A Pueblo County inmate with a prior history of escape managed to briefly flee from custody on Monday while serving as a kitchen trustee, just two days shy of completing his sentence.
According to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, Lucas Brown, an inmate originally serving 90 days for criminal mischief, escaped from the Pueblo County Detention Center after being permitted to take out the trash as part of his kitchen trustee duties. He ran west of 9th Street and was captured 35 minutes later with assistance from the Pueblo Police Department.
Brown had been working in the jail’s kitchen without issue since March 31. His escape, however, has now resulted in additional criminal charges and the loss of his trustee status. He will not be released as originally scheduled.
An investigation by KRDO13 revealed that Brown has a prior escape conviction from 2017, when he fled a court-mandated treatment facility. He had also faced an assault charge for an incident involving a guard, which was later reduced to third-degree assault. Despite this background, Brown was still granted a trustee position, which included duties outside the secure area of the facility.
Sheriff’s office policy currently allows inmates with prior escape convictions to be considered for trustee assignments. However, officials now admit that Brown’s placement in a position with outdoor access was a serious oversight.
Captain Dawn Ballas acknowledged the lapse: “Inmates with escape histories should not be in roles that provide easy access to unsecured areas. This will be reviewed to prevent future incidents.”
The escape has triggered internal reviews and raised concerns about the vetting process for inmate job assignments.
Policy changes regarding trustee eligibility, particularly for those with documented escape attempts, may be on the horizon.
