DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — An inmate reportedly escaped, and was apprehended within an hour, from Dauphin County Prison during a routine prison work detail on Tuesday.
According to Dauphin County officials, Andre Richardson, 50, was outside the prison emptying trash from the kitchen with another inmate. He was reportedly being supervised by a correctional officer when he ran off the property towards Route 441 (North Harrisburg Street).
After the supervising officer notified staff, Dauphin County Prison was placed on lockdown, and local law enforcement agencies were called to help aid in the search.
Richardson was apprehended by police at 7:58 p.m., within an hour of his escape.
Agencies that assisted in the search and subsequent arrest of Richardson included Swatara Township, Harrisburg City and Pennsylvania Capitol police departments, Pennsylvania State Police, Dauphin County Adult Probation and Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Division.
"We are grateful to our partners in the local law enforcement community for their swift response and collaboration in this incident," said Dauphin County Criminal Justice Director John Bey. "While there was never any threat to the community, we take these security matters very seriously. We will be conducting a root cause analysis of this incident to determine what happened and identify ways to prevent this from occurring in the future."
Richardson has been held in Dauphin County Prison since July 24, 2023, and was awaiting trial for charges of criminal mischief and false ID; additional charges related to the escape are pending.
