Serving Eastern New Mexico and West Texas
File photo Curry County inmate Bobby Owen escaped from custody Aug. 8 while being treated at the hospital. By Sharna Johnson: CNJ staff writer Bobby Owen escaped from custody Aug. 8 after investigators said his sister and girlfriend hid handcuff keys in a hospital bathroom for him. His escape led to the dismissal of the […]
By Sharna Johnson: CNJ staff writer Two officers are gone and Curry County Jail Administrator Lois Bean is promising more change at the detention center. The firings were disclosed Tuesday during Bean’s detailed report to county commissioners on the heels of the erroneous release of an inmate last week. “One officer has been terminated for […]
A Clovis man who escaped from the Curry County jail last August was sentenced Friday to more than nine years in prison. As part of a plea agreement, Michael England, 30, was sentenced to four years in prison for escaping from the jail and got another five and a half years for tampering with evidence […]
Freedom New Mexico A 25-year Portales man was charged Thursday in connection with a stabbing last week in the 800 block of South Avenue B. Jose Zapata is charged with aggravated battery and parole violation, according to Capt. Lonnie Berry of the Portales PD. He is being held at the Roosevelt County Detention Center on […]
Freedom New Mexico A 40-year-old man is being held at the Curry County Adult Detention Center after being arrested by sheriff’s deputies Wednesday on federal warrants for felonies in Missouri. Jerry D. Klinker is being held on a $300,000 bond, charged with raping a child and receiving stolen property, according to a press release from […]
File photo Lois Bean took over as administrator of the Curry County Adult Detention Center in December By Sharna Johnson: CNJ staff writer Three officers have resigned from the Curry County Detention Center in the last two weeks, leaving a lean command staff. Administrator Lois Bean said the officers — the assistant administrator, a captain […]
CNJ staff photo: Liliana Castillo Ira Sellars with Protection One, an Albuquerque security company, disassembles one of the new still video cameras Wednesday that are being installed in the Curry County Adult Detention Center. Detention officers are about to get a better and much closer look at what’s happening inside Curry County’s jail. At a […]
A detention officer was injured Friday at Curry County’s jail in what Adminstrator Lois Bean described only as “an isolated incident.” Bean said no inmates were injured, adding, “Everyone is okay.” Bean declined to discuss any further details. “I don’t want to say for sure that it’s going to be a criminal case until the […]
CNJ staff photo: Tony Bullocks Lt. Curtis Cherry, training officer with the Curry County Detention Center, reviews the master training manual Monday. By Sharna Johnson: CNJ staff writer The training starts in a classroom and moves to the floor under the close supervision of a more experienced officer. Curry County Adult Detention Center Administrator Lois […]
CNJ Staff Double homicide defendant Anthony Casillas, 22,
CNJ file photo By April, events will begin taking place at the new Special Events Center. Officials say they anticipate it will thrive and the region will come to depend on it as an entertainment hub and source of economic enrichment. By Sharna Johnson: CNJ staff writer Packed with frustrations, public scrutiny and controversial issues, […]
CNJ staff Two Clovis residents were arrested Wednesday morning by the Region 5 Task Force during a drug raid, according to Clovis police. Mario Moncayo, 32, and Nicole Ramirez, 27, are being held at Curry County Adult Detention Center on drug trafficking, weapon and child abuse charges — a toddler was present at the time […]
Courtesy photo A warrant was issued Tuesday for Willie Windom, a Texas prisoner, who was mistakenly released in September from the Curry County Adult Detention Center. By Sharna Johnson: CNJ staff writer A warrant was issued Tuesday for a Texas prisoner mistakenly released in September from the Curry County Adult Detention Center. Willie Windom, 46, […]
CNJ staff photo: Tony Bullocks Anchalee Sanchez, left, trains Melissa Johnson on proper booking and releasing procedures Thursday at the Curry County Juvenile Detention Center. By Sharna Johnson: CNJ Staff Writer Local police and the state agency that oversees troubled youths are at odds on how to handle juvenile criminal suspects. Clovis Police Capt. Patrick […]
CNJ staff photo: Sharna Johnson Curry County announced Tuesday Lois Patricia Jones-Bean will take over as jail administrator Dec. 15. CNJ staff
A copy of the August 2008 assessment report of the Curry County Detention Center.
CNJ file photo The Curry County jail has numerous security concerns — including too few detention officers and an “abysmal physical plant design” — according to a security risk assessment conducted by the New Mexico Association of Counties. By Sharna Johnson: CNJ staff writer Structural deficiencies, outdated policies and procedures and staffing issues are among […]
Curry County Manager Lance Pyle answered questions regarding the future of the jail and possible options for correcting deficiencies identified through an assessment dated Sept. 1. The assessment was conducted by a detention expert with the New Mexico Association of Counties. The interview was conducted via e-mail. It has been edited for clarity and grammar. […]
