Inmate walks away from custody second time within a year

(MCALESTER, Okla.) UPDATE: An inmate who walked away from Jackie Brannon Correctional Center early Wednesday morning is back in custody. Oklahoma Department of Corrections Fugitive Apprehension and Investigations agents, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Hughes County Sheriff's deputies participated in the apprehension of Kenneth Laws, who was found southeast of Stuart. Stuart is about 20 miles east of McAlester. Laws is believed to have made it there via a truck he stole in McAlester before it broke down. He was arrested around 3 p.m. He will face additional charges from his walkaway attempt, including escape and vehicle theft, in addition to a move to a medium security prison or higher. Laws is serving a five-year sentence for eluding out of Atoka County. Four inmates have walked away from an ODOC minimum-security prison this year, and 13 in 2018 - all of whom were apprehended. ORIGINAL STORY: The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is looking for an inmate who walked away early Wednesday morning from a minimum-security prison for men, Jackie Brannon Correctional Center. Staff discovered Kenneth A. Laws, 39, missing around 3:15 a.m. when the inmate did not show up for work at the prison’s kitchen. Laws is serving a five-year sentence out of Atoka County for eluding a police officer. He also walked away on Oct. 5 from a halfway house, Oklahoma City Transitional Center, and was recaptured by the U.S. Marshal Service 12 days later in Newton, Texas. Once he returned to Oklahoma, he was transferred to the higher security facility, JBCC. He has a pending escape charge from his October walkaway and will likely face additional charges from Wednesday’s walkaway. Once he is captured, he will also be moved to higher security. Laws is described as white, 6-feet 1-inches tall, weighing about 210 pounds, with black hair and blue eyes. He also goes by the alias of “Robert E. Laws.” The public should not approach Laws or attempt to apprehend him. Anyone with information can call our escapee hotline at 405-425-2698 or email warrants@doc.ok.gov. All calls and emails are confidential.