(1) The Director of the Department of Corrections may grant to an individual corrections officer or classification of corrections officer all the powers and authority of a peace officer over inmates.
(2) A corrections officer granted the authority of a peace officer under subsection (1) of this section shall have the authority to:
(a) Prevent an escape from the grounds of a correctional facility by an inmate; and
(b) Go beyond the grounds of a correctional facility to:
(A) Pursue an inmate if the inmate is in the act of escaping from a correctional facility;
(B) Search for an inmate if the inmate is in the act of escaping from a correctional facility; and
(C) Recapture an inmate if the inmate is in the act of escaping from a correctional facility.
(3) A corrections officer who has been granted the authority of a peace officer under subsection (1) of this section shall retain the authority until the law enforcement agency having general jurisdiction over the area in which the escape or attempted escape of the inmate took place assumes responsibility for recapture of the inmate.
(4) The Department of Corrections shall inform the appropriate law enforcement agency of an escape or attempted escape of an inmate as soon as is reasonably practicable.
(5) As used in this section, “inmate” means a person sentenced to a period of incarceration in a prison or other correctional facility until such time as a lawful release authority authorizes the release of the person. [1991 c.879 §1]
Section: Previous 423.030 423.035 423.040 423.050 423.060 423.070 423.075 423.076 423.078 423.080 423.085 423.090 423.093 423.097 423.100 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008