HARRISBURG – Two inmates from the Illinois Youth Center-Harrisburg were taken back into custody after brief escape from law enforcement Friday morning in Harrisburg.

According to the Harrisburg Police Department, at 9:06 a.m., Saline County Central Dispatch received a call from a correctional officer from the Illinois Youth Center – Harrisburg, reporting that two inmates, who were part of a work crew at the Sunset Lawn Cemetery, had fled from the work detail on foot. Harrisburg Police and Saline County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area.

At 9:14 a.m. a Saline County deputy spotted the two escapees fleeing south across the bike path near Harrisburg Middle School. Due to the close proximity of the inmates to the middle school, officials contacted the middle school and it went on lockdown as a precautionary measure.

Additional officers and deputies responded to the area including officers from the Carrier Mills and Eldorado Police Departments. Officers chased the suspects into a wooded area nearby where they lost sight of them. A perimeter was established around the area and a search of the area began.

At 9:54 a.m. officers and deputies located the two escaped inmates, bedded down in the woods, where they were taken into custody.

Assisting in the search and capture of the escapees were the Saline County Sheriff’s Department, Eldorado Police Department, Carrier Mills Police Department, Illinois State Police, Harrisburg Fire Department, the Illinois Youth Center, and members of the Harrisburg Public Properties and Street Departments.