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Sterling Correctional Facility escapee Douglas Alward is a runner. And that's not just a reference to the fact that he escaped four times from law enforcement in Colorado.

Katherine Sanguinetti, public information officer for the Colorado Department of Corrections, said SCF staff who knew the inmate confirmed that Alward often would pass hours at a time running laps in the yard in his quadrant of the facility. "He's in very good physical condition," she said.

Alward is described as 6'1" and 152 lbs. He is a 48-year-old white male with a shaved head and blue eyes, and should be considered dangerous. At the time of his escape, authorities said he might be wearing dark green prison-issue clothing or a white shirt and gray sweatpants.

Sanguinetti said authorities are assuming Alward is travelling on foot, and are tracking him in a search area that extends south and east from SCF, located at 12101 Highway 61, just east of Sterling. She did not want to pinpoint a specific area where they are concentrating the search, saying "More than likely, he is paying attention to the media."

Alward is the first inmate to escape from SCF, the largest prison facility in the state of Colorado. Built in 1999, the facility holds about 2,500 inmates and employs approximately 800 people. His previous escapes were in 1980 from Buena Vista Correctional Facility, in 1985 from Colorado Territorial State Penitentiary, and in 1991 from the Fremont County Courthouse law library, while awaiting trial in the custody of the jail. He has been in the Colorado correctional system since he was sentenced as an adult in 1979, at the age of 17, for attacking and injuring an elderly couple in their home. After his escape in 1985, he was arrested in Arizona and served six years there for armed robbery before being returned to Colorado. During the nine days he was on the loose in 1991, he kidnapped two people, committed robbery and shot at a police officer before being taken into custody in Oregon.

Tuesday evening, Sanguinetti said on the "Prime News" program on cable channel HLN that she had personally notified Alward's victims of his escape. Also during the segment, investigative reporter Michelle Sigona said she had talked to Alward's father, who said he has no relationship with his son and doesn't expect his son to ask him for help. The America's Most Wanted website, www.amw.com, states that Alward has family in El Paso County, but "it's unlikely he would return there."

According to the DOC, Alward was serving a 20-40 year sentence for attempted murder, assault, burglary, kidnapping and escape. He was originally eligible for parole in 2005, and his next parole hearing was scheduled for Oct. 1. The DOC website lists his estimated sentence discharge date as Sept. 18, 2013.

Sanguinetti said the U.S. Marshals Service had a detainer on Alward for when he completed his time in state prison.

The last time Alward was seen at SCF was at 9:09 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22. He was missing when a count was called at 10:10 p.m. At around 11 p.m., prison officials confirmed that he had escaped, and local law enforcement began the process of notifying the public. The reverse notification system was utilized to contact residents in the immediate area of the prison and in Sterling and Atwood, with calls going out at around 12:40 a.m. Monday. The rest of Logan County was notified in two waves later as the search continued.

Lt. Tony Harms of the Washington County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that Washington County residents were also contacted through a reverse notification system, and the department was in contact with schools. He said the Washington County system divides the county into sections, and the residents in those sections are being notified as the search teams move into those areas.

The search effort includes various teams from SCF and other DOC facilities as well as the Sterling Police Department, Colorado State Patrol and the sheriffs' offices in the counties where the search is located. There was air support during the search Monday, but it was not used Tuesday, according to Sanguinetti. Canine units continue to participate in the search.

The effort also now includes the resources of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Sanguinetti announced Tuesday. She also said a $15,000 reward is now being offered for any information that leads to Alward's capture. Tips can be called in to 1-800-CRIME TV.

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