An inmate serving a 15-year sentence for a hot-check violation escaped in a stolen truck from a work-release assignment Thursday morning, officials said.
About 8:45 a.m. Thursday, Jason Satterfield, 44, took $190 from the cash register at Whitten Concrete Co. in Pine Bluff and fled in the company's 1990 white, Ford F-350 pickup, Arkansas Department of Correction spokesman Cathy Frye said.
The truck, with license plate number B295571, has a black flatbed with boards around it. The truck bed was empty when Satterfield fled the property, according to reports.
The Correction Department's escapee alert system did not release a public notice about the escape until 10:47 a.m. Thursday. Frye said there was a gap in time before officials noticed that Satterfield was missing, which delayed the notification.
Satterfield had been instructed to back the truck up and hook it to a trailer at the concrete company, Frye said. The truck keys were left in the ignition because the vehicle is used at the job site to carry loads from one part of the plant to another, she said.
Jack Castleberry, the owner of Whitten Concrete Co., said his wife had left the office to take a grandchild to the dentist. Satterfield had gone to use the restroom.
"He came out and noticed he was by himself and got some money out of the register," Castleberry said.
At 9 a.m., the employer noticed the truck was missing. Satterfield's job at the company was to set up concrete forms and get them ready for pouring -- a job that does not require him to use the company truck, Castleberry said.
"They looked around the plant, just in case the inmate had misunderstood their instructions, but couldn't find him or the truck," Frye said. "Their search lasted about 20 minutes. The employers then notified ADC officials, who in turn notified local authorities and state police."
Arkansas State police spokesman Bill Sadler said all of the state's law-enforcement agencies are assisting in the search for Satterfield.
"All law-enforcement agencies become vigilant to be on the lookout for any person the Department of Correction labels as an escapee," Sadler said.
He said roadblocks are not the first resort when an inmate escapes. "To my knowledge, we have not put up any at this time. If someone calls and has a sighting, then setting up roadblocks may be necessary."
Frye said the prison's escape protocol is part of its emergency preparedness plan and is exempt from public disclosure.
Satterfield was assigned to the Pine Bluff unit, the same lockup that convicted murderer Timothy Buffington escaped from on June 21, 2014. Buffington -- who surrendered to authorities in September after a statewide search for him -- was working on a maintenance assignment at a house on prison grounds when he stole a shotgun from the property and fled.
Buffington, who was serving a 20-year sentence for killing his ex-wife with a high-powered rifle in Logan County, had a spotless disciplinary record before his escape. He earned trusty status in 2003, which allowed him to work outside the prison doing jobs like gardening and cleaning.
Satterfield was the second prisoner this year to escape from a work-release assignment. In 2014, there were two work-release walk-offs and Buffington's escape.
In March, Texarkana Regional Correction Center inmate Cleophus Martin, 44, stole a rental car from Cattleman's Steak House in Texarkana, where he had been working, and fled. Martin, who was serving a 10-year Pulaski County sentence for aggravated robbery, was captured on March 3.
The work-release program is available only to inmates convicted for nonviolent offenses, who have clean disciplinary records and are within 42 months of parole. Inmates convicted of capital murder, first-degree murder, kidnapping, two or more aggravated robberies or any sexual offense are not eligible for the program. Also, to be eligible for the program they must never have attempted to escape and must not face any additional charges after their prison release.
They must be classified as being eligible for minimum-security status, Frye said.
"The program allows inmates to get job experience and to save money. An inmate who leaves with savings is more likely to succeed when he re-enters society," Frye said. "Also, many are offered jobs with these employers upon release."
Castleberry said his company has used the work-release program since 1990 and employs about four inmates at a time. Satterfield is the first inmate to escape while working at the company, Castleberry said.
"They told me that sometimes the inmates will just snap and decide to run," Castleberry said. "It's a great program with real good people in it. They give you the best inmates you can hope for. They've gone through the programs and have been screened. They earned their spot."
Including Satterfield, there are five state prison escapees who have not been captured to date: Hugo Campagne escaped on March 3, 2001; Gene Thomas escaped on July 5, 1988; Steven Dishman escaped on May 28, 1985; and Veal Lee escaped on July 15, 1984. All were convicted for nonviolent offenses.
State Desk on 07/03/2015