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January 26, 2012 in City
Geiger escape sparks discussion
Officials say jailbreak by two inmates shows need for new facility
Sgt. Brett Sobosky was the incident commander on site after two prisoners escaped from Geiger Corrections Center on Tuesday evening.
(Full-size photo)
The escape of two inmates Tuesday from Geiger Corrections Center was the first such incident from that facility in at least five years, the staff said on Wednesday as sheriff’s officials argued the escape underlines the need for replacing the jail.
Geiger is converted from military housing built in 1959 and used by Spokane County for a mix of nonviolent inmates, including those awaiting trial like the two women who escaped.
“This is a military barracks,” said Lt. JoAnne Lake, assistant commander at Geiger. “It’s not built to make people stay in.”
Last year, county commissioners postponed a proposal to build a new jail facility near Geiger so officials could continue looking for ways to make it more palatable to voters. That proposal was part of a $199 million upgrade of county corrections facilities that also included a separate community corrections center and restoration of the Spokane County Jail back to its original number of beds.
Kathleen D. Stockton, 49, and Rachel A. Banks, 25, “both ended up getting cut pretty badly” when they threw a blanket over stainless steel razor wire to scale the facility’s 10-foot-tall fence, said Sgt. Brett Sobosky of Geiger Detention Services. “They were pretty bloody.”
Banks also suffered a broken ankle during one of the two jumps it took to get away.
Both women were taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center for treatment and then returned to Spokane County Jail, where they now face an additional charge of escape.
Sheriff’s deputies said the cuts were severe enough to be life-threatening.
“You don’t want to go over that wire,” Lake said.
The women used a mop handle to break out the upper portion of a bathroom window that was only partly covered by a security screen when the barracks were converted to a jail. The women climbed out of the ground-floor window, possibly also suffering cuts from that maneuver.
With her broken ankle, Banks was unable to keep up with Stockton. She was tracked down about two blocks from the detention facility.
Stockton, who lost a shoe in a snow bank, made it to a trailer park adjacent to the Airway Express Inn, 3809 S. Geiger Blvd., where she was seen knocking on doors for help.
Sheriff’s deputies, Washington State Patrol troopers and Geiger staff converged on the area after a resident called 911 and said a woman, later identified as Stockton, had showed up at his home covered in blood and asked for a ride because she had just jumped a fence at Geiger, according to court documents.
Tracks in the snow also led to the trailer park, Sobosky said.
Deputies found Stockton ducked down on the floorboard of an SUV wearing a change of clothes she had obtained from inside one of the trailer units. Her bloodied clothes were on the floorboards.
Troy A. Scheiber, 43, and his wife, Judith A. Scheiber, 46, were arrested on a misdemeanor charge of second-degree rendering criminal assistance. The couple live at the trailer park, according to court records.
Both women were back in custody within about an hour of their escape.
In addition to escape charges, Banks was being held for residential burglary, second-degree theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of tools used for stealing vehicles and attempting to elude police.
Stockton’s charges are for third-degree theft, possession of controlled substance and unlawful possession of a payment instrument.
Staff writer Meghann M. Cuniff contributed to this report.
Returning farmland to a state of nature 
opeled on January 26 at 6:06 a.m.
dig a moat around the new facility put fish in it(parahna)
lewis8457 on January 26 at 8:11 a.m.
it seems to me blaming the entire complex because two ladies walked out a locked gate is a bit extreme how about just firing the person who left the gate open? oh that is right union wont fire them well hell lets just build a new 10 billion dollar complex some other goof will leave the gate unlocked.
JBlim on January 26 at 9:04 a.m.
“The women used a mop handle to break out the upper portion of a bathroom window that was only partly covered by a security screen when the barracks were converted to a jail.”
Lewis? What are you talking about???
The_Seer on January 26 at 9:14 a.m.
My favorite Geiger story was the one where inmates were mixing hand sanitizer with Kool-Aid to cop a buzz.
RedCedar on January 26 at 9:42 a.m.
Precisely. At most, they need a new fence. Using the example of a couple of prisoners who practically walked out of the hoosegow as a reason to build a whole new prison is like when the school districts say they need to build a new school because the old one has peeling paint and isn’t wired for internet.
JBlim on January 26 at 10:18 a.m.
“Precisely.”
Somehow Lewis manages to blame the union. I wouldn’t call that very precise, Red.
jddavis on January 26 at 10:32 a.m.
Lewis—can’t find where they walked through a locked gate. I found where they threw a blanket over razor-wire and climbed over, getting the crap cut out of them and one breaking an ankle.
I suggest they use photographs of these two during jail inprocessing to show what razor-wire is designed to do.
Deputy_Gregory on January 26 at 11:36 a.m.
For clarification, they broke a window to exit the facility, used a blanket to try and cover the razor wire when they scaled the fence as posted in the article:
“both ended up getting cut pretty badly” when they threw a blanket over stainless steel razor wire to scale the facility’s 10-foot-tall fence,
jddavis,
You idea is good but we cannot release booking photos per Washington RCW unless (with a few exceptions) it is intended to further an investigation.
Deputy Gregory
RedCedar on January 26 at 11:46 a.m.
JB, the first part was “precise”. The last part was less precise.
therailroader on January 26 at 12:27 p.m.
Ozzie will use any problem that arises for building a new jail. If the idiots who try to escape Geiger (which is supposedly a lower level prison, then whenever someone tries to escape, ship them off to the real state pen for the rest of their incaration (no time off for good behavior).
The_Seer on January 26 at 1:21 p.m.
I would have pole vaulted the fence with the mop handle.
becky46H2009 on January 26 at 2:08 p.m.
I like the first comment, when you build a new facility you build a moat around it then place Parana’s in there then dare the inmates to escape they would never make it out of the moat alive. Especially if the moat was real wide.
westerly on January 26 at 2:18 p.m.
Sacred Heart bill was probably several thousand…thanks Spokane peeps!