WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo has issued a statement detailing how the wrong inmate was released from the county correctional facility two weeks ago.
County inmate Drake Partington, 21, posted bail on January 26. According to Crocamo, an officer mistakenly requested the wrong person, and Billy Partington, 30, his half-brother, was brought to booking to be discharged.
Booking staff failed to ask for Billy Partington's prison identification and continued to process the inmate, believing it was Drake Partington.
Billy Partington then signed a discharge document that contained a picture and physical description of Drake Partington. At this time, booking staff failed to follow protocol to identify the inmate being discharged. Correctional staff failed to compare inmate Billy Partington to the supplied photo, which includes a physical description of Drake Partington.
Crocamo said staff failed to follow protocol and make identification of the inmate being released a second time according to the current standard operating procedure.
Billy Partington was then released under the guise that he was Drake Partington, who had just posted bail.
Crocamo said an internal investigation showed that this incident resulted from human error and the failure of correctional staff to follow established procedures.
Disciplinary action is pending the results of required personnel policy. The release does not specify what disciplinary actions are being considered, how many prison workers are involved, or when those actions will be taken.
Crocamo believes the current procedures and resources to positively establish the identity of an inmate being released are adequate to confirm identity and prevent an escape from the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.
The release says the administration has added several additional layers of security and accountability for releasing inmates but does not give details on those measures.
Crocama says the Division of Corrections is pursuing additional security safeguards, including biometric verification for all inmate releases.
Escape charges were filed against Billy Partington on January 29, three days after his release. Crocamo does not say how long it took prison officials to determine that the wrong man had been released.
