State investigating company that let inmates escape

Prison Director Bob Bayer has stopped employing Extraditions International to transport Nevada inmates between states since two dangerous felons escaped from the company March 25 near Chula Vista, Calif.

He said that is the second escape from the company involving a Nevada inmate this year.

"As soon as I heard about it, I stopped using them," said Bayer. "When we have two problems in that short space in time we can't afford not to."

He said the company's services won't be used pending a thorough investigation of the details of the escapes, the company's operating procedures and the training of its personnel He said the state's contract with them is also being reviewed.

Convicted murderer James Prestridge, 39, and robber John Doran, 29, escaped after overpowering security guards who were supposed to be watching them while the company's inmate transport van was at a rest stop in March.

Doran was found dead a few days after the escape, the San Diego Sheriff's Department reported Friday. His body was found on a road south of the border town of Tijuana apparently shot in the back of his head.Prestridge remained at large.

Extraditions International, based in Colorado, transfers prisoners and jail inmates around 50 states, Puerto Rico as well as several foreign countries. The firm has been in business at least a decade and moves thousands of prisoners each year from one jurisdiction to another.

Company officials declined to answer questions directly on Friday, instead asking for a list of questions on a company letterhead. No answer was received as of press time to that letter.

However, they did relay a message through the officer who answered the phone at company headquarters, stating that changes have been made in procedures to make sure there is no repeat of the escape.

Bayer said Nevada, like most states, transports inmates between facilities within the state itself but uses a private company to take inmates across country. He said the system has been in use for years with few problems.

Prestridge pleaded guilty to murdering a 1989 pizza parlor manager in Washoe County. He was being transported to a North Dakota prison under a prisoner exchange agreement.

Doran was serving 12 years for robbery out of Clark County. He was on his way to Colorado to face other charges.

After the two men overpowered their guards, they took the van. They later abandoned it near the Mexico border in San Diego County. There have been reports, however, that Prestridge may have returned to the Reno area.

The incident earlier this year involved an inmate named Billy Freeman who was being transported to Nevada to serve a sentence after completing his time in another state prison.

Bayer said that escape also involved Extraditions International and also occurred at a rest stop.

"It's no coincidence to me that they both happened at rest stops," said Bayer, adding that indicates a serious problem in how Extraditions International is handling prisoners in those situations.

"We've got to make sure that we are not exposing the public to any risk," said Bayer. "The question is can they do the job as well as we can do the job."

He said if the answer is no, the state may have to consider having state correctional officers handle inmate transfers. He said he is also looking at other companies that may handle the job and at whether Extraditions International can cure its problems.