Little River Co. sheriff says inmate escape reveals weak spot in jail security

LITTLE RIVER COUNTY, Ark. (KSLA) - A newly constructed jail in southwest Arkansas has recorded its first inmate escape. Leaders say they will use this incident as a learning experience to improve security.

The sign at the Little River County Detention Center reads “rooms are available,” but not all tenants enjoy their stay at the jail. Travis Cain Lewis, 25, was being held there on multiple felony charges, including aggravated robbery, when he escaped from the jail.

Little River County Sheriff Bobby Walraven said Lewis and other inmates were inside the recreation yard when Lewis made his escape Friday, Aug. 11.

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“We had a weak spot on the fence on the rec yard. We had two inmates that kind of concealed the camera while he got the fence apart and he escaped,” said Sheriff Walraven.

Sheriff Walraven said they were notified of the escape after a resident spotted Lewis crossing a county road.

”No, the employees done a great job,” the sheriff replied when asked if the escape was due to a failure on the part of the jail employees.

After an overnight search, Lewis was captured about four miles from the jail. Lewis now faces a first-degree escape charge in addition to his others.

Little River Detention Center began housing inmates in March. The sheriff said this escape will help them improve their security methods.

“Well, we knew we would find different issues with the jail, like any jail. I think miller county and all of them had problems when they first opened up, but he showed us the weak point and we are correcting it now so it won’t happen again,” Sheriff Walraven said.

The recreation yard will remain off limits to inmates until the fence is secured. Sheriff Walraven said charges are pending for the other inmates who allegedly assisted in the escape.

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