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Arkansas Dismisses Two Employees Over ‘Devil in the Ozarks’ Prison Escape

Legislators press for inmate classification changes following staff dismissals that exposed security failures.

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Overview

  • Two North Central Unit employees were fired for allowing unsupervised dock access and improperly opening a gate that enabled Grant Hardin’s May 25 escape.
  • Hardin, serving an 80-year sentence for murder and rape, was recaptured on June 6 and has been moved to the Varner SuperMax Unit with no evidence of deliberate staff collusion.
  • During a July 10 legislative hearing, corrections officials revealed how Hardin fashioned a makeshift uniform, soup can lid badge and pallet ladder to impersonate an officer and scale the prison fence.
  • Lawmakers underscored that placing a violent convicted murderer in a medium-security facility reflected systemic classification flaws needing urgent reform.
  • A critical incident review scheduled later this month will determine further disciplinary measures and recommend policy changes to strengthen prison security.