BY KYM LIEBLER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Despite modern security measures -- thick glass partitions, iron doors and closed-circuit TV -- it appears that breaking out of Tristate jails is not terribly difficult.
At least nine inmates have escaped this year from county jails in Greater Cincinnati -- by means as unremarkable as walking away to trickier gymnastic techniques such as scaling a fence and tumbling to freedom, or squeezing onto a rooftop and leaping outside the jail perimeter.
Jail officials acknowledge the risk of escape comes with the job. But they cite increasing dependence on closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) and staffing shortages as factors that have increased the chance of escapes.
"I think, unfortunately, that the CCTVs have become a tool that they (corrections officers) rely on too much," said Charles Bailey, one of four state jail inspectors for the Bureau of Adult Detention. "No matter how many television monitors you have, staff still has to eyeball prisoners."
The latest escape in the Tristate took place about 4 a.m. Monday, when two inmates left the Boone County Jail in Burlington. They sawed through three metal bars and used a makeshift rope of sheets to lower themselves down three floors, Jailer John Schickel said. Authorities captured one of the escapees, Anthony Pike, 24, of Burlington, eight hours later in the attic of his sister's Covington house. Kirby Peterson, 25, of Dayton, Ohio, was still on the lam late Monday.
"There's no such thing as a foolproof jail," the jailer said. "But on the other hand, there's no excuse either for a hacksaw blade to be in a jail. We're going to be investigating that."
Two weeks ago, three Warren County Jail inmates escaped by wiggling through a chain-link covering to get to the roof, where they jumped to the ground. The inmates were apprehended days later. In early June, Kenton County jailers found 14 sheets braided together and fined an inmate $60.
A Clermont County Jail inmate escaped from the outside recreational area in August by climbing onto the back of another inmate who stood on a low-level security camera. The inmate jumped from the jail grounds and was captured three hours later.
Last July, three inmates at Kenton County Jail escaped by braiding sheets together and sliding to the ground. They were caught and charged.
Two inmates fled the Clermont County Jail in May 1997 through an unlocked back door. They eluded police by running through nearby woods, but were caught within 24 hours.
Problems with the closed-circuit televisions arise when one person watches the monitors, Mr. Bailey said.
"You have one officer in front of a whole bank of monitors. It gets boring and guards can get complacent," he said. "To me, it's a staff issue because it's cheaper to put in a TV than hiring someone." After the escape in Warren County, officials doubly secured the chain-link opening and re-emphasized the need for constant vigilance, said Col. Del Everett, with the Warren County Sheriff's Office.
"You can't drop your guard at any time," Deputy Everett said. Like in most full-service jails that house inmates for more than a few days, Warren County Jail inmates eat and shower in their pods, limiting their movement inside the jail. They go out of their pods for recreation and visitation.
In the wake of last summer's three escapes, Clermont County Jail has made security a priority. Recently, it was bolstered with a razor wire known as concertina wire in undisclosed parts of the jail.
"We are constantly assessing our security," said Clermont County Chief Deputy Rick Combs.
"It's the little bitty details that cause these people to get out," he said. "It's the security camera close to the ground. One tall fellow stands on it and another gets on his back and next thing you know, he's on the roof."
The wave of the future, Mr. Bailey predicted, is increasing security along the perimeter of jails. "With the Boone County escape, their first obstacle was their last obstacle -- the perimeter. Once they got out, they were out."
Mr. Bailey, who inspects 65 county and municipal jails in 24 Ohio counties, said jail officials are sensitive to escapes.
"It's very embarrassing when they do have an escape because they take it so personally," he said. "They think, "We are better than what this outcome makes us look like.' Thing is, if you have a weak area in a jail, prisoners are going to find it."
Reporter Jane Prendergast contributed to this report.
