The Edinburgh Correctional Facility is seen on the grounds of Camp Atterbury on Thursday.
Indiana Department of Correction Photo
Weeks after an incarcerated individual escaped from the Edinburgh Correctional Facility, officials have revised and restated the facility’s outdoor work crew policy.
Edinburgh Correctional Facility is a minimum security adult work camp located on the grounds of Camp Atterbury. Work crews work in multiple areas around the region as part of their stay at the facility.
During a community advisory board meeting and an interview Thursday at the facility, Warden Bryan Dobbs discussed the need to remind employees of the policy and what the updated policy entails. The updated Indiana Department of Correction policy goes into effect on Dec. 1, though Dobbs says it doesn’t have any major changes.
“Nothing changed much, but we just wanted to reinforce in this meeting that the policy is important and that we can’t be complacent,” Dobbs said.
The updated policy and reminders come a few weeks after the brief escape of Marion F. Jaynes, who was on work release when he fled the facility. The 55-year-old, who is serving a 20-year sentence for burglary, walked away from a work crew at the facility on Oct. 30.
After his escape, Jaynes was spotted driving a truck on the southside of Indianapolis. A few hours later, he was taken into custody at a home on the west side of Indianapolis, the IDOC said at the time.
Jaynes has a lengthy criminal history, with convictions going as far back as 1991. Among the charges are multiple counts of resisting law enforcement and burglary, according to online records from the IDOC.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing, Dobbs said Thursday. The Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office is planning to file charges against Jaynes in connection with the escape, Prosecutor Lance Hamner said.
In the 21 years, Dobbs has been at Edinburgh Correctional, there have been seven instances of incarcerated individuals walking away. It’s pretty rare, he said.
“95% of the time, things go as planned,” Dobbs said. “Every once in a while, something bad happens.”
The Outside Work Crews policy is 14 pages, covering topics like supervisor duties along with the duties of incarcerated individuals who are assigned to work crews. Among the items Dobbs emphasized during the meeting was the importance of making sure every movement of work crews is reported.
“They have to report their crew location to us when they get to their location, when they move to a location so we always know where they’re at in case something would happen. And so we can respond in a timely manner,” Dobbs said.
Dobbs also discussed census counts, where DOC employees count the number of incarcerated individuals throughout the day. He wanted to reiterate the importance of employees actually gathering all the individuals together to count and not just calling the names from a book, he said.
These counts occur throughout the day, with one in the morning and one in the afternoon. There also is a formal count at noon, and pop-up counts throughout the day, Dobbs said.
Officials also wanted to reiterate to the employees watching work crews the importance of keeping personal items — keys, wallets, medication, cell phones — secured on their person, in their car, or in their locker. These items can be a temptation for an individual looking to escape, he said.
As for the public, Dobb wants residents to know the facility provides a great service. The facility saves taxpayer dollars, but also gives incarcerated individuals an opportunity to learn a skill to learn life skills, he said.
Through work release, the individuals can help support the community, he said. For example, work crews help maintain the grounds at Camp Atterbury, clean up the Indiana State Fairgrounds and work at the Johnson County Horse Park. They also have a community garden, which donates produce to the Camp Atterbury USO and a Columbus church, Dobbs said.
