Inmate who survived failed escape attempt is relocated from Clallam Bay prison

PORT ANGELES — The inmate who took a corrections officer hostage during a botched escape attempt at Clallam Bay Corrections Center last week was moved to another prison Thursday morning.

Dominick Maldonado, 25, was relocated to Stafford Creek Corrections Center near Aberdeen and remains in an intensive management unit, said Rowlanda Cawthon, state Department of Corrections spokeswoman, Thursday.

Cawthon said it is standard practice for an inmate to be relocated after assaulting a corrections officer.

Stafford includes a mix of minimal and maximum security levels.

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Maldonado joined convicted murderer Kevin Newland in trying to escape June 29 by taking a corrections officer hostage with scissors in the corrections industries area while Newland used a forklift to ram the perimeter fences.

A corrections officer shot and killed Newland, 25, after he rammed the outer fence with the forklift.

Maldonado, serving a 163-year sentence for a 2005 shooting rampage at Tacoma Mall that wounded seven people, then immediately surrendered himself, prison officials said.

The Clallam Bay prison remains on “restrictive movement” status.

Visiting hours

Visiting hours will be reestablished Saturday, Cawthon said, though when the prison will return to normal operations has not been determined.

The prison was on lockdown after the escape attempt until Wednesday.

Inmates are now allowed to go to breakfast and participate in day-room activities in small numbers, Cawthon said.

The correctional industries area where the escape attempt occurred is closed until further notice, she said.

The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office investigated the escape.

Sheriff Bill Benedict said the investigation was finished last week, though a report has not yet been forwarded to the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Deb Kelly said she has not decided whether she will file charges against Maldonado for the escape attempt.

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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.

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