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March 10--RICHMOND -- Madison County Jailer Doug Thomas, along with local and state law enforcement, is searching for an inmate who did not return Thursday from the work release program.
Brian Isaacs, 23, is white, approximately 5-feet, 11-inches tall, 140 pounds, brown hair and hazel eyes.
He was arrested May 6, 2011, by the Madison County Sheriff's Office for first-offense manufacturing methamphetamine and endangering the welfare of a minor. He was being lodged at the Madison County Detention Center as a state inmate, according to Thomas.
Isaacs was charged along with three others for making the drug in a Smith Village apartment while a baby slept downstairs.
He pleaded guilty in Madison Circuit Court to an amended charge of facilitation to manufacturing meth. A charge of four-degree controlled substance endangerment to a child was dismissed. The state recommended Isaacs receive a five-year sentence.
Isaacs recently was approved to participate in the detention center's work release program and was working for the Richmond/Madison County Recycling Center.
He did not return Thursday at 4 p.m., which is when the inmates are brought back to the jail after an approximate eight-hour work day, Thomas said.
"Unfortunately, we have things like this happen from time to time," he said. "Any time you have them working out (of the jail) like that, this is going to happen. But, I think the bad outweighs the good with the work program."
An escape warrant already has been issued for Isaacs by the state Department of Corrections and all local law enforcement agencies have been notified of his disappearance.
"I've been out all morning talking with his relatives," Thomas said. "We've been searching the area and haven't come up with anything. His family hasn't heard anything from him. I met with his mother, father, sister and brother. He'll be found, believe me. We will find him."
Isaacs already "had a home place set up" and was close to parole, but his escape could add up to five more years onto his sentence, Thomas said.
"This kid wasn't going to be here much longer," he said. "You just don't know what runs through their minds. He's made a terrible mistake."
Anyone with information about Isaacs' whereabouts should call the detention center at 624-4710, the Madison County Sheriff's Office at 623-1511, the Richmond Police Department at 623-8911, the Berea Police Department at 986-8456 or the Kentucky State Police at 624-2404.
