A Department of Corrections escapee is back in custody after he walked away from a halfway house and never returned.
Officials tell 2 Works for You Gregory Graham escaped in November.
The Tulsa Transitional Center serves as a halfway house to inmates who have served time in minimum security prisons and are ready to transition back into society.
On Wednesday night, Graham was found and had police on their on their toes.
The DOC said Graham earned his way into the center.
"They have to be non-violent and they have to go through the minimum security prison and then down to community corrections and then potentially into the halfway house," Alex Gerszewski, DOC Public Relations Officer said.
Inmates at the halfway house have the opportunity to go to work to pay their fines.
However, Graham is an exception, and has been considered an escapee since Nov. 28 when the DOC said he walked out to go to or find work, and never returned.
"Every time that they leave and come back, they go through a metal detector and a whole pat down process," Gerszewski said. "They sign out with the monitor at the halfway house and they are told, 'you are leaving at this time, you have to be back and this time.'”
The DOC said as soon as an inmate is reported missing, they get to work.
"Our agents with the Inspector General's Office... they get on the case right away.”
In the past agents said they have searched for 20 years before finding an escapee.
On Wednesday night, Tulsa Police were searching for a stolen vehicle, and when they found it driving around, it just so happened Graham was the driver.
Police said graham led them on a chase starting at Utica and Apache, and ended on 26th street near a Dollar General.
Graham reportedly drove the stolen car over a steep hill, damaging it on impact. He then ran from the car and was caught by police within minutes.
"It’s the [District Attorney's] decision on what he wants to charge him with now," Gerszewski said.
Graham’s escape will be taken into consideration on whether he earns another opportunity back at the transition center. He faces multiple charges, including possession of a stolen vehicle, burglary, drug possessions and larceny.
Currently, 12 inmates have escaped from facilities like this one across the state. The DOC said there are four facilities like this one in Tulsa.
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