Yell Co. Sheriff Closes Jail After Inmates Escape
By: Brittney Johnson, KARK 4 News
Updated: March 18, 2013
The Yell County Sheriff's office is closing the Dardanelle jail after three inmates overpowered a jailer and escaped Sunday.
Sheriff Gilkey confirmed there were seven inmates at the jail and there should have been at least two people working Sunday but there was only one jailer. The sheriff says they've been shorthanded for years.
The closing could have a major impact on Kindle Lancaster. She runs a bail-bond business banking on people thrown into the Dardanelle and Danville jails.
"I'm their ticket," she says.
In the Danville jail Sunday three inmates, Bret Cooksey, Jacqueline Stobaugh and Seth Chowning overpowered the only jailer on duty.
"They need at least two is what they really need," said Captain John Foster.
Authorities caught them before midnight Sunday. They found Stobaugh hiding in a shed, a few blocks away. Even back safely in custody, their escape highlighted the jail's poor staffing and the danger it poses to the community.
"You're required to give them time outside, you have to move prisoners. A lot of time on weekend and night shifts you're just shorthanded cause we just don't have the funding," says Captain Foster.
Due to the shortage, the Sheriff is closing down the jail and sending the inmates to other jails, possibly taking Lancaster's livelihood too.
"Because most of my business comes from this jail, with them closing it yes, it could put a hurt on me," says Lancaster.
But she doesn't just work in Dardanelle, it's her home, and she'd rather they be safe than risk more escapes.
"For everyone around this area, it's for their safety if you don't have two people here, what happened over the weekend, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner than this," she adds.
The jailer from this incident is expected to be OK.
Bond was set at $1 million for each escapee Monday. The trio was originally booked for a residential burglary incident in Ola. Now they're facing more charges including escape, kidnapping and battery.
Sheriff Gilkey confirmed there were seven inmates at the jail and there should have been at least two people working Sunday but there was only one jailer. The sheriff says they've been shorthanded for years.
The closing could have a major impact on Kindle Lancaster. She runs a bail-bond business banking on people thrown into the Dardanelle and Danville jails.
"I'm their ticket," she says.
In the Danville jail Sunday three inmates, Bret Cooksey, Jacqueline Stobaugh and Seth Chowning overpowered the only jailer on duty.
"They need at least two is what they really need," said Captain John Foster.
Authorities caught them before midnight Sunday. They found Stobaugh hiding in a shed, a few blocks away. Even back safely in custody, their escape highlighted the jail's poor staffing and the danger it poses to the community.
"You're required to give them time outside, you have to move prisoners. A lot of time on weekend and night shifts you're just shorthanded cause we just don't have the funding," says Captain Foster.
Due to the shortage, the Sheriff is closing down the jail and sending the inmates to other jails, possibly taking Lancaster's livelihood too.
"Because most of my business comes from this jail, with them closing it yes, it could put a hurt on me," says Lancaster.
But she doesn't just work in Dardanelle, it's her home, and she'd rather they be safe than risk more escapes.
"For everyone around this area, it's for their safety if you don't have two people here, what happened over the weekend, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner than this," she adds.
The jailer from this incident is expected to be OK.
Bond was set at $1 million for each escapee Monday. The trio was originally booked for a residential burglary incident in Ola. Now they're facing more charges including escape, kidnapping and battery.
