By Brett Rains
4029TV
FORT SMITH, Ark. — The jail where an inmate escaped twice was cited in 2013 for being overcrowded and not having enough staff.
Logan County Sheriff’s office released information that they are looking for an inmate who escaped Monday from the jail, for a second time. Gary Patrick Topham, 49, was last seen awaiting transport to ADC. Two jailers are responsible for the 34 inmates that are behind bars as of Wednesday, according to the Logan County Sheriff’s Department.
The Sheriff’s Department said one jailer was responsible for the inmates before 2014. Currently, the department has too few staff members for the inmates. “It’s not just too much, it’s dangerous and that’s why we added an additional jailer to each shift,” said Logan County Chief Deputy David Spicer. The Logan County jail was originally built to hold 20 prisoners.
“Fast forward to 2013, the jail now has 34, beds housing 47 people,” Spicer said. “You have more people getting arrested, but you’re housing them in the same jail with the same staff that you were in ’88 or ’89,”
Full story: Jail where inmate escaped cited in 2013 for overcrowding, lack of staff