SHARE

Two Dauphin County Correctional Officers Resign After Prisoner Escaped

Two Dauphin County correctional officers have resigned just two days after an escaped prisoner was recaptured, according to a release Dauphin County spokesman Brett Hambright.

Autum Flowers.

Autum Flowers.

Photo Credit: Dauphin County

Autum Rose Flowers, 34, Columbia, Lancaster County, escaped while under the supervision of the two guards at Harrisburg Hospital on Nov. 22, according to police.

Flowers was first arrested on drug related charges including possession with intent to deliver on Nov. 11, according to the release and court documents.

After a reward of up to $2,000 was offered by Dauphin County CrimeStoppers for information leading to the arrest of Flowers she was recaptured near 15th and Derry streets in Harrisburg on Nov. 28, according to police.

The officers have been on unpaid leave ever since the escape, according to police.

The guards submitted letters of resignation on Tuesday, according to Hambright.

One guard had worked at the prison for 8 months and the other had worked at the prison for over 1 year, according to the release by Hambright.

“The investigation clearly showed best practices were not followed,” Prison Warden Gregory Briggs stated in the release. “There must be accountability for actions. We cannot put public safety at risk.”

An review is ongoing to determine what changes can be made to minimize future risks, according the release by Hambright.

“We remain fully committed to improving prison operations and being as transparent to the public as possible during that process,” Mike Pries, chairman of the Dauphin County Commissioners and prison board stated in the release.

Flowers faces the additional felony charge for escape and she has been remanded to the Dauphin County Prison in lieu of and addition $75,000 in bail on top of her initial bail amount of $100,000 for the drug charges, according to her updated court docket.

Her preliminary hearing has been scheduled with Magisterial District Judge Michael J. Smith on Dec. 15 at 10:15 a.m., according to her court docket.

to follow Daily Voice Dauphin and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE