03/27/2009 - Are Cost Cuts To Blame For Branchville Prison Escape? (WEHT-TV, Evansville)

Are Cost Cuts To Blame For Branchville Prison Escape?

story by: Courtney Fischer

BRANCHVILLE, IN - Seven days police have searched by highway, by helicopter, by dog three Branchville prison inmates still at large.

The day they went missing, an online message board went buzzing. Some people identifying themselves as prison workers posting what they think went wrong at Branchville.

"We need more staff," one writes.

"I can remember years ago... before cost cuts, before the bad economy, we were staffed well. Back then we had eyes everywhere, the whole facility ran like a well oiled machine," says another.

"This happened because of staff shortages and classification changes."

Is their any truth to what these workers say?

We ask Nick Zellers-who works for Branchville-is the facility understaffed right now?

"I can't comment on whether or not we've understaffed. We're at our full staffing capacity," Zellers says.

He tells NEWS 25, right now about 300 workers are employed at Branchville. There are ten positions vacant. Zellers couldn't comment how many of those positions are prison guards.

Zellers says the prison can't fill the positions because of a hiring freeze on state employees issued by Governor Mitch Daniels.

NEWS 25 asked Zellers, does Branchville need help? Need more guards?

"I can't comment on that right now until we get our assessment back."

The escape is under investigation by prison staff and Indiana's Department of Correction.

"I think we could say we haven't reached a conclusion at all that staff shortage had anything to do with this," says David Garrison with the DOC.

State workers say three inmates with one staff member isn't an out of the ordinary situation.

"That's not to make light at all of anything concerned correctional officers have about the situation there, but really it's sometimes very different to prevent spontaneous assaults like that," Garrison says.