S.C. inmate back in custody after error leads to accidental release from jail

A South Carolina inmate is on his way to prison after detention officers misread his sentencing information and accidentally released him from jail.

Joshua Earnest Peters was erroneously released Thursday night by officers at the York County Detention Center after they misread his sentencing information, according to a post on the York County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. Peters, 37, is a sentenced inmate and was waiting to be transported to a S.C. Department of Corrections facility.

Attempts to locate Peters began the next day, when the error was discovered, the Sheriff’s Office said. Officers made contact with Peters by phone and urged him to return to the jail; however, he refused.

Peters was apprehended early Saturday morning at a home in Pineville, N.C., which is near the state line and Lancaster County, the Sheriff’s Office said. He is jailed in Charlotte, awaiting transport back to the York County jail.

“This incident appears to be human error,” York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said. “We are conducting a full investigation into what transpired, so we can take corrective actions to ensure this mistake is not repeated. We are thankful this situation was resolved peacefully without further incident.”

Peters was originally booked into the jail in February for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine-second offense, officials said. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 40 months in prison.

This story was originally published June 4, 2017 at 2:39 PM with the headline "S.C. inmate back in custody after error leads to accidental release from jail."