Texarkana jail on non-compliant list after escape of 2 inmates
TEXARKANA, Texas (KSLA) - The Bi-State Justice Center received bad marks from the state after two inmates escaped earlier this summer.
After Wade Burton Land and J.C. Lee Kirby escaped last month, the Texas Jail Standard Commission made an inspection of the facility and placed the jail on the non-compliant list.
Bowie County Sheriff Jeff Neal says he is disappointed in the former jailers but he is not surprised by the commission’s decision. He says the escape was captured on security video, but more than six hours passed before officials were aware the two men had left the facility.
“After conducting our own internal investigation, we found our jailers did not do their face-to-face checks properly and we self-reported that to the Jail Commission and terminated those jailers.”
Neal says they are currently working on a corrective plan to hopefully get back in compliance soon.
The sheriff said there are 97 employees working at the Bi-State jail and the Bowie County Jail Annex.
Earlier this month, Land was arrested in Austin, Texas. Kirby is still on the run.
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