Woman Released From Jail In Error

Sebastian County inmate who was ordered to serve 20 days in jail was cufflinks released Tuesday, the same day a judge issued the court order, according to jail records.

Wanda Lynn Swimmer, 48, of Fort Smith was sentenced by Judge Claire Borengasser in Fort Smith District Court Tuesday and was later released sometime during the second shift, which begins at 7 p.m., said Capt. Mike Conger, administrator of the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center.

Swimmer was booked in the jail on Saturday and had served only three days on two misdemeanor charges relating to unpaid fines and failure to appear when she was released.

The fault of the mistaken release lies with civilian employee Kathy Walker and Bruce Partain, a detention deputy, according to jail officials.

Walker, a civilian clerk, who worked with inmate court dispositions for several years, recently returned to the jail to maintain order with inmate release paperwork.

"It started with her and plainly was missed," Conger said. She looks at it first because she does all court dispositions ... and she lets the deputies know whether they are staying."

A deputy sheriff picked earrings up Wednesday at her residence after she returned from the grocery store.

Swimmer was booked into the jail, where she is scheduled to serve out the remainder of her 20-day sentence.

Walker and Partain will get written reprimands in their personnel files, Conger said.

Swimmer is one of six inmates who have been accidentally released from the jail since September.

Earlier this month, Chief Deputy Tom Young said another clerk at the jail was the "common denominator," in the other five accidental releases. During the same interview, Sheriff Frank Atkinson said the new system has to work or else.

"Most of it was right in there about the same time so we're hoping the new method ... it's gotta work one way or another," Atkinson said earlier this month. "Or me and Tommy are going to be over there checking all releases."

In July, a female inmate who worked as a trusty escaped, as well as a man who Tiffany Bracelets to be another prisoner scheduled for release.

Credit: Times Record, Fort Smith, Ark.