Georgia Inmate Charged After Escape From Rabun County Detention Center

Tiger, GA — An inmate at the Rabun County Detention Center is facing additional charges after briefly escaping from custody Monday morning, according to the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities say 45-year-old Richard Jason Crump, who was assigned to a work detail, escaped around 8:09 a.m. on March 9, 2026.

Investigators determined Crump used a tool shed for cover before climbing over the back portion of the facility’s outer perimeter fence to reach the outside of the secured area.

Once outside the detention center grounds, Crump ran on foot through a wooded area between the detention center and the Rabun County Recycling Center.

Sheriff’s Office investigators later spotted Crump in the tree line along Boen Creek Road, across from the Sheriff’s Office. When an investigator called out to him, Crump continued moving through the woods back toward the detention center.

Authorities say Crump climbed back over the same section of the fence he used to escape at approximately 8:24 a.m., about 15 minutes after the initial escape.

During the incident, the detention center was placed on lockdown while officials accounted for all inmates.

Crump has now been charged with escape. Officials say both a criminal investigation and an internal administrative review are underway to determine how the security breach occurred and to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Sheriff’s Office said the situation was resolved quickly and without further incident.