Chadwick Shores, 32, who is considered dangerous, escaped early Tuesday morning from the fire camp at the Myrtle Creek Airport. He was part of a 100-member prison crew working on the fire near Days Creek.
Local law enforcement agencies are assisting the state corrections department in the search for Shores, said spokeswoman Perrin Damon.
Shores has been serving an almost four-year sentence at Snake River Correctional Facility in Ontario for coercion and burglary after he kidnapped and sexually assaulted a Eugene woman he had stalked for years.
Officials have reason to believe Shores may be headed back to Eugene to seek revenge on the woman and her family, whom he reportedly blames for his incarceration.
Writings that stated his intentions were found among Shores' belongings, Damon said.
Fire crews are typically comprised of minimum-custody inmates who are within a few years of release and meet certain criteria.
"I understand that some folks are saying that we shouldn't have assigned this inmate to a work crew, and that may be the case," Damon said.
Corrections officials are looking at who knew about Shores' background, and who should have known, she said. A review of the prison's inmate work crew policy is also being undertaken.
Damon said inmate work crews provide a significant benefit to the community, saving taxpayers money while helping inmates develop skills that will help them get jobs when they are released.
"(It) teaches inmates to be responsible, lets them practice valuable skills they learn in prison so that when they're released ... they'll have a better chance of getting a job, and they do work that otherwise would go undone," Damon said.
"Any time that we have a walk-away it is a concern, and we dedicate the resources necessary to apprehend the person ... public safety is our immediate priority."
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