Wrong inmate released
Woman turns self in
An inmate who was mistakenly released because of a mixup with her name has turned herself in to authorities. Two women with the same last name were being held at the BiS ta te Justice Building jail in Texarkana. When it came time to release one of the women on Tuesday morning, a mixup occurred and the wrong inmate was released.
Tonokla Patterson, 31, was released about 10 a.m. Tuesday, said Bowie County Sheriff James Prince.
The woman who was supposed to be released, who also shared the last name of Patterson, was in the recreation yard when the name was called.
The Sheriff’s Office has launched an internal investigation into the incident.
“It was neglect on the officer’s part because they did not follow all of the safety measures of releasing an inmate. It’s an embarrassing moment and we have to deal with it,” Prince said.
He said there are procedures in place to prevent mistakes like this one, and action will be taken against those who failed to follow the procedures.
The jail is operated by a private company, but Prince said he is the sheriff and inmates are ultimately his responsibility.
Investigators located members of Tonokla Patterson’s family, and they convinced her to turn herself in about 10 pm. Wednesday.
No additional charged are expected to be filed.