Manhunt underway for four inmates who escaped Alabama correctional facility

A large-scale manhunt is underway across central Alabama after four inmates escaped from the Perry County Correctional PREP Center in Uniontown early Saturday morning, according to local law enforcement.

The Perry County Sheriff's Office said deputies received an alert around 1 a.m. local time reporting the breakout. The escaped inmates were identified as Marquavious Billingsley, Jaden Christopher Maxwell, Johnny Dave Harris Bush Jr. and Kevin Gunn. Authorities did not immediately disclose how the four men managed to flee the facility.

The inmates had been housed at the PREP Center — which stands for Parole and Probation Reentry Education and Employment Program Center — under an agreement with the Dallas County Sheriff's Department. All four are from Dallas County, Alabama, and were being held on charges ranging from murder and first-degree robbery to breaking and entering vehicles, first-degree escape, first-degree assault, and promoting prison contraband.

The PREP Center is designed to help inmates transition back into society through education and job training, but Saturday's escape has raised questions about security protocols at such facilities. Community members in Uniontown, a small town roughly 50 miles west of Montgomery, reported heightened police activity throughout the morning as officers set up roadblocks and conducted helicopter searches.

Perry County Sheriff Roy Fikes said in a statement that the safety of residents remains the top priority. “Deputies and assisting agencies are actively engaged in efforts to locate and apprehend the escapees, and an investigation is currently underway,” Fikes said. He urged anyone who sees the men to call 911 immediately and warned the public not to approach or attempt to detain them.

The escape marks the second high-profile breakout in Alabama this year, reigniting debate over staffing and security at the state's correctional facilities. Advocacy groups have long pointed to understaffing and aging infrastructure as contributing factors in prison escapes and violence.

Authorities have not released details about the circumstances of the escape, and it remains unclear whether the inmates acted alone or had inside help. An investigation is ongoing.