Overview

• The Aug. 15 critical incident review found convict Grant Hardin spent six months planning his breakout by exploiting lax kitchen oversight to gather materials for a fake uniform and badge.
• Hardin exited the North Central Unit on May 25 after an unsupervised work detail and an officer unlocked a gate without verifying his identity.
• The report cites a custody misclassification that left Hardin in a medium-security prison despite his murder and rape convictions and hadn’t been updated since October 2019.
• Two prison employees were fired and several others faced suspensions or demotions over procedural violations, while the Arkansas State Police and a legislative subcommittee continue separate investigations.
• Arkansas DOC says it has already removed electric gate locks, proposed additional cameras and expanded shakedown searches ahead of Hardin’s November escape trial.