County not tracking ankle monitors at night, on weekends

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) – The Hamilton County Corrections Department does not have any employees tracking ankle monitors after regular business hours – a fact that at least one criminal has used to his advantage to get a head start on fleeing.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that ever since budget cuts were made in 2011, there have been no county corrections officials monitoring the GPS monitors from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weekdays, or during weekends or holidays.

Earlier this month, Christopher Padgett, a man on trial for first-degree murder, cut off his monitor and escaped around 1:40 a.m. He had a head start on police because no county employee knew he was missing until 6 a.m.

Padgett has since been convicted, but he remains at large.