Three inmates escaped from a Northwest Missouri jail on Sunday by crawling under a fence. It was reported that the men were being watched by three guards in the recreation area when they escaped. The small community where the jail was located was locked down, but the men have not been found.
This crisis can be considered intentional and preventable. I would think that because this is a jail full of men who do not want to be there, there would be a crisis plan. But, there does not appear to be one. According to the article, the Daviess County Sheriff's Department issued a news release about the incident, but it did not say how the men managed to slip under a fence while being guarded without being caught. The Sheriff's Department was contacted, but the Sheriff would not comment. An attorney who handled the case of one of the inmates would not comment either.
One of the first things I learned in my crisis communications class is whether you have answers or not, a holding statement always needs to be released. Any truthful comment is better than no comment because silence makes people think you are guilty. The Sheriff should have talked to the reporter and said the department is investigating the escape and that they are doing everything possible to find the men.
Read the full story here.
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