Review Finds Kitchen Lapses Led to Arkansas Prison Escape

An Arkansas prison escape that drew nationwide attention is being examined in an internal department review, which concludes that months of planning and a series of security lapses allowed Grant Hardin, a former police chief known as the “Devil in the Ozarks,” to walk away from the Calico Rock prison on May 25. Hardin was captured about 1.5 miles from the facility on June 6, after a large manhunt that included dogs, drones and aerial support, with investigators detailing how a lax kitchen security environment helped fuel his six-month preparation for the escape.

According to the review, Hardin spent half a year assembling gear and materials to impersonate a prison guard. He crafted a makeshift uniform using items he collected during his work detail in the facility’s kitchen, including discarded clothing and markers, and fashioned a badge from the lid of a can. He reportedly stored these items in a trash bin in the kitchen that was never searched, and he later walked up to the back gate and directed a guard to open it without being confronted about his identity. He described to investigators a plan to hide his gear in the kitchen until he needed it, and he acknowledged a very...