By C1 Staff
TULSA — The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is currently seeking an escaped prisoner who’s considered armed and dangerous – one of several escapes just this year alone.
KJRH reports that Robert Thomas is the latest in a string of escapes, six of which were all from the same facility inside a single month.
Thomas walked away from a minimum security facility in McAlester this week when he walked down a dirt road. He was serving time for animal cruelty, theft, drugs and other offenses.
Though the DOC is currently struggling to maintain staffing numbers within its facilities, they do maintain that staffing issues are not contributing to inmate escapes.
Most officers are working 12-hour shifts, covering personnel gaps with overtime. The DOC said it prefers to have its officers work 8-hour shifts.
Aside from Thomas, there are also several other escapees still unaccounted for.