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 An inmate convicted of second degree murder in 1994 escaped from the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center Sunday night.

The inmate, Kelly Renee Norton, was up for parole in August and could have been released this year. Instead, she faces an additional five years if convicted of escaping from the prison, located in the southern part of Pocatello's west bench.

Prison officials said the woman walked away from the facility's community custody unit, which houses inmates who are considered low-risk and work in the community. The unit is located outside the main perimeter fence of the prison.

Norton, 44, was discovered missing at 9:10 p.m. and prison officials believe she walked from the facility into a waiting vehicle.

Prison warden Brian Underwood said even though Norton was considered low-risk and lived in the community custody unit, she now has to be considered dangerous in virtue of the fact she chose to escape from a prison. The fact she apparently walked away from the unit doesn't take away from the seriousness of the crime, he said.

"Anybody that would escape from a correctional facility should always be considered dangerous because they're unpredictable," he said. "Let's not kid each other, she escaped."

CONUS TOC SOURCE