There’s conflicting information from the Department of Corrections Director and police regarding inmates who escaped from the Territorial Correctional Facility over the weekend.
According to Department of Corrections Director Palaita Tusi Suiaunoa one inmate escaped Saturday and he returned to the TCF Sunday evening.
He disputed information from the Department of Public Safety that a total of seven inmates were discovered missing during a prison count before midnight on Saturday.
He told KHJ News that when informed that up to seven inmates were not accounted for he told guards to redo the count.
And he was informed a few hours later that only one inmate was missing. The inmate later returned to the TCF on his own Sunday evening.
However according to information from the Fagatogo police station, TCF called in a report late Saturday night that seven inmates were missing. Police then began searching for the escapees.
Palaita insisted that the information about the 7 escapees was in correct.
A DPS official said the week before last an inmate escaped and they only found out when villagers contacted them. When they checked with the TCF it was confirmed that the inmate was missing.
The Department of Corrections had initially sent out public announcements to the media to notify the public when inmates escapes. However in the latest incidents there was no public notice.
When asked about this Director Palaita said this is the protocol that he has given his staff and they are supposed to follow it.
And what is being done to prevent the frequent inmate escapes?
Palaita said the escape route is through the bank fence and funding is needed to extend the fence so that it is at the same height as the wall in front of the TCF.
