relatives of the murder victims to be on the lookout for the four, and contacted relatives and friends of the fugitives in Oklahoma, Missouri, Oregon and Alaska.
In 255 of Texas’ county and privately-run jails, there were 141 escapes last year, according to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, which inspects jails. Of that number, 85 occurred when inmates simply walked away from jails or work camps, while 56 occurred when inmates overpowered guards or tunneled out.
Last year, just one prisoner escaped from one of Texas’ 110 state prisons and state jails, while in 2000, 16 inmates escaped - including a gang of seven that was later accused of killing a police officer.
The Montague County Jail, where the latest escape took place, had been “decertified”, or put on warning, in October for exceeding state regulations that require one guard for every 48 inmates.
On Monday, the day of the escape, the jail had 55 prisoners and one guard. That same day, officials transferred eight inmates out to meet regulations.
If a “decertified” jail does not fix its problems, it can be closed. But Terry Julian, executive director of the jail commission, said that rarely happens.
Law enforcement officials and victims advocacy groups said better salaries and better training for guards would help prevent escapes. They said criminals are also becoming more brazen after seeing so many successful escapes.
Jail guards in Texas are often poorly paid, making less than $25,000 a year, and they are often not adequately trained to deal with seasoned criminals, according to the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas.
At the Montague County Jail, two of the inmates pulled a knife on a guard when she opened their cell, authorities said. They forced the guard and another jail worker to release the other two inmates, and the four walked out the back door and escaped in a jailer’s vehicle.
“The public has to take (corrections) seriously instead of thinking of it as a nonessential element in the system,” said Dianne Clements of the Houston-based victims’ group Justice for All. “I think it requires ongoing training. You have to keep them alert and ready to act.”