Arkansas inmate escapes from jail for second time in 5 weeks

Cross County flight follows getaway after August arrest

A Cross County inmate who was captured earlier this week after escaping the county jail in Wynne has escaped again, authorities said.

Bryan Baldwin, 43, either climbed over a fence or "went through it" while eight other inmates distracted a jailer who took them into an exercise area Friday afternoon, Cross County Sheriff J.R. Smith said. A video camera at the jail recorded Baldwin in the yard, but a "glitch" occurred with the camera and video and Smith could not see how Baldwin escaped.

Baldwin is not considered armed or dangerous, Smith said.

Police in Parkin arrested Baldwin for a DWI violation Aug. 7 and took him to the Cross County jail in Wynne. Smith said the arresting officer left Baldwin sitting on a bench in the jail and left. Baldwin asked a jail employee if he could use the bathroom and then fled.

Deputies arrested Baldwin on Monday and charged him with third-degree escape.

On Friday, a jailer took Baldwin and eight other inmates for "yard call," which allows inmates time outside if weather permits, Smith said.

"As the jailer was taking them back inside, the eight basically distracted him," the sheriff said. "When [the jailer] was getting ready to take some to court, he noticed Baldwin was gone."

The jailer asked the other inmates what happened and they denied seeing him.

"They all got that jailhouse mentality," Smith said. "They all said they didn't see him, or they thought he bonded out the night before."

Smith said he will charge the eight with assisting Baldwin in his escape.

The sheriff blamed understaffing for three recent escapes. In addition to Baldwin's two escapes, Cross County inmate Larry Jackson fled the jail Aug. 31. Jackson returned to the jail Sept. 4 and surrendered to authorities.

Smith said he met with officials from the state's Criminal Detention Facilities Review board last week to discuss personnel needs. The sheriff said he was told he needed 30 employees to run the 86-bed jail efficiently. He has 18 employees.

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"We don't have time to do everything we need to do safely," Smith said. "Our jailers have to transport inmates to court, hand out mail, do medical calls. There's not enough time. They are too busy doing everything."

State Desk on 09/16/2017

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