Jail Security Policies Under Review After 3rd Escape in 14 Months
By: Victor Sotelo
Updated: December 6, 2011
The third jail escape in just over a year took place Monday afternoon. While all three inmates were captured just hours after after leaving the Taylor County Jail, there is no question about the effectiveness of procedures after an escape, but plenty of unanswered questions about policies allowing the escapes.
In October of 2010 Darrel Schenk climbed onto the roof of the jail from the recreation area and escaped into a field.
A DPS helicopter equipped with an infrared camera detected Schenk in a nearby field just hours later.
Just over one year later, Dustin Bates climbed the fence at the jail and headed to the nearby Abilene State Supported Living Center where he stole a truck and led authorities on a high-speed chase before being taken into custody.
Monday Dennis Ingle jumped out of a Taylor County inmate work crew bus that was going back into the gates of the jail.
"One of the individuals who works on one of the work crews decided he was going to hit the emergency door of that bus, and he did, and he took off running from the jail," said Sheriff Les Bruce.
Sheriff Bruce says the jail is on lock-down for now and inmate work crews are on hold while they investigate Monday's escape.
"We will move swiftly and if we see we need to make changes in our work crew program then we are going to make changes," Bruce said.
A report by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards suggests disciplinary actions were taken against officers after the last two escapes for failing to follow jail procedure, and Bruce says he is prepared to take those same steps if necessary.
Bruce said, "Every day as a jailer you do the same thing and we have got to stay on our toes."
Because, he says, there are going to be other attempts to escape, but the key word is "attempts."
"We sharpen those edges, as I say we wrap it back in crime and then we get ready because what happened out in right field may happen in left field the next week," said Bruce.
The sheriff did not say how long the work crews would be put on hold.
Ingle now faces a $45,000 bond for escaping, as well as an additional $35,000 for assaulting an officer during the incident.
In October of 2010 Darrel Schenk climbed onto the roof of the jail from the recreation area and escaped into a field.
A DPS helicopter equipped with an infrared camera detected Schenk in a nearby field just hours later.
Just over one year later, Dustin Bates climbed the fence at the jail and headed to the nearby Abilene State Supported Living Center where he stole a truck and led authorities on a high-speed chase before being taken into custody.
Monday Dennis Ingle jumped out of a Taylor County inmate work crew bus that was going back into the gates of the jail.
"One of the individuals who works on one of the work crews decided he was going to hit the emergency door of that bus, and he did, and he took off running from the jail," said Sheriff Les Bruce.
Sheriff Bruce says the jail is on lock-down for now and inmate work crews are on hold while they investigate Monday's escape.
"We will move swiftly and if we see we need to make changes in our work crew program then we are going to make changes," Bruce said.
A report by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards suggests disciplinary actions were taken against officers after the last two escapes for failing to follow jail procedure, and Bruce says he is prepared to take those same steps if necessary.
Bruce said, "Every day as a jailer you do the same thing and we have got to stay on our toes."
Because, he says, there are going to be other attempts to escape, but the key word is "attempts."
"We sharpen those edges, as I say we wrap it back in crime and then we get ready because what happened out in right field may happen in left field the next week," said Bruce.
The sheriff did not say how long the work crews would be put on hold.
Ingle now faces a $45,000 bond for escaping, as well as an additional $35,000 for assaulting an officer during the incident.
