Two inmates escaped from a trash receptacle area behind the Carson City jail last year. Sheriff Ken Furlong said the enclosed street-side space is primarily used by contractors, vendors and waste management.
Photo by Faith Evans.
Cody Abernathy and Matthew Marizza escaped a Carson City Jail work program on June 26, 2021. It took three days for law enforcement to apprehend both. A year after their run, the problems that were linked to the escape are unresolved.
According to Sheriff Ken Furlong, a structural design review following the escape found that a wall along the back of the jail needs more barrier protection and an alarm system. But the fence has not yet been delivered, and the alarm has not been installed.
“As we know, across the country, shelves are short and supplies are difficult sometimes. The alarm system – an activated alarm system for an inmate running – has been received. But the physical barriers are backed up,” Furlong said in an interview with the Appeal on Thursday.
It’s a big challenge for officers and staff, he added. The city has budgeted for two more detention center officers this year, but it’s impossible for him to have eyes everywhere to compensate for structural weaknesses.
“Our managers for the detention center have to brief on this every single week. (It’s) very frustrating when he sits there and says, ‘No new updates. No new information,’” Furlong said with a heavy sigh.
No inmate has ever escaped the Carson City Jail, he added, but the work programs are a different story.
Inmates participating in work programs sometimes leave the jail or have outdoor access as part of their assigned duties. The city’s risk classification system identifies which inmates are allowed to participate in work programs.
Last year, Abernathy was in detention for multiple drug and weapons charges. Marizza was charged with grand larceny.
“No inmate that is considered a threat to the community would be allowed to get into any of these work programs,” Furlong said. “But we do see the value of inmates having some productivity in their time in jail. And what we very often find is when you have that, you have improved behavior. Work actually builds self-esteem.”
The civilians and staff who work with inmates are not obligated to do anything besides sound the alarm in case of an escape, which is what happened in 2021, Furlong said. It’s the job of law enforcement officers to pursue. And more broadly, the Board of Supervisors is required to visit the jail at least annually to verify health, safety and welfare.
But until the new back exit fencing is delivered, Furlong said, the sheriff’s office has to rely on constant vigilance.
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