US EditionArkansas Prison Employees Fired After 'Devil in the Ozarks' Escape
NORTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS, JUL 9 – The Arkansas Department of Corrections made staffing changes after inmate Grant Hardin escaped and was recaptured following a two-week manhunt, officials said.
- Convicted killer and former police chief Grant Hardin escaped from the North Central Unit prison in Calico Rock on May 25 by disguising himself as a jailer.
- Hardin's escape occurred due to a personnel failure, as employees allowed him to bypass security protocols, leading to two staff firings and an ongoing investigation.
- After a two-week search involving Arkansas State Police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Hardin was apprehended on June 6 at a location close to Moccasin Creek, approximately two miles from the correctional facility.
- DOC Director Dexter Payne stated on June 10 that the issue was not policy but that someone 'didn't do his job,' while spokesperson Rand Champion emphasized reviewing policies to prevent future escapes.
- State prison officials, including Payne and board members, planned to discuss the incident and personnel changes during a legislative hearing on July 10 to improve protocols and security.
44 Articles
44 Articles
‘Devil in the Ozarks’ investigators uncover how murderer escaped prison before manhunt
Arkansas lawmakers questioned officials about how murderer Grant Hardin, the 'Devil in the Ozarks,' escaped through an open gate with a disguise made from a marker and soup can.
Arkansas prison employees fired after ‘Devil in the Ozarks’ escape
Two employees at an Arkansas prison where an inmate known as the “Devil in the Ozarks” escaped have been fired for policy violations, corrections officials said Thursday as they faced questions from lawmakers who said the escape points to deeper problems.
arkansasadvocate.com
Arkansas TimesLawmakers challenge Arkansas prison officials over escape of convicted murderer-rapist
Calico Rock Warden Thomas Hurst reads a statement about the escape of an inmate during a legislative hearing on July 10, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate)Skeptical Arkansas lawmakers seemed unwilling to accept Thursday that the escape of a convicted murderer and rapist was the fault of only two prison employees. Members of the Charitable, Penal, and Correctional Institutions subcommittee grilled corrections officials and Arkansas Sta…
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