Prisoner Missing from Bucks County Minimum Security Facility

A man serving an 18-month sentence for writing bad checks escaped the minimum security wing of the Bucks County Correctional Facility Monday morning, according to court documents.

Harry Wallace, Jr., 44, was present during an institutional count at 7:30 a.m. but could not be located during another count at 11:30 a.m., according to the affidavit. The report says that his name was paged three times over the PA system, and Wallace's room, the building and surrounding grounds were searched.

"Wallace has been placed on escape status and remains at large in the community," the report says.

According to investigator Michael Kruvczuk, the men's community center is a minimum security facility primarily for prisoners on work release or drug rehab.

"People there are afforded more liberties," said Kruvczuk. "There aren't any fences, just certain areas that have restricted access. Prisoners are allowed to go outside and exercise."

Christopher Edwards of the Bucks County Office of Public Information said that this type of incident is characterized as a walkaway and happens often in the low security facility.

"It is not the jail or the Bucks County Correctional Facility, where there has been one escape in the last 40 years," said Edwards in a statement.

Wallace was arrested by Bensalem police in October 2010 after one of his employees accused him of writing bad checks, according to Bensalem police spokesperson Sergeant Andrew Aninsman.

Wallace pled guilty to writing the bad checks and began serving an 18-month sentence at the correctional facility in April. He has also been ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $500 to the employee.