Overview

• Two North Central Unit employees were terminated after one let Grant Hardin onto a kitchen dock unsupervised and another opened a gate without verifying his identity.
• The Arkansas Department of Corrections has scheduled a critical incident review for later this month to recommend additional disciplinary measures and security reforms.
• Hardin has been transferred to the Varner SuperMax Unit and is set to stand trial on escape charges in November.
• Lawmakers pointed to shortcomings in prisoner classification that placed a convicted murderer and rapist in a medium-security facility.
• Officials are evaluating electronic gate alerts and tighter dock-access protocols to shore up procedural safeguards.