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ESCAPEE CAPTURED AFTER 18 HOURS ON THE RUN

Sept. 10, 2001 — A man who escaped from St. Croix’s Golden Grove Detention Center on Sunday night was captured Monday afternoon after about 18 hours on the run.
St. Croix Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis said his department received a call at about 9:30 Sunday night from the Bureau of Corrections that Jeffery Darkins, 34, was missing from the detention center, located on the grounds of the Golden Grove prison. Darkins was booked at the detention center last Thursday on weapons charges.
Corrections Bureau Director Horace Magras said Darkins was reported missing after a routine head count Sunday. Police and Corrections officers immediately began a search, which culminated in Darkins’ capture at about 3:30 p.m. Monday in the Frederiksted area. Darkins was taken to the Charles Sweeney Headquarters and charged with escaping from custody.
Magras said that Darkins apparently scaled a 20-foot wall and then cut or worked a section of fencing apart at the detention center. He then climbed a second fence that encloses both the detention center and the prison.
"We are conducting a full investigation into the incident," Magras said, adding that staffing issues in Corrections didn’t play a part in the escape. "We have filled most of our vacant positions. . . It’s my opinion that Mr. Darkins’ escape wasn’t an issue of staffing."
About a year ago, convicted murderer Bradley "Hurtie" Maxwell escaped from the Golden Grove prison. It was determined that Maxwell hacksawed through the bars of his cell and then made his escape after a Corrections guard left the prison with keys to an open cell block in his pocket.
Maxwell was on the run for 11 days until he turned himself in to authorities in early September of last year.
At that time V.I. Attorney General Iver Stridiron said that understaffing at the prison could have played a role in the escape.
Magras said the latest escape proves that no facility is perfect. The detention center and prison were recently expanded to ease overcrowding. The new facilities were opened in February.
"Man designed and built these facilities," he said. "And given time, man will find ways to work their way out."

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