Arkansas prison guards fired over escape of killer dubbed ‘Devil in the Ozarks’

Officials say breaches by two staff members let Grant Hardin walk free, and lawmakers warn of deeper security failures

Two employees at an Arkansas prison where an inmate known as the “Devil in the Ozarks” escaped have been fired for policy violations, corrections officials said on Thursday as they faced questions from lawmakers who said the escape pointed to deeper problems.

The head of the Arkansas board of corrections told state lawmakers the violations allowed Grant Hardin to escape from the Calico Rock prison wearing a makeshift law enforcement uniform on 25 May. But officials have said there was no evidence employees knowingly assisted Hardin’s escape.

Continue reading…