by Mollie Fuller
WALSENBURG-Walsenburg prison inmate, Adrian Cardenas, attempted to escape from the county’s minimum to medium security prison on Sunday, Aug 30 at approximately 8 pm. Prison official, Allan Cramer, stated the inmate was seen between the double row of security fences by the perimeter patrol officer. The patrol officer, in turn, called the response team and the facility was placed on lockdown. Cardenas had successfully scaled a non-security fence and a security fence with concertina wire atop. This is a type of razor wire that is formed in large coils with razor sharp barbs. After being confronted at gunpoint by the responding officers, Cardenas complied and was taken into custody. He was treated in the medical unit for the cuts received by climbing the razor wire fence. All inmates and staff were totally accounted for and no further incidents occurred.
In an unrelated incident, inmates at the facility were placed on a four-day lock-down in June, after three homemade weapons were found by corrections officers. The objects found were sharp instruments fashioned from scrap metal and were found in the commons area of the prison under a vending machine. "Anytime we find contraband, we have to do what we call a shake-down. We search every nook and cranny of the facility and inmates are held on lock-down," Cramer said.
