By Tammy Grubb
The Charlotte Observer
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — An inmate’s escape in Orange County last summer is leading to changes in how the N.C. Department of Adult Correction handles when and how prisoners are moved outside the prison system.
The recommendations, stemming from an after-action review of the August escape, could lead to more virtual appointments and in-house medical care. Additional reviews are possible in the future.
Ramone Alston, 31, knocked an N.C. Department of Adult Correction guard to the ground and ran into the woods on Aug. 13 while being transferred from a prison van to UNC Hospitals in Hillsborough for a medical appointment.
State officials said Alston, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of a 14-month-old girl in Chapel Hill in 2015, removed his leg restraints during the 150-mile ride from Bertie Correctional Institution in Eastern North Carolina to Hillsborough.
He was still wearing handcuffs connected to a belly chain when he escaped.
The manhunt, involving hundreds of law enforcement officers from almost two dozen agencies over thousands of acres, ended on Aug. 16, when Alston was captured at a hotel in Kannapolis, near Charlotte.
A $50,000 reward was paid to the person who helped law enforcement capture Alston, said Keith Acree, spokesman for the N.C. Department of Adult Correction.
In the video below, Lexipol co-founder Gordon Graham discusses safety considerations during inmate transport.
Changes and escape charges
The state’s recent report, most of which remains confidential to avoid making specific prison plans and operations public, called for a deeper review of prisoner transportation policies and procedures, in addition to other recommendations.
These changes are starting or underway:
- Increasing the correction system’s ability to provide more in-house specialty medical services.
- Using more telemedicine visits and e-consults with outside specialists.
- Providing prisoners in close, medium and restrictive housing custody with orange clothing when traveling outside the prison system.
- Providing transportation staff with annual training
Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said after the escape that he didn’t understand why Alston was taken to Hillsborough for an appointment. He has advocated for limiting inmate movement outside of secure facilities and having secure areas for corrections officers who have to take a prisoner to the hospital.
The Department of Adult Correction said Alston was following up on a previous appointment with a gastrointestinal doctor, and the state has a contract with UNC Health for care.
Correction records show Alston had three prison disciplinary infractions — disobeying orders, escape and assault on staff with a weapon — added to his record in connection with the August escape. He had 16 infractions before escaping, including for possessing substances and an “audio/video/image device.”
Infractions can result in a loss of privileges and other good behavior benefits. Alston is now under close custody in high-security housing at Granville Correctional Institution.
Two women who helped him escape are facing charges in Orange County.
Alston’s sister Monique Brady, of Graham, was charged with obstructing justice, aiding an escape from prison, and providing tools for escape. Another woman, Jacobia Crisp, of Burlington, was charged with obstructing justice, felony harboring an escapee, and aiding an escape from prison. Blackwood has said Crisp met Alston while he was in prison.
Both women are awaiting trial.
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